At the frontier of the Kingdom and an Empire – a comparative analysis of historical development of Cesargrad and Kunšperk

Na brdima koji zatvaraju klanac rijeke Sutle zvan Zelenjak smjestila su se dva tvrda grada – Cesargrad i Kunšperk. Ova dva tvrda grada predstavljaju dio starog obrambenog kompleksa čija je svrha bila obrana političkih entiteta koje su čuvali – Zemalja Krune sv. Stjepana, odnosno Svetog Rimskog Carstva. Geografska blizina ova dva grada i njihov smještaj na granici utjecali su na njihov povijesni razvoj te na razvoj njihove okolice. Na temelju postojeće literature i izvora u hrvatskoj i slovenskoj historiografiji ovaj rad će obraditi ova dva tvrda grada koristeći se principom komparativne analize te pritom ukratko prikazati povijesni razvoj granice na Sutli. U radu će se elementi poput središnjih funkcija, arhitekture i dinamike vlasništva obraditi metodom komparativne analize koja će obuhvatiti razdoblje od 12. do 17. stoljeća. Spomenutim tvrdim gradovima, Cesargradu i Kunšperku, pristupa se u novome kontekstu koji pridonosi postojećim historiografskim spoznajama o njima i prostoru u kojem su smješteni, a to je klanac Zelenjak nad rijekom Sutlom.On the hills that close the gorge of Sutla river called Zelenjak, there are two fortified cities located – Cesargrad and Kunšperk. These two cities represent part of old frontier defense complex whose purpose was the defense of political entities they guarded – Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen, i. e. Holy Roman Empire. The geographical proximity of these two cities and their border accommodation led to their historical development and the development of their surroundings. Based on existing literature and sources in Croatian and Slovenian historiography, this work will adress these two fortified cities using the principles of comparative analysis and thereby briefly present the historical development of the frontier on Sutla river. Through the paper, elements such as as central functions, architecture and ownership dynamics will be perceived by comparative analysis method which will encompass the period from the 12th to the 17th century. Aforementioned fortified cities, Cesargrad and Kunšperk, are approached in a new context which contributes to existing historiographical knowledge of them and the region they are located in, that is Zelenjak gorge on the Sutla river