LUDBREG AND IT'S SURROUNDINGS: HISTORICAL FEATURES

It can be said that Ludbreg is among the oldest settlements in Croatia. The small Podravina Township evolved on the intersection of trade roads leading from East to West, and from South to North, all crossing the river Bednja. Illirians and Kelts passed these roads, as well as Tatars and Turks. On this place, prehistoric augurs predicted the future, Slavik sages brought their offerings, Roman patricians enjoyed the beauties of nature. It was the importance of these ancient roads spreaded through this region since the first millenium BC, which brought old Romans to settle here. Between years 6 and 9 AD they built a monumental fortress named IOVIO. By the fortress, a settlement was raised with time, whose inhabitants worked with and for the Roman army.

During 4th century AD, the Age of great migrations begun. The IOVIA fortress was destroyed, but there are only a few archeological findings covering the time span between 4th and 7th centuries AD. More information on evolvment of the Township we get from observing remains of old Slavic motte and bailey castles, ditched and walled. Of four such castles existing in the area, the one located away from roads, on the left bank of river Bednja and overshadowed by wood, was the safest. On that very location, Ludbreg's 'old town' started to develop sometimes during 11th century.

Ruinous IOVIA provided an abundance of building material, which was used to build the crude walls of medieval moated castle, around which a new settlement arose. New settlers used materials from the ruined Iovia, which with time dissapeared completely. On is location Ludbreg was built - a new settlement with organized civil and ministerial authorities. During that time christianity started spreading again in this area, and it appears that the first christian temple was built in the exact place of today's parish church of the Holy Trinity.

One may certainly ask oneself about the origins of the name "Ludbreg". For those looking for historical acuracy, there are records made by historians. For those liking legends, there is this one: there was a fortress standing on the barrow (named Gradinscak), upon one of many Kalnik hills. Every day, commander's wife would take their newborn baby for a walk along bulwarks. During one such walk, she noticed a batch of Turks quickly approaching the fortress. In her fear, the woman fainted and dropped the baby, which rolled down the hill. When Turks approached the foot of the hill, they took the baby with them. As the unfortunate woman got to her sences, she uttered a curse: "Damned be this mad hill!" (mad = " lud ", hill = "brijeg"; " breg " - hence " Ludbreg "). This is how common people tried to explain origins of the name "Ludbreg".

As it usually happens, scientists came up with a sligthly different story, yet, not a bit less interesting. In the late 19th century, Hungarian historiographer by the name Thalloczy resided in Körmend (Hungary), in the castle of Edmund Batthyanny, with the assignment of settleing Batthyanny family archives. There he found 264 documents and charters mentioning the Ludbreg manor. According to Thalloczy, Ludbreg was given it's name by it's founder, a Knight Crusader LODBRING. After leaving his Burguandian homeland and taking part in Crusades, Lobring remained in this region, founded a settlement and named it after himself. People living here pronounced the name as "Ludbring" which with time altered to "Ludbreg". Today, many people pronounce the name of their town as "Lubreg", especially elderly ones.

History of Ludbreg's feudal possesion starts in early 13th century, when Ludbreg was mentioned for the first time. Although, not under it's today's name, but as "Transit aquam Bugne-Bednja", or "The place at the river Bednja crossing". Today we know that this name relates to today's Ludbreg, since it's borders correspond to the estate borders marked on the deed of gift issued by king Bela IV in 1244 to noblemen Cer. Before that time, Ludbreg was ruled by duke named Koloman (1226-1242). At the beginning of the 14th century Ludbreg was in possesion of several powerful and influenced noblemen, first of which was Nikola of Ludbreg. Trace of him gets lost around year 1360, but records show that some 10 years after that Ludbreg was owned by Croatian governor Ivan Chuz. After his death, Ludbreg manor passed into possesion of his sons, which owned it until 1442. They left in Ludbreg an impressive monument: the parish church, which is still standing today. Costruction of the church was finished in 1410, and today's appearance it got from three subsequent upgrades: in 1659, 1779 and 1829.

In 1468, Ludbreg manor got a new master: Bernardin Thuroczy. Thuroczy family ruled Ludbreg throughout 16th and 17th centuries. Because that was the time of Turkish invasions, the manor house was with time reconditioned into a real fortress. Turkish assault in 1532 was particulary harsh. Many surrounding villages were distroyed, but Ludbreg fortress remained intact: Turks were in a haste toward east.

From that time origins the legend of the Holy Blood of Christ. Holding a mass, the priest got suspiscious of the possibillity of transformation of wine into the Blood of Christ. At that exact moment, the miracle happened: there was a real blood in the chalice. The priest got frightened and directed a bricklayer (who swore to keep the secret) to build the chalice containing blood into a chapel wall. The priest kept it a secret as well, until he fell into his deathbed, when he revealed the secret to a fellow priest. The word got spread, and soon people started pilgriming to Ludbreg.

Toma Zerecz, the master of Lehengut manor (Hungary), informed the pope Julius II about the miraculous event in Ludbreg. The relic was taken to Rome, where it spent a few years, during which time people continued pilgriming to the Ludbreg's court chappel. Pope also formed a committee whose task was the carefull investigation of the matter. Many whitnesses were examined, mostly describing all kinds of miraculous healings. Due to the lenght of the investigation pope Julius II wasn't able to complete it. His papal successor, pope Leo X, issued a bull under on the 12th of March 1513, enabling the public admiration of the relic of the Holy Blood of Christ. Leo X himself carried the relic in a procession through Rome, and then returned it to Ludbreg.

From that time, on every first Sunday in September there is a large eucharistic celebration of the Holy Blood of Christ organized in Ludbreg.

Historically speaking, Ludbreg became a market place and a sanctuary during the rule of Bernardin Thuroczy. It needs to be said that, beside this religious fair, other fairs were also organized in Ludbreg on a regular basis: the Carnival fair, the Corpus Christi fair, Palm Sunday fair, St. Mary of Karmel's Day fair and St. Thomas' Day fair. Also, from early 16th century there is a trade fair organized in Ludbreg every Wednesday.

Circumstances surrounding Ludbreg manor during early 17th century are not completely clear. Since 1635 Ludbreg was in possesion of the Erdödy family. During that time Ludbreg was frequently assaulted by Turkish hordes and German mercenaries. A postal carriage line connecting Graz (Austria) with Varazdin, Ludbreg and Koprivnica is considered the oldest such line in the region. Ludbreg got it's first postal station in 1556, and since 1699, when Slavonija region was freed from Turkish rule, the above postal line has spread to Osijek.

Following the Erdödy family, the powerfull Batthyanny clan took power over Ludbreg in 1695, and held it until 1918. Many historical monuments are whitnessing this family's reign: in 1753 the castle's chappel was covered with frescoes by Mihael Peck. In 1768 st. Roko's chappel was built in Karlovec Ludbreski, and in 1775 the parish church in Sveti Djurdj. In 1799, parish church in Ludbreg got it's cintor (a fenced space around the church) . During that time, the castle got it's new appearance as well: in 1800 walls surrounding the fortress and the tower were torn down, and the castle got it's third floor. The Batthyannys were so powerfull that they had the right of arbitrating and even issuing death sentences. A court judge served in Ludbreg until 1848. Even the emperor Franz I of Austria visited the sanctuary in Ludbreg and stayed in the Batthyanny court on 27th of October 1817.

The last feudal ruler of Ludbreg was Filip Batthyanny, after his death in 1870 followed by a distant cousine Gustav Batthyanny, who died in London in 1883. Gustav's son Edön devoted his attention to the family's estate Körmend in Hungary, while renting the Ludbreg manor to different tennants.

The last owner of Ludbreg manor, Ladislav Batthyanny, sold it to baron Amon Rukavina, who later sold it to Berger company from Zagreb. In a few years manors lawns, acres and woods were parceled out, and in 1939 the castle was bought off by Municipality of Ludbreg.