Ustje
Ustje (pronounced [ˈuːstjɛ]) is a village in the Vipava Valley south of Ajdovščina in the Littoral region of Slovenia.
Ustje | |
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![]() ![]() Ustje Location in Slovenia | |
Coordinates: 45°52′12.84″N 13°53′42.3″E | |
Country | ![]() |
Traditional region | Littoral |
Statistical region | Gorizia |
Municipality | Ajdovščina |
Area | |
• Total | 2.77 km2 (1.07 sq mi) |
Elevation | 101.9 m (334.3 ft) |
Population (2002) | |
• Total | 385 |
[1] |
Name
The name Ustje is derived from the common noun ustje 'river mouth', referring to the location where Jovšček Creek joins the Vipava River.[2] Some sources also claim that the name may originate from Saint Justus, to whom the parish church in the settlement was dedicated in 1766;[3] however, this is linguistically unlikely.[2]
History
The oldest monument in the village is the 17th-century church, built on a small hill dedicated to John the Evangelist.[4] Ruins of walls indicate that the site must have been used as a fortification during Ottoman raids.
![](../I/m/Ustje1.jpg)
On August 8, 1942, Italian soldiers of the Julia division killed eight people and burned down the village. After the war, the village was rebuilt and August 8 is observed as a memorial day. The events from 1942 are described in Danilo Lokar's book Sodni dan na vasi (Doomsday in the Village).
Mass grave
Ustje is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Ajdov Field Mass Grave (Slovene: Grobišče Ajdovsko polje) is located in a meadow and a field 110 m south of a waste treatment facility, between a field road and Hubelj Creek. In March 2002, investigators disinterred 67 skeletons from the site, identified as the remains of 15 German and 52 Italian soldiers.[5]
References
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 447.
- Ajdovščina municipal site
- Koper Diocese list of churches Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Ferenc, Mitja (December 2009). "Grobišče Ajdovsko polje". Geopedia (in Slovenian). Ljubljana: Služba za vojna grobišča, Ministrstvo za delo, družino in socialne zadeve. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
External links
- Ustje at Geopedia
- Detailed description of the events of August 8, 1942 (English version)