Brezje was attested in written sources as Vrersa in 1275, Bresiach in 1422, Pirk in 1438, and Bresie in 1498, among other spellings.[2] The name Brezje literally means 'birch woods', derived from the common noun breza 'birch'. Like similar toponyms in Slovenia (e.g., Brezova, Brezovec, Brezovci), it originally referred to the local vegetation.[3]
History
A water main was installed in Brezje in 1911; prior to this, the villagers would drive their animals to Cerkniščica Creek northwest of the settlement to water them and would also transport water from the creek for household use. A sawmill jointly owned by several farmers operated on Cerkniščica Creek until 1950.[4]
Mass grave
Brezje is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Kovač Shaft Mass Grave (Шаблон:Lang-sl or Grobišče Kovačev brezen) is located southeast of Brezje, on the northwest slope of Big Mount Slivnica (Шаблон:Lang, 1,114 m). The cave entrance is at the bottom of an 18 m deep sinkhole. The bones of an unknown number of victims and a grenade were found in the shaft.[5]
