CASTLE KOZJAK (KOSJECK)

Castle Kozjak from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

HISTORY:
The castle was built after the year 1250. First written account of the castle is from the year 1332 as castrum Cozyak. First known owner of the castle was knight Ulrik Kozjak in 1274. According to historian Valvasor the last descendant of noble family Ludvik Kozjak was in 1475 captured by the Turks at the Battle of Bizeljsko and they sold him back to the family for 2000 florins. Soon after returning home he died because he was poisoned by the Turks. Ludvik was the first commander of Carniola provincial cavalry. The castle was abandoned at the end of the 17th century

CASTLE TURJAK (AUERSPERG)

Castle Turjak from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

HISTORY: 
Name of the castle Turjak is derrived from now extinct animal tur which is also depicted in the coat of arms and jak which means strong. The word tur was brought to Slovenia around the year 400 BC. when the Gauls colonized the area. In their language tur means mountains. According to historian Valvasor on the site of today's castle once stood a prehistoric iapod city called Aurupium. Valvasor also writes of the first castle "Old Turjak" built by Konrad von Auersperg in 1067. The castle was abandoned in the 15th century and its ruins are preserved at the foot of the today´s new castle Turjak. In 1162 was the first mention of Turjak Knight Engelberus de Vrsberch. The first old noble family of Turjak became extinct in the 13th century. In 1318 was the first mention of both Turjak castles when they were destroyed in a war between

Henry Gorizia - Tyrol and the Habsburgs. In the 15 and 16th century the castle was besieged by the Turks 3 times but they could not conquer it. After the great earthquake in 1511 Trojan Turjak destroyed the damaged castle and in 1520 began constructing a new one. In 1515 castle was attacked by farmers in the all-Slovenian peasant revolt but they also were not able to conquer it. During the Italian military occupation in the Second World War the castle´s rich archive was stolen. During the 2nd World War in September of 1943 in Turjak castle battle ensued between the partisans and village guards. Partisans captured about 500 anti-communist units and burned down the castle. Restoration of the castle started in1962.

PICTURES: 

Castle Turjak and ruins of old castleTurjak
author: Erminy, Franz Wolf (around 1830)

Castle Turjak before destruction in 1943

CASTLE ZUZEMBERK (SEISENBERG, SHUSEMBERG)

Castle Zuzemberk from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

HISTORY: 
Castle was first mentioned in1246 as castrum Sausenberc in marchia Slavica. Name of Seis-en-berg is derived from the German word eisen (iron) and berg (hill area). The original fort was probably built as early as year  1000. In 1559 the illegitimate son of Auersperg with 18 Neapolitan Cuirassiers took the castle by surprise and became its master for only one night. Father, baron Herbart Auersperg attacked the castle and won it back. In the battle has fallen 36 soldiers including his illegitimate son. Their bodys were thrown of the castle walls and left for wild animals. In 1575 in the castle yard a domesticated bear killed wife of Ivan Auersperg, Anna von Eck. In memory of the tragic event he planted in the middle of the courtyard a linden tree, which was maintained for 424 years. In the year 1999 the tree was cut down. This event  finished nobleman line of Schonberg, because Anna had no children and her husband Ivan stayed single. In 1591 castle was severely hit by fire. The castle was never a target of Turkish invasions because it was so strong. In 1635 farmers attacked the castle, but they were defited.  In 1670 a fire burned down the market by the castle. In 20th of July 1721, 45 year old Barbara Rojc tried to escape from the dungeon  . She dropped a rope through the tower window and tried to climbe out, but fell and broke her neck. In 1898 a new mannor was built and the administration was moved from castle to a new location, which resulted in the abandonment of the castle and its gradual collapse. In 1945 the castle was bombed by allied aircraft missiles.

COAT OF ARMS:
On a white coat of arms is a depiction of a golden jaguar in a rampant pose. Jaguar represents: power, ferosity, and valor; the power to face one’s fears. Position rampant means a willingness to fight. The golden metal colour represents: the magnificence, reputation, dignity, wealth and is awarded for special merits. The white metal colour was probably ment as a green colour as is still in use today. The meaning of green is freedom, joy, hope, grace and health.

Coat of arms of Zuzemberk from the book,
Opus insignium armorumque, 1687-1688
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

PICTURES:

Castle Zuzemberk in year 1914

MAPS:

Military map of Castle Zuzembek (1763-1787)
Source: http://mapire.eu/en/

Franciscan cadastre of Carniola (1823-1869)

MANNOR SMUK (SMOKH, SMUCK)

Mannor Smuk from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

HISTORY:
Smuk manor is for the first time explicitly mentioned in 1629. It was built by Otto Semenitsch in the middle of the 16th century. The original castle Semenitsch from the 12th century and the headquarters of the Semenitsch knights was destroyed by the Turks in 1547 and the nobleman´s moved to  mansion Smuk. The mannor and the surrounding area, severely suffered from frequent Turkish and incursion army raids. The area of the mansion is called Turn (tower) and there is a possibility that the nearby church of Sv. Lawrence is at the site of a previous guard tower. According to tradition, noblemans of the mannor Smuk were very cruel to their inhabitants. The settlement Smuk is mentioned in 1490, 1500 1541 and 1558 as Smockaw. From the year 1755 the settlement Smuk is no longer mentioned. In 1902, the last owner Šušterič uncovered the roof of the mansion, which led to the collapse of the building.

OWNERS: 
At the end of 16th century, Count Henrik Paradeiser 
From 1662 baron Franc Bernard noble Lichtenberg
In the year1846 the owner was Martin Kuralt
Karl and Franc Kavšek bought it in 1888 and sold it to Tomaž Radl in 1899.
Before the WWII the owners were family of Hutar.

Mannor owners Paradeiser

PICTURES: 

Ruines of mannor Smuk

CASTLE ROZEK (ROSSEK)

Castle Rozek from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

HISTORY:
Knights Rosegkh built the castle in the early 13th century. First written mention of the castle is from 1249, as Reizekke. Castle was abandoned in the 19th century.

PICTURES: 

Ruins of the castle

MAPS: 

Military map of Castle Rozek (1763-1787)
Source: http://mapire.eu/en/

 

MANNOR SOTESKA (AINÖD)

 

Historical region Carniola
Author: Hugo Gerard Ströhl 1890

Mannor Ainöd from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

LOCATION
Country: Slovenia
Historical region: Lower Carniola
Municipality: Dolenjske Toplice
Settlement: Soteska
GPS:45°46'48,41" N 15°1'8,81" E










HISTORY:
Mannor Soteska was built by Count Jurij Ziga Gallenberg between years1664 and 1689. Mannor was by Valvasor´s opinion, one of the finest in the land of Carniola. On the opposite bank of the river Krka are the ruins of a medieval castle old Ainöd. Mannor was built on the site of the previous demolished tower mentioned as turren Aynod in 1454. After the year 1840 was in mannor an operating brewery. On the October 22, 1943 manor was looted and burned down. Locals used it as a quarry.

LEGEND: 
In the immediate vicinity of the mannor stands the Devil´s turn. About him circulates a story that the lord of the mannor Soteska in times of severe poverty from settlers requested tax which they were not able to pay, and in return the lord demanded that farmers send him their daughters over which he exercised his sexual desire. Farmers cursed the tower and gave it the name of Devil's Tower.

PICTURES: 

Author: Franz Kurz zum Thurn und Goldenstein (1834-1867)

MAPS:

Franciscan cadastre of Carniola (1823-1869)

CASTLE OLD SOTESKA (ALT AINÖD)

Historical region Carniola
Author: Hugo Gerard Ströhl 1890

Municipality: Dolenjske Toplice

LOCATION
Country: Slovenia
Historical region: Lower Carniola
Municipality: Dolenjske Toplice
Settlement: Loška vas
GPS:45°46′50.63″N 15°0′40.49″E

Castle alt Ainöd from the book,
Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain in 1689
Author:  Johann Weichard Valvasor

NAME:
The word soteska (ainöd) means ravine or canyon. 

HISTORY:
The castle was first mentioned in 1313 as Ainöd, even though according to the testimony of historian Valvasor it stood as early as 1231. The castle was destroyed by warlord Jan Vitovec in 1440 in war with the Habsburgs. In the year 1506 it was abandoned. According to Valvasor the castle was surrounded by triple walls and towers. The castle stood on a rock and had prisons cut in the rock, where they imprisoned and tortured Turks. The Turks gave it special name of "Green Castle".