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Ispis statistike od 22. 6. 2010.

Ukupno: 1201489
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The History of our Town

Sesvetska Sopnica From Its Begings Until Today

OR 

More Than Eight Hundred Years of Town History


The History of Sopnica

What is the past of Sesvetska Sopnica?  When did this town first begin to exist and what was life like back then?  For most of its history, Sesvetska Sopnica was a small rural town; which means that its inhabitants were mainly farmers who raised livestock and tilled the land. If we were to show the entire history of Sesvetska Sopnica as a single day, then for more than 23 hours, Sopnica would have been a simple rural town. Just as for most of the towns and cities in Croatia, the exact birthdate of Sesvetska Sopnica is unknown. We only know for certain when it was first recorded, which was in 1214. This is only 120 years after the first written record of Zagreb, then known as Kaptol, and 144 years before the mention of Sesveta. This evidence is considered early in both Croatian and in European debates and is in fact,  one of the earliest records from the continental area of Croatia. Thus, we can safely say that Sesvetska Sopnica has a very long history indeed!

How is Sopnica recorded? Records show that the Croatian-Hungarian king, King Andrija II who was one of the leaders of the crusades to Palestine in 1217, donated some land to a member of Zagreb's clergy, Canon Baron. This land had formerly been the property of two brothers by the names of Cehna and Weretk. The historian Ivan Krstitelj Tkalčić believes that this was originally the property of Čulinec. In any cae, Baron was the first known canon who received not only this land, but also a parcel of woodland and a field or a gaj. This gaj became known as Baranov Gaj (Baran's Gaj) or Barangaj – hence the name Borongaj. In short, these are the historical beginnings of Sesvetska Sopnica.

 


The Croatian-Hungarian King Andrew II (1205 – 1235) – in his gifts it mentions the town of Sopnica for the first time, while the river is mentioned during the reign of his predacessor King Emeric 1201.


Sesveska Sopnica existed long ago as a small rural town. However, even before this, the name Sopnica existed in historical sources as a stream or a brook. Zagreb's bishop, Dominic, had once asked the Croatian-Hungarian king, Emeric, to define the boundaries of Kaptol's lands. In the establishment of the property's borders (called Vugra) there is mention of a brook called Sopnica which flows into the Vuger River. In Latin it is referred to as "fluvius Scepnicha“, hence Sopnica is mentioned even before the beginnings of Zagreb's diocese. There is a theory that the Ilirian word "sop“ translates as a marsh or wetlands, which could explain the existance of other places named Sopnica located along rivers. Besides Sesvetska Sopnica there is also the town of Kašinska Sopnica. Meanwhile, not far from Rugvica exists the town of Sop which is situated in New Zagreb, along the Sava River. If one continues to travel through Croatia, there are also the towns of: Sopot, Sopač, Sopaj, Sopača Cave, Sopački Peak, Sopjanska Greda, Sopotnica, Sopotnjak and others.

After it is first recorded in historical domuments, Sopnica continues to be noted.    In 1358, King Karlo Robert attested to the last will and testament of Canon Baron in which he left all of his property to the Zagreb diocese including Sopnica located by the Church of All Saints. Later, there was also the mention of „Sopničani“, the inhabiants of Sopnica, for the first time. There is further evidence from a court case dated 1366,  to suggests that one of King Ljudevits'  councillors may have been "Nikola, son of Matija from Sopnica“.  This information is derrived from the Latin translation of "...Nicolaus, filius Mathei de Sebjycha“.  In the Zagreb County ennumeration of 1598 for the rural area of Sesvete, it is mentioned that Sesvetska Sopnica had four household serfs: Jakob Horvat, Andrija Prelec , and Stjepan and Ivan Zavalić. This historical document is very important because it speaks of the long historical presence of some famiies in Sopnica.  These families could be considered the indigenous inhabitants of this area since they had lived here at the end of the 16th century.  

Clearly, Sopnica had been a very small rural town whose inhabitants were serfs of Zagreb's Kaptol. Documents dating back to 1830 support the fact that the town of Sopnica fell under the regional district of All Saints and had a population of 26 Catholics. The priest at the time was father T. Sopić. Somewhat later, in 1866, it is recorded that Sopnica (Sepnica) a town in the region of Zagreb, had the services of the Zagreb post and a Roman Catholic Diocese. At that time it also had three houses and a population of 45 people, which is 15 people per household!  During the 20th century, the population of Sopnica had increased. It is documented that  sesvetska Sopnica in the region of Sesvete now had 100 Catholic inhabitants and that the priest was Father Nikola Matica. Later the population increased even further, however this was not due to a large bithrate, but rather to immigration to the area.


Sopnica Today

From its first written record (which was over 808 years ago) until the Second World War and even later, Sesvetska Sopnica had been a small rural town. The inhabitants spoke a Kajkavian dialect and belonged to the Sesvetska area. Due to the location of the town, it nurtured both the Prigorska and the Posavska traditions. Even today, one can still see the rural fields and lands of Sopnica.

In the second half of the 19th century, the city of Zagreb, which was the strongest economic center in Croatia, became even stronger. In 1817, a railway line was built next to Sopnica in order to provide service for the increasing industry in this area. The railway line was part of a larger railway project being built by the Hungarians in the Austrijan-Hungarian Kingdom. The railway line would join: Budimpest – Zagreb – and Rijeka. Much industrial growth has blossomed in Sesvete along this railway such as: the food company "Kata Rabus and Son“, later the successful packaged meat company "Sljeme“, and then the prosperous liquer company "Badel“. The city of Zagreb also continued to develop and grow and continued to spread ever closer to Sesvete and Sopnica. These results can be seen in 1970 when Sesvete was chosen as a satellite city – the center for new settlement in  Zagreb and the surrounding area. (This is also the case for  Velika Gorica, Samobor and Zaprešić.) Sopnica has now found itself located between Zagreb and Sesvete, both of which continue to grow in size. Because of the role of Zagreb, the rural areas surrounding it have started to lose their farming nature and the population began to work in non-rural or non-farming occupations. Larg numbers of families began to move to Sopnica because of Zagreb's close proximity and attractiveness. The area's infrastructure, economic base and educational institutions are more or less keeping pace with the increasing population due to the decentralization of Zagreb's urban region. Since some of its key functions have shifted to the surrounding area, Sopnica has recieved a number of lage retail stores.


The 21st century: Sesvetska Sopnica Elementary School

What is the identity of Sesvetska Sopnica today? For some time now, it has been quite clear that the meaning of "Zagreb“ has changed. If one desires to move to Zagreb, this does not necessarily mean exclusively the city of Zagreb, but rather its surrounding area as well. This area includes the entire foothill region of Medvednica, Turopolje, Samobor, Sesvete and the surrounding area. Sopnica today has a distinct immigrant character which is evident in its social life. For example, the Kajkavian dialect of
Prigorje and Posavina is missing. Instead, in its place we find the Zagreb Kajkavian dialect which, as in the whole of Zagreb, is mixed with the Štokavian dialect.  Zagreb, the largest city in Croatia, has grown so much, that it has encompassed the once rural towns of the surrounding areas and has urbanized them. In this way, many traditional "Kajkavian“ towns which have had a long rural history such as: Šestine, Markuševec, Čučerje, Podsused, Sveta Klara, Velika and Mala Mlaka, Resnik, Kašina, Sesvete and other towns in the Prigorje, Turopolje and Posavina areas have long ago ceased to be rural. These have now become urbanized settlements mostly along Zagreb's outskirts, but there are a few within Zagreb's quarters. This development is nothing new in Croatia, in Europe or in the world because people are always moving to the cities. This is a sign of economic growth and strength without which these cities would not have become the large urban centers they are today. The migration to the cities has caused a cultural mixing of the original population and the new immigrants. The mixing of cultures thus has created a new identity for the city.

In conclusion, we can say that Sesvetska Sopnica has indeed changed its face throughout history. If we were to show those early inhabitants of the 14th and 16th centuries the Sopnica of today, they would truly be amazed; but perhaps not. Maybe their hard life and rural wisdom had taught them that only change is constant. In any case, they would be glad to know that we live much easier lives today than they did back then. They would also be happy about one more thing: Sopnica today has its own school!


Marijan Biruš


Literature

1. Biruš, M.: Changes in the Central Function of the Satelite City of Zagreb from 1991 to 2001. (University graduation paper). The Scientific and Mathemetical University of Zagreb. Zagreb, 2008.

2. Kampuš, I., Karaman, I.: One Thousand Years of Zagreb. Školska knjiga. Zagreb, 1994.

3. Nadu, M.: Sesvete and Prigorje in Recorded Historical Kocuments (1201 – 1936). Museum of Prigorje. Sesvete, 1997.

4. Nadu, M.: The History of Economics in Sesveta's Foothills. Museum of Prigorje. Sesvete, 1998.



Translation: Melinda Tupek



Pošalji prijatelju Pošalji prijatelju
objavio: Marijan Biruš   datum: 23. 1. 2013.

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Ispis statistike od 22. 6. 2010.

Ukupno: 1201489

   





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