Kozarje


Kozarje is a formerly independent settlement in the western part of the capital Ljubljana in central Slovenia. It was part of the traditional region of Upper Carniola and is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region. It includes the hamlet of Žeje.

Geography

Kozarje is a clustered settlement west of Vič along the road from Ljubljana to Polhov Gradec. Most of the houses are on the south side of the Mali Graben. The Gradaščica River flows north of the settlement, where it is joined by Horjulščica Creek. At Kozarje most of the stream of the Gradaščica is split off into the Mali Graben and the rest continues as the Gradaščica. South of the settlement is Kozarje Field. The old village core is now bounded on the south by the freeway from Ljubljana to Vrhnika.

Name

Kozarje was attested in written sources in 1322 as Coser. The name is derived from the Slovene common noun kozar 'goatherd', originally the masculine plural *Kozarji, the accusative of which, Kozarje, was later reanalyzed as a feminine nominative plural.

History

The Kanc brick works stood in Kozarje Field south of Kozarje before the First World War. Kozarje was annexed by the City of Ljubljana in 1982, ending its existence as an independent settlement.

Cultural heritage

Two cultural heritage units are registered in Kozarje:
Notable people from Kozarje include: