Maribor

:This article is about the city in Slovenia. For other uses of the term Marburg, see Marburg (disambiguation).

History

In 1164, a castle known as the Marchburch (Middle High German for "March Castle") was mentioned in the March of Styria. Maribor was first mentioned as a market by the castle in 1204, and received city rights in 1254. It began to grow rapidly after the victory of Rudolf I of Habsburg over Otakar II of Bohemia in 1278. Maribor withstood seiges by the Ottoman Empire in 1532 and 1683, and the city remained under the control of the Habsburg Monarchy until the end of World War I. In 1918 Rudolf Maister organized a military operation which secured the city and the surrounding area for the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which became Yugoslavia.

Related Topics:
1164 - Middle High German - March - Styria - 1204 - 1254 - Rudolf I - Habsburg - Otakar II - Bohemia - 1278 - Ottoman Empire - 1532 - 1683 - Habsburg Monarchy - World War I - 1918 - Rudolf Maister - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes - Yugoslavia

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Before the war the city was populated by roughy equal numbers of Germans and Slovenians, but most of the city's capital and public life was in German hands. The surrounding area was populated almost exclusively by Slovenians, although many Germans lived in smaller towns like Ptuj. After the war, many Germans emigrated to Austria, but in the 1930s they still represented more than 25% of the population. In the late 1930s, German pro-Nazi organizations were active in the city.

Related Topics:
Germans - Slovenians - Ptuj - Austria - 1930s - Nazi

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In 1941 the Yugoslav part of Styria was annexed by the Third Reich. Adolf Hitler visited the city and made a speech on the town house balcony, commanding his followers to "make this land German again". He was welcomed by a large mass of people applauding his speech. The city, a major industrial center with extensive armaments industry, was systematically bombed by the Allies during the World War II. The remaining German population was expelled after the end of the war in 1945.

Related Topics:
1941 - Third Reich - Adolf Hitler - Allies - World War II - Expelled - 1945

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In the post-war period, the city capitalized on its proximity to Austria as well as its skilled workforce, and developed into a major transit, industrial and cultural center of Eastern Slovenia. After Slovenia seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991, the loss of the Yugoslav market severely strained the city's economy which was based on heavy industry, resulting in record levels of unemployment of almost 25%. The situation has since improved since the mid-1990s with the development of small and medium sized businesses and industry.

Related Topics:
Seceded - 1991 - 1990s

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