Slovenj Gradec

Gradec, Slovene for 'little castle', was first mentioned in a 1091 deed, then part of the Imperial March of Styria. The prefix Windisch (the traditional German name for Slavs in general and Slovenes in particular) was added to distinguish it from the city Graz (whose name has the same etymology). The modern Slovene name, Slovenj Gradec (literally: the Slovene Graz), derives from this German denomination. From 1180 until 1918, Slovenj Gradec belonged to the Duchy of Styria, since 1804 a crown land of the Austrian Empire. It was the ancestral seat of the Windisch-Graetz noble family first documented in 1220.Der Große Brockhaus, Leipzig 1935, vol. 20, p. 359 Upon the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, with the rest of Lower Styria, it was included in the newly established Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

File:Slovenj Gradec-Hugo wolf birth house.jpg

Until 1918, the town was a German-speaking island in a Slovene-speaking area. In the 1880 census, the town was 75 percent German-speaking and 25 percent Slovene-speaking.Meyers Konversationslexikon, 5th ed., Leipzig-Vienna 1897, vol. 17, p. 794 Many inhabitants, like the family of the composer Hugo Wolf, were of mixed ethnic origin. After the end of World War I, many of the local German-speaking inhabitants emigrated to Austria. Those who remained were gradually assimilated into the now Slovene-speaking majority. During World War Two, the town was occupied by the Nazis and annexed to the Third Reich. The local Slovenes were submitted to a policy of violent Germanization and many died of various persecutions. The partisan insurgency developed in the area, especially in the hills to the east of the town. After World War II, the remaining ethnic Germans were expelled from Yugoslavia, and Slovenj Gradec lost its traditional presence of German speakers.

From the 1950s onward, the town experienced a rapid industrialization and eventually became the unofficial economic and political center for Slovenian Carinthia. In 1994, it became one of the 11 municipalities in Slovenia with the status of Urban Municipality.

{{Weather box

| location = Slovenj Gradec (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–2020)

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| Jan record high C = 15.6

| Feb record high C = 20.2

| Mar record high C = 23.0

| Apr record high C = 27.3

| May record high C = 31.6

| Jun record high C = 34.8

| Jul record high C = 35.5

| Aug record high C = 38.2

| Sep record high C = 31.3

| Oct record high C = 25.6

| Nov record high C = 20.5

| Dec record high C = 17.3

| year record high C = 38.2

| Jan high C = 2.9

| Feb high C = 6.1

| Mar high C = 11.0

| Apr high C = 15.8

| May high C = 20.3

| Jun high C = 24.0

| Jul high C = 26.0

| Aug high C = 25.6

| Sep high C = 20.4

| Oct high C = 15.3

| Nov high C = 9.6

| Dec high C = 2.7

| year high C = 14.9

| Jan mean C = -1.7

| Feb mean C = 0.2

| Mar mean C = 4.5

| Apr mean C = 9.3

| May mean C = 14.0

| Jun mean C = 17.8

| Jul mean C = 19.2

| Aug mean C = 18.5

| Sep mean C = 13.8

| Oct mean C = 9.2

| Nov mean C = 4.2

| Dec mean C = -1.1

| year mean C = 9.0

| Jan low C = -5.7

| Feb low C = -4.6

| Mar low C = -1.0

| Apr low C = 3.1

| May low C = 7.7

| Jun low C = 11.7

| Jul low C = 13.0

| Aug low C = 12.7

| Sep low C = 8.9

| Oct low C = 5.0

| Nov low C = 1.1

| Dec low C = -4.3

| year low C = 4.0

| Jan record low C = -27.2

| Feb record low C = -26.5

| Mar record low C = -24.7

| Apr record low C = -11.0

| May record low C = -5.8

| Jun record low C = -2.1

| Jul record low C = 2.2

| Aug record low C = 1.1

| Sep record low C = -3.1

| Oct record low C = -9.4

| Nov record low C = -19.0

| Dec record low C = -23.2

| year record low C = -27.2

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 41

| Feb precipitation mm = 49

| Mar precipitation mm = 59

| Apr precipitation mm = 72

| May precipitation mm = 99

| Jun precipitation mm = 130

| Jul precipitation mm = 136

| Aug precipitation mm = 127

| Sep precipitation mm = 132

| Oct precipitation mm = 105

| Nov precipitation mm = 98

| Dec precipitation mm = 67

| year precipitation mm = 1116

| Jan snow depth cm = 10

| Feb snow depth cm = 11

| Mar snow depth cm = 4

| Apr snow depth cm = 0

| May snow depth cm = 0

| Jun snow depth cm = 0

| Jul snow depth cm = 0

| Aug snow depth cm = 0

| Sep snow depth cm = 0

| Oct snow depth cm = 0

| Nov snow depth cm = 1

| Dec snow depth cm = 5

| year snow depth cm = 2.6

| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 9

| Feb precipitation days = 8

| Mar precipitation days = 10

| Apr precipitation days = 12

| May precipitation days = 14

| Jun precipitation days = 14

| Jul precipitation days = 14

| Aug precipitation days = 13

| Sep precipitation days = 12

| Oct precipitation days = 11

| Nov precipitation days = 12

| Dec precipitation days = 10

| year precipitation days = 140

| unit snow days = 0 cm

| Jan snow days = 20

| Feb snow days = 16

| Mar snow days = 9

| Apr snow days = 1

| May snow days = 0

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0

| Oct snow days = 0

| Nov snow days = 4

| Dec snow days = 14

| year snow days = 64

| time day = 14:00

| Jan humidity = 74

| Feb humidity = 61

| Mar humidity = 56

| Apr humidity = 53

| May humidity = 52

| Jun humidity = 54

| Jul humidity = 53

| Aug humidity = 54

| Sep humidity = 58

| Oct humidity = 65

| Nov humidity = 73

| Dec humidity = 79

| year humidity = 61

| Jan sun = 84.3

| Feb sun = 110.0

| Mar sun = 153.6

| Apr sun = 183.1

| May sun = 215.4

| Jun sun = 233.1

| Jul sun = 257.5

| Aug sun = 242.1

| Sep sun = 169.8

| Oct sun = 131.8

| Nov sun = 73.6

| Dec sun = 65.8

| year sun = 1920.1

| source 1 = Slovenian Environment Agency (humidity and snow 1981–2010){{Cite web

| archive-url =

| archive-date =

| url = https://meteo.arso.gov.si/met/sl/climate/tables/statistike_1950_2020/smartno_pri_slovenj_gradcu/

| title = Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu Podnebne statistike 1950-2020

| publisher = Slovenian Environmental Agency

| language = sl

| access-date = 22 September 2023}}{{Cite web

| archive-url =

| archive-date =

| url = https://meteo.arso.gov.si/uploads/probase/www/climate/table/en/by_location/smartno-pri-slovenj-gradcu/climate-normals_81-10_Smartno-pri-Slovenj-Gradcu_eng.pdf

| title = Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu Climate Normals 1981-2010

| publisher = Slovenian Environmental Agency

| access-date = 22 September 2023}}

|source 2 = NOAA (sun 1991–2020){{cite web

| archive-url =

| archive-date =

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Slovenia/CSV/SlovenjGradec_14021.csv

| title = Slovenj Gradec Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 22 September 2023}}

}}{{historical populations|25=1948|26=1931|27=1953|28=2231|29=1961|30=2925|31=1971|32=4195|33=1981|34=5782|35=1991|36=6720|37=2002|38=7712|39=2011|40=7519|41=2021|42=7267|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.}}

The parish church in the town is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor. It was first mentioned in written documents from 1235. Next to it stands a Gothic chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit with frescos dating to the mid-15th century.[http://rkd.situla.org/ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage] reference numbers ešd 658 & 659

In 1994, an archaeological excavation uncovered the remains of what is believed to be the oldest church in Styria, dating to the Carolingian period (second half of the 9th century).Mira Strmčnik, Sveti Jurij, zakladnica podatkov, Izvršni svet Skupščine občine Slovenj Gradec, 1994

The Slovenj Gradec Art Gallery ({{langx|sl|Koroška galerija likovne umetnosti}}) was founded in 1957{{cite book |editor=Paul Stubbs |author1=Bojana Piškur |author2=Đorđe Balmazović |chapter=Non-Aligned Cross-Cultural Pollination: A Short Graphic Novel |title=Socialist Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement: Social, Cultural, Political, and Economic Imaginaries |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |ISBN=9780228014652 |pages=156–175 |date=2023}} and is located on the first floor of the old town hall in the town centre. The gallery hosted international fine art exhibitions under the sponsorship of the United Nations in 1966, 1975, 1979, 1985, and 1991. The 1997 exhibition "The Artist and Urban Environment" displayed art activity in Peace Messenger Cities from all over the world. In 2012, Slovenj Gradec and Ptuj were partners with Maribor, the European Capital of Culture. As a result, the gallery presented further exhibitions that attracted Europe-wide attention.[http://www.glu-sg.si/en Koroška galerija likovne umetnosti]

Notable people that were born or lived in Slovenj Gradec include:

• Roman Bezjak (born 1989), footballer
• {{ill|Ivo Ban|sl}} (born 1949), actor
• Katarina Čas (born 1976), actress
• Sašo Fornezzi (born 1982), footballer
• Ivan Gams (sl) (1923–2014), geographer
• Janja Garnbret (born 1999), rock climber, Olympic champion
• Ana Gros (born 1991), handball player
• {{ill|Manica Janežič Ambrožič|sl}} (born 1973), TV personality
• {{ill|Matjaž Jelen|sl}} (born 1966), singer
• David Kiselak (born 1988), footballer
• Lado Kralj (1938–2022), writer, theatre critic, and literary historian
• Marko Mandić (born 1974), actor
• Tina Maze (born 1983), skier, Olympic champion
• Boštjan Nachbar (born 1980), basketball player
• Vinko Ošlak (born 1947), author
• Karel Pečko (1920–2016), artist
• Iztok Puc (1966–2011), handball player
• {{ill|Boštjan Romih|sl}} (born 1976), TV personality
• Renata Salecl (born 1962), philosopher
• Adi Smolar (born 1959), singer-songwriter
• Katarina Srebotnik (born 1981), tennis player
• Ilka Štuhec (born 1990), alpine ski racer
• Marko Šuler (born 1983), football player
• Nikola Tolimir (born 1989), footballer
• Tadej Trdina (born 1988), footballer
• Tine Urnaut (born 1988), volleyball player
• Klemen Čebulj (born 1992), volleyball player
• {{ill|Natalija Verboten|sl}} (born 1976), singer
• Hugo Wolf (1860–1903), composer. The house in which he was born is now a museum.{{cite web |title=Hugo Wolf: Rojstna hiša |url=https://www.hugowolf.si/si/rojstna-hisa |website=Hugo Wolf 160 |publisher=Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije |access-date=October 19, 2020 |location=Ljubljana}}

{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovenia}}

Slovenj Gradec is twinned with:

Charter of cultural cooperation was signed with Bardejov, Slovakia.

Since 1989, Slovenj Gradec was one of the most active and progressive cities within The International Association of Peace Messenger Cities, being a member of its executive board since 1997 and secretary-general of this organization in periods 2007–2010, 2010–2013, 2013–2016, and 2016–2019.

{{reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Slovenj Gradec}}
• [https://www.geopedia.world/#T12_L362_F2473:1475_x1678554.3740214962_y5861304.706718553_s14_b2345 Slovenj Gradec on Geopedia]
• [http://www.slovenj-gradec.si/ Official website] (Slovenian)
• [http://www.ngw.nl/int/slv/slovgrad.htm Town Heraldry]
• [http://www.glu-sg.si/en Koroška galerija likovne umetnosti]

{{Slovenj Gradec}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in the Urban Municipality of Slovenj Gradec

Category:Windisch-Graetz

Category:Cities and towns in Styria (Slovenia)