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Mrkopalj

Coordinates: 45°19′N 14°51′E / 45.317°N 14.850°E / 45.317; 14.850
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mrkopalj
Municipality
Mrkopalj from Čelimbaša
Mrkopalj from Čelimbaša
Mrkopalj is located in Croatia
Mrkopalj
Mrkopalj
Location of Mrkopalj in Croatia
Coordinates: 45°19′N 14°51′E / 45.317°N 14.850°E / 45.317; 14.850
Country Croatia
CountyPrimorje-Gorski Kotar County
Area
[1]
 • Municipality
156.3 km2 (60.3 sq mi)
 • Urban
42.3 km2 (16.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Municipality
924
 • Density5.9/km2 (15/sq mi)
 • Urban
557
 • Urban density13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Websitemrkopalj.hr
Čelimbaša ski resort

Mrkopalj (pronounced [mř̩kɔpaʎ]) is a village and a municipality in the mountainous part of Croatia in the region of Gorski Kotar, located south-east of Delnice and some 50 km east of Rijeka and 831 meters above sea level.

History

[edit]

On 14 February 1776, the Severin County [hr] was created by Maria Theresa, named after Severin, with Karlovac as its capital, although county assemblies were sometimes held in Mrkopalj or Rijeka.[3] It was created after a 1765 decree called for the restoration of the ancient Vinodol County. It was abolished on 20 March 1786 by Joseph II.[4]

The volunteer fire department DVD Mrkopalj was founded in 1898, and is today part of the VZ općine Fužine.[5] Its current commander is Emil Vlahović.[6]

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

[edit]

The winter of 1931–1932 was particularly harsh in Čabar and surrounding areas. The lack of livestock feed caused a sharp decrease in livestock price. In the spring, a lack of supplies threatened to collapse the resale and even financial sectors locally. On 30 April 20, the emergency Law on the Protection of Farmers (Serbian: Zakon o zaštiti zemljoradnika) came into force, which prevented forcible sale of farmland until 20 October.[7]

WWII

[edit]

1941

[edit]

On 11 April 1941, the new NDH authorities made Mrkopalj-born Lovro Sušić [hr], a Frankist, administrator of the kotar of Ogulin.[8]: 349 

When Ante Pavelić arrived in Delnice on 13 April 1941, he was awaited by a small group of Frankists. Along with Ravna Gora and Vrbovsko, Mrkopalj was one of the only places in Gorski Kotar that already had Ustaše. They asked Pavelić for assistance against some Royal Yugoslav Army soldiers who were in the hills nearby, and received from Pavelić a number of Ustaše in response. More concretely, a large group of Yugoslav soldiers had been retreating from the Italian border through Jelenje, Lokve, Mrkopalj and Jasenak. Upon entering Mrkopalj, they were met by a Croat force belonging to Mačekova zaštita [hr], but the Yugoslav soldiers refused to disarm.[8]: 347, 350 

During the mass arrests of late May and early June, the Ustaša administration of Delnice kotar was more tolerant of Serbs than in the neighbouring Vrbovsko and Ogulin kotars. Tuk Vojni was the only Serbian village in Delnice kotar. The Ustaše had a list of 15 prominent Serbs in Tuk that they needed to arrest, but thanks to JRZ members of Mrkopalj and the notary[a] they were not jailed.[8]: 356 

On 9 June, Lovro Sušić, by that time Minister of People's Economy, wrote to in Hrvatski narod, "We don't want a bloody cleansing," (Croatian: Nećemo krvavog čišćenja) but "the Serbs must move" (Croatian: Srbi moraju seliti).[8]: 351 

1942

[edit]

The Italians withdrew from Mrkopalj on 15 March 1942, on the same day as Sunger and Ravna Gora. The Italians did not leave those towns along the railway, which they fortified with barbed wire.[9]

On 20 March 1942, the Partisans entered and took Mrkopalj.[10]

In May 1942, following the success of arming Serbs to form auxiliary chete in Moravice, Gomirje and Lička Jesenica, the Italian army decided to form similar armed groups from among the Croats of Mrkopalj and Ravna Gora.[11]

Recent

[edit]

On 10 March 2009 at around 4:15, a bread delivery driver noticed the house of 77 year old Bogumir Starčević was on fire. He loudly banged on his door to wake him up. Starčević immediately ran outside and called the fire department. DVD Mrkopalj, DVD Sunger, DVD Delnice and JVP Delnice responded, but the fire was exceptionally strong and they could not put it out until long after the house had burned down, at 9:20.[12]

From 31 January to 2 February 2014, while S and SW geostrophic wind dominated,[13] freezing rain fell on Gorski Kotar, glazing the entire region. It wrecked roofs, power lines an forests, causing power loss for about 14,000 households households in Gorski Kotar, or about 80% of its population. It took about 10 days to restore essential infrastructure to the region, and within months electricity was back in most of its former range, but at a cost of about 84.4 million HRK to HEP. At the time it was the largest peacetime damage since its Secession from Yugoslavia, even without counting the forestry losses. The Šumarija Mrkopalj lost 6% of its wood mass.[14] Clearing blocked forestry roads and forest paths would take years, and thanks to the declining population some were never cleared.[15]

Climate

[edit]

A weather station exists there at an elevation of 825 metres (2,707 ft), although under a shelter that compromises the applicability to surroundings. The minimum recorded temperature for the winter of 2024–2025 was −16.2 °C (2.8 °F), on February 20th.[16]

Demographics

[edit]

In 1870, Mrkopalj općina, in Delnice podžupanija, had 391 houses, with a population of 2718. Its 3 villages were divided into 2 porezne obćine for taxation purposes. Mrkopalj had its own parish.[17]: 9 

In 1895, the obćina of Mrkopalj (court at Mrkopalj), with an area of 156 square kilometres (60 sq mi), belonged to the kotar of Delnice (Delnice court and electoral district) in the županija of Modruš-Rieka (Ogulin court and financial board). There were 650 houses, with a population of 3628. Its 5 villages and 1 hamlet were divided for taxation purposes into 3 porezne obćine, under the Delnice office. Mrkopalj had the only statistical market in the kotar.[18]: iv, v 

Municipality map

In the 2011 census, the municipality had 1,214 inhabitants, in the following settlements:[19]

Municipality of Mrkopalj: Population trends 1857–2021
v
population
3427
3321
3607
3637
3790
3583
2931
3168
3007
3046
2650
2352
2002
1823
1407
1214
924
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021
Note:Originated from the old općina Delnice. Sources:Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications
Village of Mrkopalj: Population trends 1857–2021
v
population
2065
1909
2063
2052
2030
2001
1631
1732
1700
1823
1590
1450
1222
1196
923
755
557
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021
Sources:Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

Villages

[edit]

In the 2011 census, over 98% of the population were Croats.[20]

Economy

[edit]

There was a sawmill in Mrkopalj.[21]

Governance

[edit]

National

[edit]

At the 1920 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Constitutional Assembly election in Modruš-Rijeka County, Mrkopalj voted mainly for the Croatian People's Peasant Party.[22]: 602 

Results at the poll in Mrkopalj[22]
Year Voters Electors NRS DSD KPJ HPSS Independent SS HSP HZ
1920 793 593 46 13 487 5 2 6 34

Local

[edit]

Representatives of the Mrkopalj market town at the Croatian Parliament:

Judiciary

[edit]

In 1875, the kotar court of Delnice encompassed a population of 28,347, being responsible for the općine: Delnice, Lokve, Fužine, Mrkopalj, Ravna Gora, Brod, Skrad, Vrbovsko.[24]

Industry

[edit]

Mrkopalj was once a relatively important trading town in the Gorski Kotar highlands, where timber and sheep are the main resources.

Mountain snow sports are popular.

Coat of arms

[edit]

Emperor Joseph II granted the coat of arms and the status of a free royal market town in 1785. The grant of arms is similar in style with others granted in the period, including the aquarel picture of the coat of arms within a ring containing the inscription (thus making it a seal) and set in a baroque scene with mountains, angel broquate covers, coats of arms of selected Habsburg lands.

The shield is party per fess chief per pale: first chequy gules and argent, second or a lamb passant below a fir tree vert trunked proper issuant from a base also vert, and third azure five cliff spikes argent. The modern community adopted (around 1995) the same coat of arms in a modernized artistic rendition as required by regulations.

The decision on adoption of the coat of arms for Mrkopalj, and the flag was adopted on 12 March 1998 and this was issued in the official gazette in May 1998: Odluka o grbu i zastavi Opcine Mrkopalj, 12.03.1998, Službene novine Primorsko-goranske županije, br. 11/98, 29. svibnja 1998.

The flag is dark blue with the coat of arms bordered yellow in the middle.

Sports

[edit]

Beginning in 2013,[25] the 7 stage 260 kilometres (160 mi) long Cycling Trail of Gorski Kotar (Croatian: Goranska biciklistička transverzala) passes through Mrkopalj.[26]

The "Gorski Kotar Bike Tour", held annually since 2012,[27] sometimes goes through Mrkopalj, such as in the second leg for 2022 and the second leg for 2024.[28][29]

Infrastructure

[edit]

The forestry offices of Delnice srez were in Mrkopalj and Fužine.[30]

Notable residents

[edit]
[edit]

American author Jennifer Wilson's 2011 non-fiction book, Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters, takes place in Mrkopalj. She and her husband and two children spent seven months in the village, to reconnect to her immigrant maternal grandparents' relatives and culture.[31][32][33]

[edit]
  • Viewed from Kosa
    Viewed from Kosa
  • Gravel road
    Gravel road
  • Near Matić poljana
    Near Matić poljana

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "bilježniku Peri Sinku"[8]
  2. ^ Together with Vrbovsko and Ravna Gora, but in 1861 it was soon decided to separate the three so by-elections were held and Cuculić remained representative only Mrkopalj.
  3. ^ Simultaneously representing Zagreb III.[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Register of spatial units of the State Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. Wikidata Q119585703.
  2. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
  3. ^ Szatanek, József; Keserű, László; Szabó, Tibor (2016). "Severin na Kupi". Várak és erődített helyek a Kárpát-medencében. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01.
  4. ^ Turkalj, Nikola (2020-06-08). "Kapela i kip sv. Florijana u kompleksu dvorca Severin na Kupi". Sveti Florijan zaštitnik vatrogasaca.
  5. ^ Jagodin, Nikola; Runjić, Vedran (2022). "Popis vatrogasnih organizacija s datumima osnivanja" [List of Firefighting Organisations with Date of Founding]. Muzej hrvatskog vatrogastva (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 2023-01-30.
  6. ^ n.s. (2015–2025). "Požarno područje Gorski kotar VI - FUŽINE / MRKOPALJ". Vatrogasna zajednica Primorsko-goranske županije. Archived from the original on 2025-03-29.
  7. ^ Matić 2004, p. 1192.
  8. ^ a b c d e Škiljan, Filip (2011-12-01). "Teror ustaškog režima nad srpskim stanovništvom na području kotareva Vrbovsko, Delnice i Ogulin u proljeće i ljeto 1941. godine" [Terror of the Ustasha Regime against the Serbian Population in the Territory of the Vrbovsko, Delnice and Ogulin Districts in the Spring and Summer 1941]. Radovi Zavoda za hrvatsku povijest Filozofskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu: Radovi Zavoda za hrvatsku povijest Filozofskoga fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (in Croatian). 43 (1): 343–372. eISSN 1849-0344.
  9. ^ Trgo 1964, p. 227.
  10. ^ Trgo 1964, p. 207.
  11. ^ Trgo 1964, p. 276.
  12. ^ Krmpotić, Marinko (2013-09-07). "Izgorjela kuća u središtu Mrkoplja". Vatrogasni portal Hrvatske (in Croatian). Novi list. Archived from the original on 2025-03-30.
  13. ^ Trošić, Tanja; Mokorić, Marija (2014). ""Ledena kiša" i poledica u Gorskom kotaru od 31. siječnja do 5. veljače 2014". Meteorološki i hidrološki bilten (4): 49–53. ISSN 1334-3017.
  14. ^ Ned (2014-04-11). "Ledena kiša u Gorskom kotaru uzrokovala najveću mirnodopsku štetu u Hrvatskoj". Crometeo - motrenje i prognoziranje vremena. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13.
  15. ^ Uredništvo (2014-02-28). "Ledena kiša u Gorskom Kotaru". Šumarski list. 138 (1–2): 5. eISSN 1846-9140.
  16. ^ "Mrkopalj**". Pljusak.com. n.d.
  17. ^ Kraljevski zemaljski statistički ured (1877). "Pregled gradovah i podžupanijah i uredjenja upravnih obćinah uz naznačenje poreznih obćinah, njihove površine i k istim spadajućih mjestah uz broj kućah i stanovnikah". Pregled političkoga i sudbenoga razdieljenja kraljevinah Hrvatske i Slavonije i uredjenja upravnih obćinah. Na temelju naredbe kr. hrv.-slav.-dalm. zem. vlade od 5. veljače 1875. broj 221 pr. i provedenoga zatim zaokruženja upravnih obćinah. Zagreb: Kraljevska hrvatsko-slavonsko-dalmatinska zemaljska vlada, 🖶 Tiskara "Narodnih novinah". pp. 1–120.
  18. ^ Kraljevski zemaljski statistički ured (1895). "Glavni pregled područja županija, upravnih kotara i obćina, sudbenih stolova, sudbenih kotara, financijalnih ravnateljstva, poreznih ureda i izbornih kotara". Političko i sudbeno razdieljenje kralj. Hrvatske i Slavonije i Repertorij prebivališta po stanju od 31. svibnja 1895. Zagreb: Kraljevska hrvatsko-slavonsko-dalmatinska zemaljska vlada. pp. I–XXVII.
  19. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: Mrkopalj". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  20. ^ "Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census: Mrkopalj". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  21. ^ Matić 2004.
  22. ^ a b Уставотворна скупштина (1921). Статистички преглед избора народних посланика за Уставотворну скупштину Краљевине Срба, Хрвата и Словенаца : извршених на дан 28. новембра 1920. год (PDF) (in Serbian). Belgrade.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ^ a b c d Hrvatski institut za povijest (2021). "Abecedarij saborskih zastupnika, 1848. – 1918". Mapiranje parlamentarnih izbora 1848. – 1918. u Hrvatskoj / HRZZ 5148 MAPPAR.
  24. ^ Kraljevski zemaljski statistički ured (1877). "Glavni pregled sudbenoga razdieljenja kraljevinah Hrvatske i Slavonije". Pregled političkoga i sudbenoga razdieljenja kraljevinah Hrvatske i Slavonije i uredjenja upravnih obćinah. Na temelju naredbe kr. hrv.-slav.-dalm. zem. vlade od 5. veljače 1875. broj 221 pr. i provedenoga zatim zaokruženja upravnih obćinah. Zagreb: Kraljevska hrvatsko-slavonsko-dalmatinska zemaljska vlada, 🖶 Tiskara "Narodnih novinah". pp. IX–XIV.
  25. ^ Krmpotić, Marinko (2013-11-21). "Gorski kotar Bike: Goranska biciklistička transverzala duga 260 km". Novi list. ISSN 0350-4301. Archived from the original on 2025-03-28.
  26. ^ n.s. (2020). "Cycling Trail of Gorski Kotar stages". Gorski kotar Bike.
  27. ^ Kušić, Tatjana (2018). "Izvještaj o radu Turističke zajednice Grada Vrbovskog za razdoblje siječanj - prosinac 2018" (PDF). Visit Vrbovsko. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-10-26.
  28. ^ Promotiv Travel (2024). "Gorski kotar Bike Tour 2024". Promotiv. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28.
  29. ^ Promotiv Travel (2022). "Gorski kotar Bike Tour 2022". Promotiv. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01.
  30. ^ Banska vlast Banovine Hrvatske 1940e, p. 330.
  31. ^ Prijatel, Patricia (March 15, 2021). "A Family's Search of Who They Are and Where They Came From". Psychology Today. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  32. ^ Nicklay, Deb (April 9, 2012). "Author finds Croatian roots". Globe Gazette. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  33. ^ Steves, Rick (May 5, 2012). "Program 286: Mothers Day: Sweet Home Croatia; An American Mother in Paris". Rick Steves' Europe. Retrieved May 14, 2021.

Further reading

[edit]

General

[edit]
  • Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža (2013–2024). "Mrkopalj". Hrvatska enciklopedija (online ed.). Archived from the original on 2023-12-28.
  • Crnić, Alojz (1969). "Mrko Polje". Dometi: Književnost, kultura, društvena pitanja. 2 (8–9): 68–69. ISSN 0419-6252.
  • Starčević, Franjo (1969). "Otimanje u cjelinu". Dometi: Književnost, kultura, društvena pitanja. 2 (8–9): 53–55. ISSN 0419-6252.

Biology

[edit]

Dialectology

[edit]

History

[edit]

Tourism

[edit]
  • Kranjčev, Radovan (2002). "Mrkopaljskim krajem: kroz Gorski Kotar". Meridijani: časopis za zemljopis, povijest, ekologiju i putovanja. 9 (68): 6–9. ISSN 1333-7289.
  • Crnić, Štefanija (July 1962). "Mrkopaljski kraj". Hrvatski geografski glasnik. 24: 67–80. ISSN 1331-5854. Archived from the original on 2020-06-24.
  • Hirc, Dragutin (1898) [written 1898-02-08]. "Mrkopalj". Gorski kotar: slike, opisi i putopisi. Illustrated by Václav Lev Anderle. Zagreb: 🖶 Lavoslav Hartman (Kugli i Deutsch). pp. 64–65. Republished as Hirc, Dragutin (1993) [written 1898-02-08]. "Mrkopalj". Gorski kotar: slike, opisi i putopisi. Illustrated by Václav Lev Anderle. Rijeka: 🖶 Tiskara Rijeka. pp. 64–65. ISBN 953-158-004-9.
    • Also: Hirc, Dragutin (1898) [written 1898-02-08]. "Pilarova pećina". Gorski kotar: slike, opisi i putopisi. Illustrated by Václav Lev Anderle. Zagreb: 🖶 Lavoslav Hartman (Kugli i Deutsch). pp. 66–70.
[edit]
  • Media related to Mrkopalj at Wikimedia Commons
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