White Carniola - History

History

In the early 12th century, the area was part of the disputed border region between the Windic March and the March of Carniola, established by the Holy Roman Empire in the northwest, and the Hungarian crown lands in the Kingdom of Croatia in the southeast. From about 1127 the local counts of Višnja Gora (Weichselberg) backed by the Sponheim margraves and the Salzburg archishops crossed the Gorjanci mountains and marched against the Hungarian and Croatian forces, which they pushed beyond the Kolpa river down to Bregana.

The Counts of Weichselberg, descendants of Saint Hemma of Gurk, established the Imperial Weiße Mark ("White march") in the acquired territories. They took their residence at Metlika (Möttling), therefore in contemporary sources there lands were also referred to as County of Möttling. After the line had become extinct in 1209, the possessions passed to the Carniolan margraves from the Bavarian House of Andechs, Dukes of Merania, and were finally acquired for the House of Habsburg by Archduke Rudolf IV of Austria, who proclaimed himself Duke of Carniola in 1364.

Several castles were built in the border region, especially during the Ottoman Wars from the 15th century onwards, as in Črnomelj, Gradac and Vinica. The remains of the large fortress in Pobrežje were destroyed in World War II.