History of the Name of the Place Breznički Hum and the Patron Saint of the Parish, St. Martin
The name of the municipal and parish center – Breznički Hum – has changed throughout history, primarily under the influence of the geographical features of this area. As the main feature, locals have historically cited the river Lonja, which flows through the town along its entire course, and the populated area in its upper western flow was named after the river. In the first half of the 14th century, archdeacon Ivan mentions the parish church “sancti Martini de Lona,” and thus we conclude that the parish has been under the protection of St. Martin since its inception. The original name of the place, “Lona,” was most likely derived from the river Lonja flowing through the settlement. Over a hundred years later, we come across a slight change. The patron saint of the parish remained the same, but the diminutive of the original place name, “Lonjica,” replaced the previous name “Lona.” During this period, in the 16th century, the parish was referred to as “sancti Martini in Lonyza.” In some historical maps of the Kingdom of Slavonia, in the second half of the 17th century and during the 18th century, we find the place named after the patron of the church, St. Martin (S. Martin). In the middle of the 18th century, the name Polonije – “pri Polojni” – appears, which refers to the place “by the Lonja.” In the last decade of the same century, the place name “Huum” became established, which had previously been used for the former estate of the Hum family. At the beginning of the 20th century, the place was referred to as Hum sv. Martin. To this day, the parish honors and places itself under the protection of the same saint – St. Martin, Bishop. The current name of the settlement, Breznički Hum, dates from the late 1920s, although it has been mentioned in some publicistic books even earlier (early 20th century).
ST. MARTIN – PATRON SAINT OF THE PLACE
Why is the patron saint of the parish exactly St. Martin, the bishop who is considered the protector of winemakers and travelers, can be concluded from the following.
The local population was predominantly engaged in viticulture, owning their own vineyards scattered across the rolling hills of Zagorje. Since, from ancient times, a main road has run along the entire length of the place Breznički Hum, it is logical to conclude that the residents of this area chose this particular saint to protect their vineyards from various weather calamities and to put under his protection every traveler who passed through, thereby stopping in this small corner of Croatian Zagorje. Another hypothesis about the chosen patron of the parish could certainly be the influence of the Templars in this region, who were known for spreading the cult of St. Martin.
Noble Owners of the Hum Estate in the Territory of the Present Municipality
NOBLE FAMILY HUMSKI
In the larger area of today’s settlement of Breznički Hum, in ancient times, there was the estate “Hum” (sometimes written as Hom) in the Zagreb County, which during the 16th and 17th centuries was primarily owned by the noble family Humski. Undoubtedly, the first known member of the Humski family from Hum was Stjepan the Elder, who served as the noble judge of the Zagreb County from 1507 to approximately 1513. He owned the estates of Hum and Globočec in Zagreb County, as well as shares in estates in the Križevci County, namely Rakovec (Vrbovečki) and Grana. It is assumed that the Humski family became extinct before 1682 in the male line, when Stjepan Vučković, son of Filip Vučković and Marijana Humski, sold his parts of the estates Sutinsko, Mače, Bukovac, Bankovo, and Gradišće.
BARONIAL FAMILY JELAČIĆ-BUŽIMSKI
The next known owners of the “Hum” estate in the 19th century were the baronial family Jelačić-Bužimski, who owned estates scattered across the territories of Zagreb, Križevci, and Varaždin counties. The eighth generation of this noble branch belonged to Eduard, Baron Jellachich-Bužimski, born on June 30, 1811, at Hum near St. Martin. Known as the governor of the Croatian Court Chancellor and a true secret advisor to His Majesty, knight of the Order of St. Stephen, lord of Banat, Rugvica, and Lonja Saint Martin, Eduard Jellachich-Bužimski disposed of his entire estate in his will dated April 27, 1865, to establish a foundation for the poor, from which the poor of the Hum parish, who would attend the memorial mass on his death day in the parish church of St. Martin at Hum, would be provided for. It is notable that the deceased did not realize the size of the foundation, because once the estate was divided among the legatees, it became clear that the remaining surplus of the estate, meant for the poor, was enormous and that each year, when the will was executed on the anniversary of the testator’s death, the poor of the Hum parish would receive more than hundreds of thousands of forints, with no provision made in the will regarding this surplus. The dissatisfaction with this situation forced the Ban to seek a change in the will from Emperor Franz Joseph I. Consequently, the original bequest was altered on December 17, 1882, so that, in addition to a sufficient amount of 20,000 forints for rewarding the poor who would attend the memorial mass on his death day, part of the estate would be used for the maintenance of a school and the church in Hum, with an amount of 25,000 forints designated for this purpose. Thanks to the interest, funds for the church’s renovation and its interior were subsequently collected.
NOBLE FAMILY OŽEGOVIĆ-BARLABAŠEVAČKI
After the death of Baron Eduard, in the 1880s, the estate “Hum” with the old manor passed into the ownership of Tito Count Ožegović-Barlabaševački, who, along with his son Arthur, significantly expanded his estate, having previously inherited the “Breznica” estate from his father, Josip.
A little later, the owner of the Breznica estate, Franjo Margetić, purchased several buildings and nearby land on that estate.
Breznički Hum
Located in the microregion of the Medvednica-Kalnik foothills of Central Croatia, 25 kilometers southwest of the city of Varaždin, lies the settlement of Breznički Hum. This settlement is the central village of the same-named municipality within Varaždin County. In the village, in addition to the municipal center, there is also the parish center of St. Martin the Bishop. In the first half of the 20th century, the local post office began operating in the territory of Breznički Hum. Today, postal services in the Breznički Hum municipality are organized and provided by “Hrvatska pošta,” Varaždin Postal Center. Postal traffic is conducted through the Post Office 42225 Breznički Hum, and its delivery area covers the settlements: Breznica, Breznički Hum, Butkovec, Krščenovec, Radešić, and Šćepanje.
According to the 2001 census, Breznički Hum had a population of 546, which is slightly less than the 1991 census (568 residents). The settlement is traversed by the main road Zagreb – Varaždin, along which there are only a small number of houses and service facilities (restaurant, gas stations, shops, catering, and a metal factory). A larger part of the village is located deeper into the interior, in the hilly and rolling areas, accessible by following the county road Ž2171 towards Hrašćina, which branches off from the state road D3.
BUTKOVEC
Following the county road Ž2171 towards Hrašćina, which branches off from the state road D3, we come to the settlement of Butkovec, located deeper in the interior of the municipality on a hilly area. The settlement belongs to the Varaždin County and is under the parish of St. Martin the Bishop in Breznički Hum. According to the last population census, Butkovec has 209 inhabitants.
KRŠĆENOVEC
With a population of 174 residents (2001), Kršćenovec is the least populated settlement in the municipality, accessed by local road 25157. The settlement is also home to the archaeological site “Kršćenovec.”
RADEŠIĆ
Located just under a kilometer from Breznički Hum, the village of Radešić has historically belonged to the parish of Visoko and is administratively part of Breznički Hum in Varaždin County. The village is scattered across several hills, and local names for individual hamlets have emerged based on biblical names: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth. The village is also famous for its large water spring in the westernmost part, known as the “great well,” which served as a watering place for livestock and a “washing place” for “flakes.” According to the last census, the village had only 230 inhabitants.
ŠĆEPANJE
Turning off the main Zagreb-Varaždin road, on the third kilometer of the county road, nestled in the interior of the parish of St. Martin the Bishop in Breznički Hum, is the settlement of Šćepanje. Located in a pleasant hilly landscape, Šćepanje had 405 residents according to the 2001 census. However, due to a significant increase in mortality, the population has drastically declined, and today the number of residents has decreased, with the village mostly inhabited by older individuals. After numerous administrative and territorial changes, Šćepanje is now administratively part of the municipality of Breznički Hum, the same-named parish, Varaždin County, and the Archdiocese of Zagreb.
Unfortunately, historical sources and records for the settlement are quite scarce. According to canonical visitations, a reliable church source, the first mentions of Šćepanje (Schepanye) appear at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. In terms of administrative division, during the second half of the 19th century, the surrounding villages of Butkovec, Lower Hum, and Upper Hum were part of the rural municipality of Šćepanje, which covered part of the area of Zagreb County and the Bistrica district. In 1886, the entire rural municipality of Šćepanje was incorporated into Varaždin County and the district of Novi Marof. Following further administrative reorganization in the early 20th century, the tax municipality of Šćepanje, which included the villages of Breznički Hum and the eponymous village, was subordinated to the administrative municipality of Breznički Hum. This situation remained unchanged until the post-war period in 1947. Several years prior, there were various administrative reorganizations within the Novi Marof district, and many settlements from the former Novi Marof district were incorporated into the newly established municipality of Novi Marof. In 1993, with the establishment of the municipality of Breznički Hum, Šćepanje was finally administratively integrated into the municipality of Breznički Hum. The settlement possesses a very old chapel of St. Helena, also known as St. Helen the Crossbearer, but due to a lack of sources, it is difficult to determine the exact period of construction.
