Andrej Pančur Postojna as an Administrative Center From the late Middle Ages onwards, two large market towns existed in what is now the Municipality of Postojna. These were Postojna and Planina. Both of them arose along the trade route that led from Vienna via Ljubljana to Planina and then Postojna, and then onwards to Trieste or Rijeka. The seats of two extensive dominions were also located at nearby castles. The two market towns had approximately the same size of population, which grew slowly. The majority of the inhabitants were involved in transport, trade, and agriculture. The relatively equal development of Postojna and Planina did not end until the mid-eighteenth century, when the crownland of Carniola was divided into three counties and Postojna became the capital of Inner Carniola. When the Habsburgs lost control over Carniola in 1809, the French retained these counties in their Illyrian Provinces, but renamed them districts. The district of Postojna became smaller and lost its connection to the sea. After the defeat of Napoleon, Postojna again became the capital of the extensive county of Inner Carniola. It only lost this position in 1849, when, along with other extensive administrative reforms following the revolution, the former counties were abolished in Carniola. With the development of state administration, the role of the counties was assumed by considerably smaller administrative districts. In the second half of the eighteenth century, these gradually started to develop from recruitment districts, but because of the poorly developed administrative system the larger dominions had to assume certain administrative functions. In what is now the Municipality of Postojna and in the Pivka Basin, these tasks were carried out by the dominions of Postojna, Planina, Predjama, and Prem. In the Illyrian Provinces, the districts were replaced as administrative units by considerably smaller municipalities, or communes. On the other hand, patrimonial justice was replaced by judicial procedure based on judicial districts or cantons. The canton of Postojna encompassed most of the Pivka Basin. With the reestablishment of Austrian authority in 1814, the former counties and system of delegated domains was restored. In what is now the Municipality of Postojna, this function was performed by the dominions of Postojna, Planina, and Senožeče. In 1849 the district governorship assumed a number of responsibilities that had previously been handled by the county, district, and patrimonial offices. The districts were finally revived in 1867, when the Habsburg monarchy assumed the administrative structure that it retained until its dissolution in 1918. In Carniola eleven district governorships were created, of which the district governorships of Postojna and Planina (after 1875, Logatec) also included the territory of today’s Municipality of Postojna. Each district governorship included several judicial districts. In addition to the judicial district of Postojna, the district governorship of Postojna also included the judicial districts of Senožeče, Ilirska Bistrica, and Vipava. Each of these judicial districts encompassed several municipalities. With the gradual expansion of the authority of county and district offices, Postojna also developed further. The rapid development of Postojna as an administrative center outstripped all competing settlements that were unable to develop administrative functions, especially Planina.
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