Prelog
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- This article is about the city in Croatia. For information about the Nobel Prize winner, see Vladimir Prelog.
The city of Prelog (Hungarian: Perlak; lat. 46.335 N, long. 16.6155556 E, alt. 125 m) is located in northern Croatia, about 15 km east of Čakovec in Međimurje county. 7,871 people (2001) reside in the Prelog municipality, while 4,288 live in the town itself (2001).
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Early history
Prelog is mentioned for the first time on December 6, 1264, and that date is celebrated with a local festival. The name Prelog is probably derived from the Croatian word vlak meaning the train, pulling, or to pull, since the area attracted many visitors who intentionally came and eventually passed by in the process of transit and trade.
The place was obviously well managed and organized so that in 1480 the king of Croats and Hungarians, Matthias Corvinus, was stationed here with his army. It was a trade center when the Zrinski family of rulers (Nikola Zrinski, Petar Zrinski) controlled the region. In 1671, Petar Zrinski was accused of treason and executed. After this, the population of Prelog decreased due to fear and suspicion of foreign German armies present nearby.
Growth
In 1716, however, the population started growing again and, in 1750, the place was described as a honeycomb of streets and shops, crowded with merchants, travellers, and other busy people. The town became a center for the distribution of rock salt for this part of the kingdom, and a silk plant, so-called filandra, was founded. (It would close in 1848.)
The beautiful baroque Church of St. Jacob was built in 1761 in the heyday of the town.
Towards the end of the 18th century, Prelog was the most developed municipality in the area of what would become the Medjimurje of today. In 1786, it was significantly bigger than Čakovec (1729 vs. 1048 inhabitants).
19th and 20th century
Strangely enough, Prelog did not benefit much from the first train and railroad track built in 1860, which reached westbound of Kotoriba and ultimately reached Budapest and Rijeka on the bay of Kvarner. The town was simply slightly offset, only indirectly connected, unable to benefit properly from the new means of transport. A long period of industrial stagnation ensued. The first bank opened in 1873, and another one in 1905. By the end of the 19th century, the number of residents was around 4100.
In the first half of the 20th century, the marginalization of Prelog continued. It was relieved of previous administrative functions. In World War II, (1941 - 1945), it was under Hungarian occupation. Nearby Čakovec (historic Chaky's tower) overtook Prelog.
Today
Prelog has regained its confidence and has begun to grow faster since, in 1997, it became a city and thus became again a separate and independent administrative unit.
Today, more than 50% of the income is based on industry and manufacturing. Agriculture accounts for approximately 19% of the income while a quarter of it is based on commerce and tourism. Prelog's middle school educates specialists in the area of tourism and food processing and is attended by more than 470 students in study courses lasting three years. The elementary school is attended by 570 pupils.
There are more than 20 different sport clubs in the area (football, tennis, basketball, table tennis, handball, and others). Among them, the most famous is the speedway club Prelog.
Other nearby smaller municipalities are Oporovec, Čehovec, Draškovec, Cirkovljan, and Čukovec, with the total number of residents approaching 8,000.
External links
- Prelog - in Croatian (http://www.prelog.hr/)