Veržej

Veržej
Coat of arms
Veržej Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 46°34′54.32″N 16°9′44.37″E
Country	Slovenia
Traditional region	Styria
Statistical region	Mura
Municipality	Veržej
Area
• Total	6.20 km^2 (2.39 sq mi)
Elevation	182.5 m (598.8 ft)
Population  (2012)
• Total	900
[1]

Veržej (pronounced [ʋɛɾˈʒeːi̯]) is a settlement in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Veržej. It lies on the right bank of the Mura River. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. The municipality is now included in the Mura Statistical Region. It was known for fields of white narcisi that bloom in the area in springtime.[2]

Name

Veržej was attested in historical sources as Schepfendorf in 1280–95, Wernse in 1354, and Werensee in 1445, among other names and spellings. The name may be derived from Middle High German Wernsee, a compound of were 'entrenchment' and sê 'lake'. A less likely hypothesis connects the name with a Balto-Slavic root related to Lithuanian viržis 'heather'.[3]

Church

The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Michael and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Murska Sobota. It was built in the early 18th century on the site of an older wooden church. It was renovated between 2007 and 2008 and a new chapel was added to the building.[4]

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Veržej include:

• Slavko Osterc (1895–1941), composer

References

1. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
2. Veržej municipal site
3. Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 452.
4. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage Archived July 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine reference number ešd 3473

External links

Media related to Veržej at Wikimedia Commons

• Veržej on Geopedia