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Centralsouth Bulgaria > Koprivshtitsa > History
History of Koprivshtitsa
Koprivshtitsa originated as a settlement during the 14th century. Its population dealt with cattle-breeding, manufacturing of aba (coarse homespun woollen cloth and upper men’s garment made of it), furriery, dyeing and other crafts. The citizens of Koprivshtitsa proved to be good merchants, too reaching as far as Istanbul and Alexandria. The wealthy and urbanised settlement was plundered and destroyed by fire by kurdzhalii (Turkish brigands) three times and rebuilt from ashes to reach its greatest prosperity during the 19th century, when it had over 1000 houses and a population of nearly 12 000 inhabitants. Spacious houses, schools, churches, drinking-fountains, bridges were built there. In 1837 Neofit Rilski (Neophyte of Rila) opened a mutual school and 9 years later Naiden Gerov founded the first in Bulgaria independent boys’ intermediate school. In 1864 a girls’ intermediate school was opened here and three years later Todor Kableshkov opened the students’ society “Zora” (Dawn). In 1869 the chitalsihte (reading room or community centre) was opened here. In the same year Vassil Levski established a revolutionary committee in it. During that time Lyuben Karavelov who was born in Koprivshtitsa headed the foreign Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (BRCC) in Bucharest.
On 20th April 1876 the first shot of the April Uprising against Ottoman Rule rang out here, which started the heroic April epic of Bulgarian people. Todor Kableshkov announced the Uprising. It was headed by another citizen of Koprivshtitsa - Gavrail Hlutev, known to the generations to come as Georgi Benkovski - the adamant and ardent leader of the people’s rebellion, who died heroically in the Teteven Balkan Mountain. Unlike Batak, Bratsigovo, Peroushtitsa and other settlements-martyrs, the Osmanli Turks had mercy on Koprivshtitsa. The wealthy men of Koprivshtitsa paid for it and thanks to them Bulgaria today is in possession of its most treasured architectural wealth, untouched by the centuries.
The town is the birth place of a lot of functionaries of our Revival Period and renowned Bulgarians - Bogdan Voivoda, Doncho Vatah Voivoda, Detelin Voivoda, Dobri Voivoda (“voivoda” meaning leader of revolutionary detachment of voluneers), Dimcho Debelyanov, Nayden Gerov.
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