Oporovec
Encyclopedia
Oporovec is a village
in Međimurje County, Croatia
.
The village is located in the southern part of the county, just over 20 kilometres from the county seat, Čakovec
. Close to the village is Lake Dubrava
, a reservoir
on the Drava
. Oporovec is administratively part of the Prelog municipality and is located just over 5 kilometres east of the town of Prelog. The population of the village in the 2001 census was 425.
in 1245 and comes from the name of a nobleman
, Opor. The local chapel was built in 1898 and named after Our Lady of Lourdes
.
In 1478, the village was listed as Oporowecz in the list of settlements belonging to the Čakovec area. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was predominantly populated by Croats
. The village was part of the Prelog district of Zala County in the Kingdom of Hungary
until the Treaty of Trianon
was signed in 1920.
After that, it was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
until 1941, when the entire Međimurje region was annexed to Hungary
. After World War II
, it became part of Croatia
within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
.
The population of the village was constantly over 700 in the censuses between 1910 and 1953. However, in the censuses between 1961 and 1991, it was constantly decreasing and eventually dropped to 393 in the latter, which took place shortly before Croatia became an independent nation later that year. In the 2001 census, however, the population grew to 425.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Međimurje County, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
The village is located in the southern part of the county, just over 20 kilometres from the county seat, Čakovec
Cakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...
. Close to the village is Lake Dubrava
Lake Dubrava
Lake Dubrava is a reservoir on the Drava in northern Croatia. It is administratively divided between Međimurje County and Varaždin County, and is bordered by the municipalities of Prelog, Sveti Đurđ and Veliki Bukovec...
, a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
. Oporovec is administratively part of the Prelog municipality and is located just over 5 kilometres east of the town of Prelog. The population of the village in the 2001 census was 425.
History
The name Oporovec was first mentioned as a toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
in 1245 and comes from the name of a nobleman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, Opor. The local chapel was built in 1898 and named after Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
.
In 1478, the village was listed as Oporowecz in the list of settlements belonging to the Čakovec area. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was predominantly populated by Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
. The village was part of the Prelog district of Zala County in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
until the Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
was signed in 1920.
After that, it was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
until 1941, when the entire Međimurje region was annexed to Hungary
Hungary during World War II
Hungary during World War II was a member of the Axis powers. In the 1930s, the Kingdom of Hungary relied on increased trade with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany to pull itself out of the Great Depression. By 1938, Hungarian politics and foreign policy had become increasingly pro-Fascist Italian and...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it became part of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia
Socialist Republic of Croatia was a sovereign constituent country of the second Yugoslavia. It came to existence during World War II, becoming a socialist state after the war, and was also renamed four times in its existence . It was the second largest republic in Yugoslavia by territory and...
within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
.
The population of the village was constantly over 700 in the censuses between 1910 and 1953. However, in the censuses between 1961 and 1991, it was constantly decreasing and eventually dropped to 393 in the latter, which took place shortly before Croatia became an independent nation later that year. In the 2001 census, however, the population grew to 425.