It is hypothesized that the name Mala Gora (literally, 'little mountain') was coined by settlers that originated from the Big Mountains (Slovene: Velika gora) chain to the west, as a contrast with the higher-elevation area they had left.[5][6] The German name Malgern was then derived from the Slovene name.[7]
History
During the 1809 Gottscheer Rebellion, a French captain named Chambelli was murdered in the village of Mala Gora while transporting tax revenues from Novo Mesto to Kočevje. In revenge, the French forces burned Kočevske Poljane and Kostel, looted the town of Kočevje between 16 and 18 October, and executed five men in Kočevje on 18 October.[8][9]
Church
The local church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, was built before 1581 and had a painted wooden roof in its nave dating to 1623. It survived the Second World War, but was demolished in 1956.[10]
^Obergföll, Josef (1906). "Ortsnamen der deutschen Sprachinsel Gottschee". Gottscheer Bote. 2 (5): 10–19.
^Simonič, Ivan (1935). "Kočevarji v luči krajevnih in ledinskih imen". Glasnik Muzejskega društva za Slovenijo. 16: 63.
^Koštiál, Ivan (October 21, 1934). "O slovenskih krajevnih imenih na Kočevskem". Zivljenje in svet. 16 (16): 302.
^Steska, Viktor. 1896. "Kočevje." Dom in svet 9(4): 116–119, 182–184, 210–213, 243–245, 278–282; p. 244.
^Loser, Hans. 1928. "Was die alte Leute von der Franzosenzeit erzählen." In: August Schauer (ed.) Gottscheer Kalender für das Jahr 1928 (pp. 23–26). Nesselthal (Koprivnik): Author, p. 23.