Primoži (; ,Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 36.Ferenc, Mitja. 2007. Nekdanji nemški jezikovni otok na kočevskem. Kočevje: Pokrajinski muzej, p. 4. Gottscheerish: HandlarəPetschauer, Erich. 1980. "Die Gottscheer Siedlungen – Ortsnamenverzeichnis." In Das Jahrhundertbuch der Gottscheer (pp. 181–197). Klagenfurt: Leustik.) is a small settlement in the Municipality of Kočevje in southern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.Kočevje municipal site
Name The German name Handlern—and the Slovene name Handlerji, based on it—are both plural forms, derived from a surname. The Slovene name of the settlement was changed from Handlerji (previously also HandlarjiSimonič, Ivan. 1935. "Kočevarji v luči krajevnih in ledinskih imen." Glasnik Muzejskega društva za Slovenijo 16: 61–81 and 106–123, p. 78.) to Primoži in 1953. The name was changed on the basis of the 1948 Law on Names of Settlements and Designations of Squares, Streets, and Buildings as part of efforts by Slovenia’s postwar communist government to remove German elements from toponyms.Spremembe naselij 1948–95. 1996. Database. Ljubljana: Geografski inštitut ZRC SAZU, DZS.Urbanc, Mimi & Matej Gabrovec. 2005. Krajevna imena: poligon za dokazovanje moči in odraz lokalne identitete. Geografski vestnik 77(2): 25–43. The three villages of Primoži, Koče, and Mlaka pri Kočevski Reki were also referred to collectively in German as Fünfzehnhuben (literally, 'fifteen hides').Handlern at gottscheerland.at
History Primoži was a Gottschee German village. In 1498 the village consisted of two full farms and six half-farms. The land registry of 1574 shows that the two full farms were also subdivided and that two tenant farmers were also living in the settlement.Savnik, Roman, ed. 1971. Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 2. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, p. 240. At that time the population was between 45 and 55. In 1770 there were 20 houses in the settlement. Before the Second World War it had 31 houses and a population of 84. The economy of the village was based on farming, gathering berries, and hauling sawn lumber and logs.Krajevni leksikon Dravske Banovine. 1937. Ljubljana: Zveza za tujski promet za Slovenijo, p. 216. The original German inhabitants of Primoži were evicted in November 1941, after which their houses stood empty and began to deteriorate.
Religious heritage Primoži had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and the Sacred Heart.Ferenc, Mitja. 2001. "Povojna usoda sakralnih objektov na nekdanjem nemškem jezikovnem območju na Kočevskem." Kronika 49: 123–140, p. 129. A column shrine stands southwest of the main part of the settlement. It is a baroque structure with a square hip roof. It has semicircular niches.Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 24222
Other cultural heritage Primoži has a walled collection area around a spring feeding a karst stream. It was built in the second half of the nineteenth century and is closed with a gate. Next to the spring is a rectangular concrete watering trough. It stands in a small karst valley.Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 23179
References
External links Primoži on Geopedia Pre–World War II list of oeconyms and family names in Primoži