Review article
Prekmurje - Picture of Region
Metka Fujs
; Pomurje Museum Murska Sobota, Murska Sobota, Slovenija
Abstract
In a lot of cases the image of Prekmurje, the region defined by the Mura River, the Kučnica Stream and the basin of the Raba River, still persists as a swampy flatland where the never-ending horizon starts, ending somewhere far away in the Russian steppes. It is this notion that has defined its identity, featuring not only real geographical dimensions, and fondness for the Mura River intertwined by reality and myths but also historical tradition defined by multi-ethnical and multi-confessional structure of population. First of all, in her paper the author opts for the definition of geographical space, which above all, is the reflection of man’s awareness of the surrounding world, his experiences as regards the environment and his ties with it; due to the above said the geographical space is quite unique, featuring various meanings and a name of its own. Man’s presence in the space presents the elements of nature with elements of culture and this is what makes it different from other spaces. With the help of historical and cultural changes the space is invaded by new elements in that the old ones vanish or undergo changes. It is this fact that grants it a recognizable historical dimension. Further on and through naming of a few basic sources the author explains not only the origin and the use of geographical names Prekmurje and Pomurje but also of the names Vendvidek, Totsag or Slovenska krajina and Slovenska okroglina and one learns that they all originate from the ethnic colonisation of the region. The second part of the paper is wholly dedicated to an important written record on Prekmurje, its people, their customs and usages, originating from the second half of the 19th Century, which was the time period where nationalism had become an important motive power of social development; it was also the time period where social differences within the Prekmurje social environment had come to feature national dimension. The above said text was written by Anton Trstenjak, a publicist, theater historian and organizer who came from the vicinity of Ormož. In 1883 he travelled through the territory of present-day Prekmurje and Porabj ewhereupon he edited his extensive travelogue notes in his manuscript The Slovenians in Hungary. Part of it has already been published but never in its entirety. Most of the rare publications of the said manuscript have dealt with usages and customs as well as national and confessional picture of the region. In her paper the author has kept within the bounds of records on the landscape and villages and settlements and has not dealt extensively with the people and their customs although they are, as has been established above, an inseparable and essential element of the identity of a region.
Keywords
Prekmurje; picture; region; cultural dimension; name; origin; usage; Anton Trstenjak; Slovenians in Hungary; travelogue
Hrčak ID:
78688
URI
Publication date:
1.11.2004.
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