HAJDINA
The Hajdina municipality consists of seven settlements: Draženci, Gerečja vas, Hajdoše, Skorba, Slovenja vas as well as Spodnja and Zgornja Hajdina; it has 3800 inhabitants. Economically the municipality is of medium development, as there is a plant producing high quality, high protein animal feedstuffs, and an industrial zone in Slovenja vas. Agriculture is also well developed. Skorba possesses one of the largest water pumping stations in Slovenia. The largest settlements in the municipality are Spodnja and Zgornja Hajdina. The Spodnja Hajdina settlement was originally a one-row village on the edge of the terrace closest to the Drava River in the south-eastern part of Ptujsko polje, close to Ptuj. Some of its western part lies along the Maribor-Ptuj road, but the majority of the settlement occupies the village road leading to the Ptuj-Lovrenc na Drayskem polju road. The eastern part of the settlement is older and has preserved its rural appearance despite renovations. Expansion near the Hajdina railway station has given rise to a new part of the village with streets and with this a non-agrarian population has taken root.
The terrace was already populous in prehistory, when there was a Celtic settlement near the crossing of the Drava River (a pottery kiln has been preserved from the area). In Roman times, there was a settlement of craftsmen alongside the military camp. At the beginning of the second century, the settlement was awarded town privileges and the Fortuna temple was built, after which the town was named Vicus Fortunae. The ancient Poetovio-Celeia road and Roman water distribution system from Fram to Poetovio were laid here. In the times of Emperor Hadrian, an Illyric customs administration (portorium publicum Illyrici) was located in the area. Customs duties were collected from an area stretching from today's Switzerland to the Black Sea.
Hajdina was first mentioned as Chandin in 1164, the name being of Celtic origin. After the year 1202 the names Spodnja and Zgornja Hajdina are mentioned. The Hajdina municipality was established before World War II. With 1030 inhabitants in 1937, the size of its territory was 781 hectares and it included two villages, Draženci and Hajdina.
