Plaški
Encyclopedia
Plaški is a village and a municipality in Karlovac County
, Croatia
. It is part of Lika
.
and Lika
, the Ogulin-Plaški valley forms Mountainous Croatia. The town of Plaški is situated 28 km south from Ogulin
and shares borders with municipalities of Ogulin, Josipdol
and Saborsko
.
, Plaški was a municipality with a majority of Serb
population. In the census of 2001, the town of Plaški had 1,468 with total municipality population of 2,292, of which 48.4% were Croats, and 46.1% Serbs. Much of the Croat population is made up of those forced to leave Bosnia replacing Serbs who, in 1995, fled during the war Operation Storm
. Today, the municipality of Plaški again has a Serb majority due to the return of Serb refugees to their home land. The Serbs constitute 67.69% and Croats constitute 28.95% of the population. In the last local elections in 2005 the Serb candidates won overwhelming majority.
, led by the future Emperor Octavian Augustus
, won the battle against an Illyrian tribe
, the Japods, in the area east of Plaški. Roman coins have been found in Plaški which proves that this region was inhabited in Roman times.
The name Plaški was first mentioned in 1163 in documents of the Split
diocese of the Roman Catholic Church
. The second mention dates from 1185 and relates to the establishment of new Krbava
diocese, which the parish of Plaški became a part of. Plaški county (Comitatus Plazy) was a separate administrative region until 1193, when it became part of Modruš
county and came to be owned by the Frankopan family. In the name of Frankopans Plaški was governed by the Zebić family of nobles, who were their loyal vassals (even today a part of Plaški is called Zebići).
In 1492 just before the Battle of Krbava Plaški was raided by the Turks
led by Jakub-Paša and Plaški was abandoned. In a document of Bernardin Frankopan from 1500 Plaški is described as defense fort against the Turks. Another document from 1550 confirms Plaški's status as defense fort and also mentions it as one of four centres in the Military Frontier
of the Habsburg Empire.
By decision of the Military Council in Graz
, Serbs
were allowed to resettle the area. The Serbs came in three waves: 1609, 1639 and 1666. Together with Tounj
, Plaški was centre of a military company that was part of Ogulin
's regiment. The Eparchy of Upper Karlovac
of the Serb Orthodox Church was founded in 1711 and had its first seat in Gomirje monastery
and from 1721 to 1941 the seat was in Plaški. The Orthodox Cathedral was built from 1756 to 1763.
Karlovac County
Karlovac County is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.The city of Karlovac is another fort from the times of the Military Frontier...
, 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 ...
. It is part of Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
.
Geography
Plaški is situated in the lower part of the Ogulin-Plaški valley. Together with Gorski kotarGorski kotar
Gorski kotar is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called the green lungs of Croatia or Croatian Switzerland...
and Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
, the Ogulin-Plaški valley forms Mountainous Croatia. The town of Plaški is situated 28 km south from Ogulin
Ogulin
Ogulin is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 8,712 , and a total municipal population of 15,054...
and shares borders with municipalities of Ogulin, Josipdol
Josipdol
Josipdol is a village and municipality in Karlovac County, Croatia. The municipality is part of Lika.-Geography:Josipdol is situated in the Ogulin-Plaški valley which together with Lika and Gorski Kotar forms Mountainous Croatia. The town is located at the crossroads of state roads D-23, which...
and Saborsko
Saborsko
Saborsko is a village and municipality in Karlovac county, Croatia. The municipality is part of Lika.- Geography :It is country-side mountain resort, situated in a curved, long and narrow valley. The altitude of the place is 630-900 m...
.
Demographics
Before the Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, Plaški was a municipality with a majority of Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
population. In the census of 2001, the town of Plaški had 1,468 with total municipality population of 2,292, of which 48.4% were Croats, and 46.1% Serbs. Much of the Croat population is made up of those forced to leave Bosnia replacing Serbs who, in 1995, fled during the war Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
. Today, the municipality of Plaški again has a Serb majority due to the return of Serb refugees to their home land. The Serbs constitute 67.69% and Croats constitute 28.95% of the population. In the last local elections in 2005 the Serb candidates won overwhelming majority.
History
In year 33 B.C. the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, led by the future Emperor Octavian Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, won the battle against an Illyrian tribe
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, the Japods, in the area east of Plaški. Roman coins have been found in Plaški which proves that this region was inhabited in Roman times.
The name Plaški was first mentioned in 1163 in documents of the Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
diocese of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The second mention dates from 1185 and relates to the establishment of new Krbava
Krbava
Krbava is a region of mountainous Croatia. It can be considered either located east of Lika, or indeed as the eastern part of Lika. The town of Udbina is the central settlement of the Krbava karst field....
diocese, which the parish of Plaški became a part of. Plaški county (Comitatus Plazy) was a separate administrative region until 1193, when it became part of Modruš
Modruš
Modruš is a village in the mountainous part of Croatia, located south of Josipdol. The population is 197 .This now small village is historically noted as the seat of one of the medieval Catholic bishoprics, established in 1185 in Krbava and moved to Modruš in the 1460s. It later became the Roman...
county and came to be owned by the Frankopan family. In the name of Frankopans Plaški was governed by the Zebić family of nobles, who were their loyal vassals (even today a part of Plaški is called Zebići).
In 1492 just before the Battle of Krbava Plaški was raided by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
led by Jakub-Paša and Plaški was abandoned. In a document of Bernardin Frankopan from 1500 Plaški is described as defense fort against the Turks. Another document from 1550 confirms Plaški's status as defense fort and also mentions it as one of four centres in the Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
of the Habsburg Empire.
By decision of the Military Council in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
were allowed to resettle the area. The Serbs came in three waves: 1609, 1639 and 1666. Together with Tounj
Tounj
Tounj is a municipality in Karlovac county, Croatia. There are 1,252 inhabitants, 96% of which are Croats.-External links:*...
, Plaški was centre of a military company that was part of Ogulin
Ogulin
Ogulin is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 8,712 , and a total municipal population of 15,054...
's regiment. The Eparchy of Upper Karlovac
Eparchy of upper Karlovac
The Eparchy of upper Karlovac is an eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church seated in the city of Karlovac, Croatia. It covers the area of Banovina, Kordun, Lika, Krbava, Gorski Kotar, as well as northern Croatia and Istria....
of the Serb Orthodox Church was founded in 1711 and had its first seat in Gomirje monastery
Gomirje Monastery
Gomirje is Serbian Orthodox monastery in Croatia. It is the westernmost Serb Orthodox monastery, located in the western part of Croatia near the village of Gomirje, near the town of Ogulin.The monastery is thought to have been founded in the year 1600...
and from 1721 to 1941 the seat was in Plaški. The Orthodox Cathedral was built from 1756 to 1763.