Logatec (; german: Loitsch, it, Longatico) is a town in

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. It is the seat of the Municipality of Logatec. It is located roughly in the centre of

Inner Carniola Inner Carniola ( sl, Notranjska; german: Innerkrain) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the southwestern part of the larger Carniola region. It comprises the Hrušica karst plateau up to Postojna Gate, bordering the Slovenian Littoral (the ...

, between the capital

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...

and Postojna. The town of Logatec has seen rapid industrial development and immigration since the completion of the nearby A1 motorway to the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

Name

The name ''Logatec'' is of Celtic origin, probably derived from Celtic ''*longatis'' 'ferryman, boatman', from the Proto-Celtic word ''*longā'' 'ship', thus meaning 'ferrymen's settlement'. The name became ''Longaticum'' in Latin, which was borrowed into Slavic as ''*Lǫgatьcь''. Early attestations of the Slavic name include ''Logach'' in 1265 (and ''Logatzc'' in 1296, ''Logatsch'' in 1307, ''Logacz'' in 1319, and ''de Logas'' in 1354).

History

The earliest mentions of the settlement are from Roman times (Roman way station ''Mansio Longatico''). The vicinity of trade routes between the interior and the coast has always played an important part in the region. First the Roman road from Aquileia to

Emona Emona (early gkm, Ἤμονα) or Aemona (short for ) was a Roman castrum, located in the area where the navigable Ljubljanica river came closest to Castle Hill,

, and later the road to

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

and the Southern Railway. Before the construction of railway line, the majority of the population made a living as

teamster A teamster is the American term for a truck driver or a person who drives teams of draft animals. Further, the term often refers to a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union in the United States and Canada. Origi ...

s. The town of Logatec was formed by combining a number of former villages: * Blekova Vas (, german: Fleckdorf) * Brod. The name of the settlement was changed from ''Brod'' to ''Brod–Logatec'' in 1955. It was joined to Logatec in 1972.''Spremembe naselij 1948–95''. 1996. Database. Ljubljana: Geografski inštitut ZRC SAZU, DZS. * Čevica (german: Tscheuze), joined to Logatec in 1972. * Dolenja Vas ( sl, Dolenja vas) * Dolenji Logatec (german: Unterloitsch), joined to Logatec in 1972. * Gorenja Vas ( sl, Gorenja vas, german: Oberdorf). The name of the settlement was changed from ''Gorenja vas'' to ''Gorenja vas pod Režišami'' in 1953. It was joined to Logatec in 1972. * Gorenji Logatec (german: Oberloitsch), formerly Cerkovska Vas (german: Kirchdorf), joined to Logatec in 1972. * Mandrge * Martinj Hrib, joined to Logatec in 1972. The town's brass band was founded in 1913.

Mass graves

Logatec is the site of three known

mass graves A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of executi ...

from during or after the Second World War. The Šemon Shaft Mass Grave ( sl, Grobišče Šemonovo brezno) lies on the southern slope of Strmica Hill north of the town. The entrance to the shaft is marked by two pine trees. The grave contains the remains of civilians from the nearby village of Rovte that were murdered in May or June 1945. The Košovec Shaft Mass Grave () is a shaft located in the middle of a woods about south of Logatec. In addition to human remains, investigators have found German identification tags, gold dentures, a ring, ammunition, and remains of military and civilian footwear in the shaft. The Gradišnica Cave Mass Grave () lies south of Logatec. It contains the remains of two to five unknown victims.

Churches

Because Logatec is made of what were originally separate settlements, there are a number of churches in what is now the town. The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is in the Dolenji Logatec area and is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It was first mentioned in written documents dating to 1526. From 1795 to 1803 a new church was built on the site. The church in the Čevica area is dedicated to Saint Joseph, and in Gorenji Logatec to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

.Logatec parish site
/ref>

References

External links

Logatec municipal website

Logatec on Geopedia
{{Authority control Populated places in the Municipality of Logatec Cities and towns in Inner Carniola