engineering

Medvedgrad

Medvedgrad is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Medvedgrad rather than just read about it. In short: Medvedgrad (pronounced [mědʋedɡraːd]; Croatian for bear-town; Hungarian: Medvevár) is a medieval fortified town located about 10 km north of Zagreb, on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, approximately halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb to the mountain top Sljeme. For defensive purposes it was built on a hill, Mali Plazur, that is a spur of the main ridge of the mountain that overlooks the city.

Key takeaways

Medvedgrad belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Medvedgrad to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Medvedgrad from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Medvedgrad (pronounced [mědʋedɡraːd]; Croatian for bear-town; Hungarian: Medvevár) is a medieval fortified town located about 10 km north of Zagreb, on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, approximately halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb to the mountain top Sljeme. For defensive purposes it was built on a hill, Mali Plazur, that is a spur of the main ridge of the mountain that overlooks the city. On a clear day the castle can be seen from far away, especially the high main tower. Below the main tower of the castle is Oltar Domovine (Altar of the homeland) which is dedicated to Croatian soldiers killed in the Croatian War of Independence. The altar of the homeland, made by the sculptor Kuzma Kovačić, was opened by Croatian President Dr. Franjo Tuđman, May 30, 1994.

Etymology The name Medvedgrad in Croatian is a compound word consisting of medved — the Kajkavian dialectal variant of Standard Croatian medvjed — meaning "bear" and grad, meaning "town, city" today, but it used to mean a fortified castle. It can be roughly translated as "Beartown", "Bear City", or more accurately "Bear Castle".

History In 1242, Mongols invaded Zagreb. The city was destroyed and burned to the ground. This prompted the building of Medvedgrad. Encouraged by Pope Innocent IV, Philip Türje, bishop of Zagreb, built the fortress between 1249 and 1254. Most of the works on Medvednica were completed by 1262, when it was taken over by King Bela IV. It was later owned by bans of Slavonia. Notable Hungarian poet and Ban of Slavonia Janus Pannonius (1472), and Ban of Croatia Ivan Karlović (1531), died in the Medvedgrad castle. Throughout history, Medvedgrad has changed about 150 owners, and its owners were also kings Sigismund of Luxembourg and Matthias Korvin, the Babonić, Zrinski, Erdődy families, the Celjski counts and numerous nobles and bishops. The last Medvedgrad owners and inhabitants was the Gregorijanec family, who gained possession of Medvedgrad in 1562. In 1574, the walls of Medvedgrad were reinforced, but after the 1590 Neulengbach earthquake, the fortress was heavily damaged and the owners relocated to Šestine. It was reduced to ruins, along with the Veliki Kalnik fortress in Križevci, by the 1699 Metlika earthquake. It remained in this state until the late 20th century, when it was partly restored and now offers a panoramic view of the city from an elevation of over 500 meters (1,600 ft). The last owner of Medvedgrad was the Kulmer family. The ownership of Medvedgrad was taken away from them after the Second World War.

The legend of Barbara Celjska The most famous story from Medvedgrad is related to Barbara Celjska, the Black Queen from the fifteenth century, who was known for her cruelty and debauchery. Barbara Celjska, daughter of Count Herman II. of Celje, according to historical sources, abused the wide area around the Medvedgrad fortress - from Gradec to Samobor. Because of robberies, she was called the Black Queen. According to legends, she was always dressed in black clothes, engaged in politics, astrology and alchemy. Her pet was a black raven and true pets were numerous lovers with whom she enjoyed in Medvedgrad and in the fortress of Samobor. According to legend, it is stated that the Black Queen sold her soul to the devil but also hid a huge treasure, which is guarded by a snake in the tunnels between Medvedgrad, Kaptol and Grič. According to another legend, the Black Queen created the Plitvice Lakes with her supernatural powers because the people asked her to because of a great drought. It is more likely that she is responsible for Kraljičin zdenac (“Queen’s Well”), a spring and a hiking junction that is also connected to Barbara Celjska. According to the stories, Black Barbara did not end up in Medvedgrad, but was buried alive in Veliki Tabor in Hrvatski Zagorje, where legend says that her cries can still be heard.

References

Bibliography

Biology Šašić, Martina; Nahirnić, Ana; Tarmann, Gerhard M. (2016-12-31). "Zygaenidae (Lepidoptera) in the Lepidoptera collections of the Croatian Natural History Museum". Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici. 25 (2): 233–248. doi:10.20302/NC.2016.25.19. eISSN 1848-7386.

History Tomičić, Antonija (2014). "Povijest medvedgradske utvrde" (PDF). Essehist (in Croatian). 6 (6): 37–47. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

External links

Medvedgrad on WikiMapia 3D-model in Google Earth

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Medvedgrad

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Medvedgrad claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Medvedgrad before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Medvedgrad ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Medvedgrad

In research: Medvedgrad appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Medvedgrad in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Medvedgrad is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Buildings and structures completed in 1254, Buildings and structures in Zagreb, Castles in Croatia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Medvedgrad outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Medvedgrad” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Medvedgrad in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Medvedgrad means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Medvedgrad out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Medvedgrad in simple terms?

Why does Medvedgrad matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Medvedgrad?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Medvedgrad.