Koprivnicko-krizevacka zupanija
Koprivnica-Križevci county - Koprivničko-križevačka županija
This hyphenated central Croatian county name comes from two entities, the two of its largest cities, Koprivnica and Križevci.
Koprivnica is the official capital of the county, and has a history similar to nearby Varaždin: it was first mentioned in 1272 in a document by prince Ladislav IV and declared a free royal town by king Ludovic I in 1356, and flourished as a trading place and a military fortress since. The military aspect set it back some when it was included in the Military Frontier in the 16th century during the wars with the Ottoman Turks, but after Maria Theresa's decree of 1765 it resumed life as a peaceful little merchant town that it really was.
Koprivnica developed significantly in the 20th century with the advent of the Podravka food industry, known worldwide for its Vegeta spice. They even have an alimentary museum of Podravka. Worth mentioning is the annual "motifs of Podravina" event when the whole town becomes a gallery of naive art -- many of the Croatian greatest naive artists come from the villages along the Drava in this county.
Križevci, on the other hand, as a smaller city and second mentioned in the county name may seem like an underdog to it's neighbour Koprivnica. Its first mention was from 1193 by Bela III but it since the town was divided in two parts it didn't develop as fast: the so-called Lower Križevac only became a free royal town in 1405, thanks to king Sigismund. Križevac was the birthplace of a Catholic priest Marko who died at the hand of Calvinists in Košice in 1619, and was subsequently canonized because of his martyrdom.
After centuries of division, empress Maria Theresa united the Lower and Upper Križevac into Križevci in 1752. The town was also hit by the wars with the Turks, but it regained importance in 1871 when the railway was built through it on the way from Budapest to Rijeka.
These days the town is pretty much oriented towards mass entrepreneurship, but it still enjoys its eight beautiful cathedrals, built mostly in the Middle Ages.
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Referenced By
Croatia/Government | Politics of Croatia
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