Historical facts
Origin of the name Grosuplje
Historical sources reveal that the name Grosuplje first appeared way back in 1136, it was recorded as GROSLUPP or Valvasor's Great uplje.
The name has as many as 13 explanations and the most believable is the one saying that the name was created by retracting karst "grezopolje".
Grosuplje hills inhabited since the Hallstatt period
Excavations at the Koščakov and Cerkveni hrib hill show that the Grosuplje area was inhabited already in Hallstatt period, about 500 years BC. On the northern part of the municipality there was an important road channelled at the time of the Roman Empire that linked Aquileia and Sirmium on lower Sava in Vojvodina. Almost on the same route today runs the eastern part of the highway known as Illyricum.
Middle Ages
At the higher hills, the warning bonfires along the medieval churches and fortresses were on fire. In these fortifications, they saved wheat and other food items. They hid women, children and the elderly, and some victuals and livestock in Ledenica in today's Mayor’s Cave and other karst caves in this area.
Despite some efforts and strengthening the castles were too badly organized, in order to satisfactory defend people from the Turkish threat. In the heart of Carniola, in Škocjan hills, in the province, which was ruled by the mighty Turjak, they baptized Primož Trubar in st. Kancijan in Škocjan. In this church the priest Jurij Dalmatin lived from 1585 to 1589. The first books that originated in Slovenia in the period of Protestantism, however, are the foundation stones of the awakening of national consciousness.
With the recommendation of Stična monks on defense from the Turkish danger, they built walls in 1493 along the church of St. Nicholas above Cerovo and more storage for saving victuals within fortifications. Similar rustic camps were also at Kopanj close to Velika Račna, in Šmarje next to the church, at Železnica pri Škocjanu, maybe also on the Magdalenska gora and elsewhere.
Recent history
Otherwise, Grosuplje developed in a truly important road and railway junction in the 19th century. In 1869 the road link with Krka Valley and Žužemberk was built. In 1893 the railway line Ljubljana - Kočevje was built through Grosuplje, and a year later the first train ride from Ljubljana to Novo mesto took place through Grosuplje. The railway brought about rapid development to this place. People from the surrounding area began to arrive to local pubs, and shops that resold the goods and market surpluses of the surrounding farmers occurred.
The local people were mostly farmers, carters, millers, and they dealt with leather and brick industry. Near Šmarje they also cultivated flax and hemp.
After the World War II, the village began to spread rapidly and developed into an economic and administrative centre, but also into the centre in the very physical meaning of the word, since most of the communication network flows into Grosuplje.