Štefanci is a village in Croatia, under the Vrbovsko township, in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. Ecclesiastically, it is under the Plemenitaš parish.[3]: 97
History
Intermarriages across the Kupa were not uncommon historically, with such marriages taking place on the territory of Plemenitaš in 1884 (with Daljnje Njive), 1885 (Toplica in Carniola), 1886 (Stari Trg), 1919 (Predgrad), 1926 (Sodevci), and possibly some cases after 1945. In all such cases but 1886, the man was from Štefanci and the woman from across the river.[3]: 98
Midnight Mass was attended in Stari Trg, crossing the Kupa in a čun by torchlight.[3]: 106
Primary education was typically in Stari Trg, because it was nearer than the schools in Plemenitaš and Lukovdol.[3]: 112
In Yugoslav times, the youth would entertain themselves in Predgrad, where the nearest cinema was, as well as an inn and dancing.[3]: 106
In the years after the foundation of Yugoslavia, there were few in the valley working non-traditional trades. One such person was a certain Franje from Štefanci who worked as an electrician in Kočevje even in his youth.[3]: 112
Wine from Štefanci was once favoured by an innkeeper in Stari Trg.[3]: 107
Before 1981, ferries operated in Štefanci, Blaževci and Radenci. The boat in Štefanci was larger, because it carried larger cargo for the mill in Prelesje. In 1981, the bridge between Blaževci and Sodevci was built. Goršeti had been the other contender location at the time, but at a different point in time, Štefanci was also a contender for a bridge, with a snow roof planned. The plan failed because certain landholders did not want to give up their parcels, and others feared their orchards would suffer from theft by travellers. In the end, the sawmill owner Kapš gave his land up for the bridge. The last resident regretted that the bridge had not been built in Štefanci, surmising more people would have remained.[3]: 110
On 11 June 2019, Blaževci was hit by a hailstorm, causing significant roof damage.[4][5]
Demographics
As of 2024, the village had only 1 permanent resident.[3]: 103
| population | 52 | 47 | 48 | 56 | 48 | 42 | 40 | 49 | 46 | 44 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 1857 | 1869 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1921 | 1931 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
Dialect
According to locals, the dialect of Štefanci differed somewhat from the dialect of Blaževci enough to be recognisable. The last resident of Štefanci, Slavko Muhvić, grouped the dialect of Blaževci with that of Goršeti over that his own, likening the dialect of Štefanci to that of White Carniola.[3]: 108
References
- ^ Register of spatial units of the State Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. Wikidata Q119585703.
- ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Baković, Matijas; Perić Kaselj, Marina; Škiljan, Filip (2024-07-01). "Suživot Hrvata i Slovenaca uz srednji tok Kupe na hrvatsko-slovenskoj granici". Sociologija i prostor: časopis za istraživanje prostornoga i sociokulturnog razvoja. 61 (1): 91–122. doi:10.5673/sip.62.1.5. eISSN 1849-0387.
- ^ GN (2019-06-12). "Jučer u Gorskom Kotaru: Tuča opustošila Brod Moravice, Moravice, Blaževce…". Gorske novosti.
- ^ GN (2019-06-13). "Priskočili u pomoć: Tridesetak vatrogasaca pomagalo mještanima vrbovščanskih naselja Blaževci i Štefanci u sanaciji šteta od tuče". Gorske novosti.
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