▁second - larg est ▁city ▁in ▁Sloven ia ▁and ▁the ▁largest ▁city ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁region ▁of ▁Lower ▁St y ria . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁Municip ality ▁of ▁Mar ib or , ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁Dra va ▁statistical ▁region ▁and ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sloven ia ▁region . ▁Mar ib or ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁economic , ▁administrative , ▁educational ▁and ▁cultural ▁centre ▁of ▁eastern ▁Sloven ia . ▁ ▁Mar ib or ▁was ▁first ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁castle ▁in ▁ 1 1 6 4 , ▁as ▁a ▁settlement ▁in ▁ 1 2 0 9 ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁city ▁in ▁ 1 2 5 4 . ▁As ▁most ▁of ▁Sloven e ▁lands , ▁Mar ib or ▁was ▁under ▁H abs burg ▁rule ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁when ▁Rudolf ▁Ma ister ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁secured ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Sloven es , ▁Cro ats ▁and ▁Ser bs ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁renamed ▁to ▁Y ug oslav ia . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁Mar ib or ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁independent ▁Sloven ia . ▁ ▁Mar ib or , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁city ▁of ▁Gu imar ã es , ▁was ▁selected ▁the ▁European ▁Capital ▁of ▁Culture ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Name ▁Mar ib or ▁was ▁att ested ▁in ▁historical ▁sources ▁as ▁Mar p urch ▁circa ▁ 1 1 4 5 ▁( and ▁later ▁as ▁March b urch , ▁Mar bur c , ▁and ▁March p urch ), ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁comp ound ▁of ▁Middle