Moravče, Moravče

Moravče (pronounced [mɔˈɾaːu̯tʃɛ]; German: Moräutsch) is a settlement in the Municipality of Moravče in central Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of the Upper Carniola region. The village is home to about 925 people. It includes the hamlet of Trzen (German: Tersen).

Name

Moravče was attested in written sources in 1232 as Morawitz (and as Morauz in 1286 and Moraucz in 1301). The name is probably derived from a clipped noun phrase, Moravьče (selo); literally, 'Moravьcь's (village)'. It thus refers to an early inhabitant of the place. Locally, the settlement is also known as Maravče. In the past the German name was Moräutsch.

History

Moravče is an old religious center and was already made a parish in the 12th century. The settlement is located in a wet, low-lying area, and the first settlement at the site was where the cemetery is currently located and was known as Moravče na Griču 'Moravče on the hill'. Freeholders and lesser nobility made up a large part of the population, and they also bore responsibility for safeguarding the area. Cloth-making and other crafts flourished during the feudal era.