Vrbovec is a town located in the east of Zagreb County in the Republic of Croatia. According to the 2011 census, 14,797 inhabitants live in the administrative area of the city, and 4,947 inhabitants in the settlement of Vrbovec.
Vrbovec was first mentioned as a settlement on April
21, 1244. in written documents. The document is in the Archbishop's
Archives in Zagreb, in the Privilegialia series. It is a charter of
the Croatian and Hungarian King Bela III (IV) confirming the right
of the prefect Junko, son of Isaac of Ravno, to enjoy the feudal
estates of Vrbovec (Verbouch, Worbouch, Verbovecz) and Polonje, a
gift from the Croatian Duke Koloman (King Bela's brother). Prefect
Junk was a senior official at Križevci County. At that time, the
road from Križevci to Zagreb continued through the sea through
Vrbovec. It was Koloman's road that was of great importance. 1389
Vrbovec merges with the Rakovec estate into one feudal lordship,
which will last until 1848. and will have a common feudal lord.
In the 15th century, Vrbovec was mentioned as a trading post
with craftsmen and organized fairs.
In the XVI and XVII.
century, his feudal lord was the Zrinski family, which defended this
area from the Turks. Petar Zrinski, the Croatian ban, was born there
in 1621. For a time the Erdödy family became the owners of the
estate, then Zrinski came to power again, until the 18th century.
century, when the owners became the Patačić family, which in 1734.g.
receives from the ruler fair privileges, and in 1769.g. opens an
elementary school in it. 1780 in Vrbovec, an administrative-judicial
district is being established that takes care of the functioning of
health care and education in this area.
In the 19th century,
there was a post office in Vrbovec. The Voluntary Fire Brigade was
founded in 1882. In 1886. The People's Reading Room began its work,
and in 1870. a railway station was built.
At the beginning of
the 20th century, Vrbovec grew into the economic and cultural center
of this area. Around 1900 Eugène d'Halwin de Piennes built a cheese
factory, and Julio Reigzinger a brickyard.
1928 industrialist
Đuro Predović is building a cured meat factory. 1939 the
electrification of Vrbovec was carried out. The first financial
institution, Vrbovec Share Savings Bank, was founded in 1906.
For the economic and cultural development of Vrbovec, the
founding of the Croatian Peasant Cooperative in 1901, the
Marvogojska Association in 1913, and the Croatian Singing Society
"Petar Zrinski" in 1912 is significant. and the Croatian Falcon in
1908.