| Official Name: | Livold |
| Pushpin Map: | Slovenia |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Traditional region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Lower Carniola |
| Subdivision Type2: | Statistical region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Southeast Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Kočevje |
| Area Total Km2: | 13.96 |
| Population As Of: | 2012 |
| Population Total: | 474 |
| Population Density Km2: | 34 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Coordinates: | 45.5749°N 14.7992°W |
| Elevation M: | 567 |
| Postal Code: | 1338 |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Livold (in Slovenian pronounced as /ˈliːʋɔlt/; German: Lienfeld,[2] [3] Gottscheerish: Liəwold[4]) is a village in the Kočevje Polje southeast of the town 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.[5] The village stretches along the road connecting Kočevje and Petrina, near the turn to Mozelj. It has a pronounced outline. The Rinža River flows through the village; it often goes dry in the summer but floods during heavy rains.[6] There are many karst caves in the area. The Stojna Ridge and Dry Hill (Slovenian: Suhi hrib) rise to the west, and the karstified Šahen lowland lies to the east.[7]
Livold was first attested in 1490 under its German name, Lienfeld. Judging from medieval sources, the Slovene name Livold is derived from Middle High German Lînfeld, literally 'flax field' (from lîn 'flax' + feld 'field'). The name thus refers to local agricultural production.[8] Another theory derives the name from Middle High German leim 'mud, silt', connected with regular flooding of the Rinža River.[4] A third theory relates the name to branching vegetation such as bindweed, ivy, and traveler's joy.[9]
In the land registry of 1574, Livold had 10 full farms subdivided into 20 half-farms with 34 owners, corresponding to a population between 120 and 135. The 1770 census recorded 49 houses in the village.[4] During the 1809 Gottscheer Rebellion, Von Gasparini, the French administrator of the Novo Mesto district, was captured in Kočevje by the rebels. Von Gasparini was taken away from his men and murdered in Livold, and his body was thrown into a ditch.[10] [11] [12] A school was established in Livold in 1891[6] or 1892.[4] [7] Before the Second World War, the village had 67 houses and a population of 364. At that time, its economy was based on agriculture, peddling, and gathering berries. An agricultural and small goods fair was held in the village on 9 January every year.[13] The prewar village population also included a mason, a factory director, a civil servant, a tailor, an accountant, a notary, a driving instructor, a cobbler, and a blacksmith.[7] The original ethnic German population was evicted during the Second World War. After the war, 25 houses remained in use and the village had a population of 103.[7] Many new houses were built in Livold after the war.[6] Water mains were installed in 1952, and these were connected with the Kočevje water system in 1969.[7]
The local church in the northwestern part of the village is dedicated to All Saints and belongs to the Parish of Kočevje. It is a late Gothic church from the early 16th century that was adapted in the 19th century. The main altar is neo-Gothic. The side one was built later and features a Baroque-style pietà.[14] The chancel has been whitewashed multiple times, but traces of fresco work are still visible.[6] The two bells in the bell tower date from the interwar period. The larger one, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was cast in Jesenice in 1923, and the smaller one, dedicated to Saint Peter, in Ljubljana in 1928.[7]
In addition to the village church, several other structures in Livold have cultural heritage status:
Notable people that were born or lived in Livold include: