Crngrob (;
[''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 62.]) is a small village in the
Municipality of Škofja Loka
The Municipality of Škofja Loka (; ) is a municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Škofja Loka. The municipality was established in its current form on 3 October 1994, when the former lar ...
in the
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola ( ; ; ) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The largest town in the region is Kranj, and other urban centers include Kamnik, Jesenice, Jesenice, Jesenice, Domžale and ...
region of
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
.
Name
Crngrob was first attested in written sources as ''Erngrůb'' in 1291 (and as ''Errengrůb'' in 1318 and ''Erngruben'' in 1423).
[Bezlaj, France. 1977. ''Etimološki slovar slovenskega jezika'', vol. 1. Ljubljana: Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, p. 67.] The Slovene name is borrowed from the
Middle High German
Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...
prepositional phrase ''ze Erngruben'', literally 'at Erngrub'. The German name is a compound of ''ern'' 'to plow (up)' or ''erde'' '(fertile) soil' + ''gruobe'' 'depression, basin' and may refer to a mammoth rib dug up at the site (now hanging in the church),
to a robber's hideout in a cave, or to the small fertile valley where the settlement is located.
For similar Slovene geographical names based on foreign-language prepositional phrases of location, compare ''
Cmurek'', ''
Cven'', ''
Dragonja
The Dragonja (; ) is a long river in the northern part of the Istrian peninsula. It is a meandering river with a very branched basin and a small quantity of water. It has a pluvial regime and often dries up in summer. It features very diverse ...
'', ''
Sostro
Sostro (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna.) is a formerly independent settlement in the eastern part of the capital Ljubljana in central ...
'', and ''
Spuhlja
Spuhlja (, in older sources ''Spuhla'', ) is a settlement in the Municipality of Ptuj in northeastern Slovenia. It lies east of the town of Ptuj, just north of Lake Ptuj (a reservoir on the Drava, Drava River). The area is part of the traditional r ...
''. In the past the German name was ''Ehrengruben''.
History
Crngrob was recorded in documents from the 13th century onward. Much of the history of the village is dominated by that of its church. During the Second World War, German forces attacked the
Partisan
Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to:
Military
* Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line
** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII
** Ital ...
Selca Company above the village on 27 March 1942. Fifteen Partisans were killed in the attack.
[Savnik, Roman, ed. 1968. ''Krajevni leksikon Slovenije'', vol. 1. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, p. 355.]
Mass graves

Crngrob is the site of five 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 exec ...
from the end of the Second World War. The Crngrob 1–5 mass graves ()—also known as the Steps Mass Grave () or the Balant Spruce Woods Mass Grave ()—are located along a gravel path in the woods southwest of the settlement. They contain the remains of 200 to 300 victims, including leading members of the government of the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...
and their family members, and possibly
Slovene Home Guard
The Slovene Home Guard (, SD; ) was a Slovenes#World War II and aftermath, Slovene anti-Slovene Partisans, Partisan militia that was founded and supported by the Germans and fought alongside them against the Partisans. It operated during part of ...
members as well. Most of the victims were murdered between May 22 and 25, 1945. Some were killed as early as May 20, and some also after May.
Church and religious heritage

Crngrob is best known for its
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
church dedicated to the
Annunciation
The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...
. The first mention of a church at this site dates to the late 13th century. In the 14th century it was expanded, and after 1410 a southern arcade was built. In the mid-15th century a third
aisle
An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...
was added and in 1551 the
belfry
The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...
was heightened and in 1661 its
onion-shaped dome was built. Its characteristic
neogothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
columned porch was erected in 1858.
The church's artwork includes a painting of Holy Sunday from the workshop of
Johannes of Ljubljana ( 1460), a Gothic painting of Saint Christopher on the south wall from 1464, a painting of Saint Christopher on the bell tower, and remnants of frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries on the north wall of the nave. There are four 17th-century gilded altars where the nave meets the chancel; above the altar dedicated to Saint Martin there hangs a whale rib, referred to as the rib of a giantess in popular tradition. The main altar was created in 1652 by the Ljubljana sculptor Jurij Skarnos and was gilded by Jakob Jamšek of Škofja Loka. The forged railing in front of the main altar was created by the Škofja Loka locksmith Gregor Jesenko.
The Baroque organ, work by the organ builder
Joannes Franciscus Janecheck, dates to 1743.
The church was a popular pilgrimage destination in the past, and so there are many
wayside shrine
A wayside shrine is a religious image, usually in some sort of small shelter, placed by a road or pathway, sometimes in a settlement or at a crossroads, but often in the middle of an empty stretch of country road, or at the top of a hill or mount ...
s along the routes leading to the church. The Red Shrine stands along the road to Škofja Loka. It has frescoes from the 16th century and is one of the oldest shrines in Slovenia. The Oman Chapel-Shrine near the woods contains an 18th-century carving by a peasant artist, and below the church there is another chapel-shrine from the 18th century that was painted by Anton Tušek.
File:Crngrob Slovenia - church fresco.JPG, Church fresco
File:Crngrob Slovenia - shrine.JPG, Red Shrine
File:Crngrob Slovenia - shrine2.JPG, Wooden shrine
Notes
References
External links
Crngrob on Geopedia
{{Škofja Loka
Populated places in the Municipality of Škofja Loka