Prelog () was first mentioned on 6 December 1264, and that date is celebrated annually with a local festival. The name
Prelog is probably derived from the Croatian word
prelaz, meaning
crossing, because the town was a crossing over the
Drava River. In September 1480, the Croatian-Hungarian king
Matthias Corvinus stayed in Prelog with his entire army. The town was a trade centre when the
Zrinski family (
Nikola Zrinski,
Petar Zrinski, etc.) controlled the region. In 1671, Petar Zrinski was accused of treason and executed. After that, the population of Prelog decreased due to fear and suspicion of foreign
German armies present nearby. In 1716, however, the population started to grow and the town became a major centre for the distribution of
rock salt. There was also a silk plant called
filandra, which eventually closed in 1848. The first bank in Prelog opened in 1873, and another one in 1905. By the end of the 19th century, the number of residents was around 4,100. During
World War II, Prelog was occupied by
Hungary again, as the entire Međimurje region
was annexed by the Hungarians between 1941 and 1945. After World War II, Prelog was gradually stripped of many administrative functions, and in 1962 it became just a local community. After
Croatia declared independence, Prelog became a municipality and in February 1997 it received town status. ==Demographics==