Prelog, Croatia

Prelog
Town
Grad Prelog
Town of Prelog
Prelog
Prelog
Location of Prelog in Međimurje County
Location of Prelog in Međimurje County
Prelog is located in Croatia
Prelog
Prelog
Location of Prelog in Croatia
Coordinates: 46°20′N 16°37′E / 46.333°N 16.617°E / 46.333; 16.617
Country Croatia
RegionNorthern Croatia
(Međimurje)
County Međimurje
Government
 • MayorLjubomir Kolarek (HDZ)
Area
[1]
 • Town
63.5 km2 (24.5 sq mi)
 • Urban
24.8 km2 (9.6 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Town
7,027
 • Density111/km2 (287/sq mi)
 • Urban
4,042
 • Urban density163/km2 (422/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
40323 Prelog
Area code040
Websiteprelog.hr

Prelog (Hungarian: Perlak, Kajkavian: Prilok) is a town in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia.

The town is located in the southern part of Međimurje County, on the shores of the Drava River and Lake Dubrava, a reservoir on the river. The town is located 16 kilometres from the county's capital Čakovec, to which it is connected by the D20 state road.

History

Prelog (Hungarian: Perlak) was first mentioned on 6 December 1264, and that date is celebrated annually with a local festival. The name Prelog is probably derived from the Croatian word prelaz, meaning crossing, because the town was a crossing over the Drava River.[3]

In September 1480, the Croatian-Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus stayed in Prelog with his entire army. The town was a trade centre when the Zrinski family (Nikola Zrinski, Petar Zrinski, etc.) controlled the region. In 1671, Petar Zrinski was accused of treason and executed. After that, the population of Prelog decreased due to fear and suspicion of foreign German armies present nearby. In 1716, however, the population started to grow and the town became a major centre for the distribution of rock salt. There was also a silk plant called filandra, which eventually closed in 1848.[3]

The parish church in Prelog was first dedicated to Saint Lawrence but later became the Church of St. James the Great. The current church was built from 1758 to 1761 and renovated from 1987 to 2008.[4]

The first bank in Prelog opened in 1873, and another one in 1905. By the end of the 19th century, the number of residents was around 4,100.[3] The town was the seat of the Perlak district (Hungarian: Perlaki járás) of Zala County in the Kingdom of Hungary until it was occupied and annexed by Yugoslavia in 1918.[5]

During World War II, Prelog was occupied by Hungary again, as the entire Međimurje region was annexed by the Hungarians between 1941 and 1945. After World War II, Prelog was gradually stripped of many administrative functions, and in 1962 it became just a local community.[3]

After Croatia declared independence, Prelog became a municipality and in February 1997 it received town status.[3]

Demographics

In the 2021 census, the town had a population of 7,027 in the following settlements:[2]

Town of Prelog: Population trends 1857–2021
v
Sources:Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

Administration

The current mayor of Prelog is Ljubomir Kolarek (HDZ) and the Prelog Town Council consists of 13 seats.

Groups Councilors per group
HDZ-HSS
6 / 13
SDP
4 / 13
NPS
2 / 13
HNS
1 / 13
Source:[6]

Economy and education

More than 50% of Prelog's income is based on industry and manufacturing. Agriculture accounts for approximately 19% of the income, while 23% of it is based on commerce and tourism.[3]

Prelog's elementary school serves Prelog and the settlements of Cirkovljan, Čehovec and Otok. In 2025, the school had 488 pupils.[7][8] There is also a secondary school in the town, the only one in Međimurje County that is not located in Čakovec. The secondary school offers education for jobs in tourism, catering and food processing and in 2024 it had 270 students.[9][10]

Sports and recreation

Prelog is considered the hometown of motorcycle speedway in Croatia, as the local speedway club was one of the country's first organised clubs in the sport. The speedway was held at the Mladost Stadium, which hosted important events including qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1972, 1978 and 1996,[11] qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship in 1973 and 1980,[12][13] and the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1974 and 1981.

There are more than 20 different sports clubs in the town and its wider area, with the most popular sports including football, tennis, basketball, table tennis, handball, etc.[14] There is also a small airfield for powered hang gliders on the shores of the Drava, as well as a small marina on Lake Dubrava nearby, with the lake also being a popular destination for anglers.[15]

Culture

The museum ’"Croata insulanus"’ is located in Prelog and was opened on March 19, 2013. It is located in a building built between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.[16] Prelog also has a monument dedicated to the Croatian ban Josip Jelačić.[17]

References

  1. ^ Register of spatial units of the State Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. Wikidata Q119585703.
  2. ^ a b "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "O Prelogu" (in Croatian). Grad Prelog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Kratka povijest župe" (in Croatian). Parish of Saint James. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ^ Bali, Lóránt. Euroregional Organisations of Zala County in the Croatian-Hungarian-Slovenian Cross Border Cooperation. hrcak.srce.hr. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  6. ^ "XX. MEĐIMURSKA ŽUPANIJA" (PDF). State Election Committee of the Republic of Croatia. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Osnovna škola Prelog" (in Croatian). Grad Prelog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Međimurska županija: Otvorena obnovljena školska sportska dvorana u OŠ Prelog" (in Croatian). zupan.hr. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Više od 85 posto popunjenosti upisnih kvota u srednjim školama Međimurja već nakon prvog kruga" (in Croatian). medjimurska-zupanija.hr. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Srednja škola Prelog proslavila 25 godina: 'Neka naše svjetlo nikad ne izblijedi!'" (in Croatian). medjimurski.hr. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Speedway World Cup". International Speedway. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  12. ^ "World Championship". Metal Speedway. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  13. ^ "World Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Udruge Grada Preloga" (in Croatian). Grad Prelog. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Lake Dubrava". cityseeker.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  16. ^ "O MUZEJU" (in Croatian). Museum Croata insulanus. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  17. ^ Memorial to ban Josip Jelačić unveiled
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelog,_Croatia