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.
In the center of Vrbovac is the parish church of St. Vida, which is
mentioned as early as 1338. The older building is Baroque, with a bell
tower next to the sanctuary and a porch next to the main facade. The
church has baroque altars, a large wooden crucifix, a chalice from 1722
and a pacifical from 1725. The bells were cast by the famous craftsmen
Schifrer from Zagreb (1803) and Papst from Varaždin (1846). Near the
church there are several beautiful, stylish two-story buildings from the
19th century, among which the parsonage from 1818 stands out.
The
former Old Town of Vrbovec was first mentioned in 1528 in a letter sent
to King Ferdinand I by Croatian ban Ivan Karlović. The castle was built
to defend against the Turks, but it is not known who built it and when.
The castle and farm buildings were destroyed in a fire during the
peasant revolt in 1755, so only one tower remained, today called the
tower of Petr Zrinski. The castle changed owners through different
times. It was in the possession of the Zrinskis, then the Zagreb
Chapter, and Count Adam Batthyany, all the way to Patačić. After 1755,
the Patačić family built a new brick castle on the ruins of one wing of
the old castle. Patačić's small baroque castle has been preserved to
this day. It houses Tinema Glazba Vrbovec and Radio Vrbovec.
At
the cemetery in Vrbovac, there is the tomb of the d'Havlin and de
Piennes families, a prominent work of modern architecture. It was built
by Zagreb architects Hugo Ehrlich and Viktor Kovačić. The donor, the
French Marquis Eugène d'Halwin de Piennes, was buried in the mausoleum
in 1911. The mausoleum is built of Swedish granite, and the vault of its
dome is particularly interesting, which is covered with real 24-karat
gold in the form of a mosaic. The baroque chapel of the Holy Three Kings
is also worth a look at the local cemetery.
Northeast of the
center of Vrbovac, on the road to Križevci, is the Lovrečina Grad
castle. A castle with a tumultuous history, it got its present
appearance after rebuilding in the neo-baroque style at the end of the
19th century. There used to be a very richly designed garden around it.
In the area of Vrbovac, in the village of Lovrečka Varoš, there is
the church of St. Lovre, which houses a unique baroque pulpit in the
shape of a fish. This significant work of baroque sculpture in 1780 is
connected with the biblical story of Jonah's fish, and belongs to the
so-called the type of natural pulpit, which was characteristic of
Bohemia and Silesia. It is the work of an unknown, possibly Varaždin
sculptor.
The remains of the castle on Petr Zrinski Square
Vrbovec has HKUD "Petar Zrinski", National Library Vrbovec, Radio
Vrbovec, People's Open University Vrbovec, Brass Band Vrbovec and
majorettes.
Vrbovec has no TV, theater and university
studies, and therefore naturally gravitates towards Zagreb as the
center of these activities.
The main annual cultural event in
Vrbovac is "What did our elders eat?". The manifestation of old
dishes, which takes place every year on a weekend at the end of
August or beginning of September, presents the old way of life and
traditional dishes of the Vrbove region.
City Day, June 15,
is also an annual cultural event, when St. Vid, patron of the town
of Vrbovac.
Vrbovec Youth Association (VUM) is a
non-political youth organization of the City of Vrbovec with an area
of activity in the entire Zagreb County. It was founded in October
2001.
The fundamental goal of the association is the
gathering and socializing of young people, and the promotion and
protection of their interests. The association deals with
environmental activities and care for the protection and improvement
of the living and working environment, by organizing: events
(entertainment and cultural content), consultations, seminars,
exhibitions and other manifestations
The association
cooperates with interested social and private organizations and
companies, and similar associations. He participates in activities
of a humane, social and patriotic nature, and performs other tasks
that contribute to a better quality of life in the City of Vrbovac.
Today, the Association has about 150 members
Vrbovec
Wireless (VRW) was started in the years when the whole wireless
story in the Republic of Croatia was in its infancy, and wireless
equipment was very expensive. Wireless networking technology was
somewhat new to the locals, and especially to the younger
generations, who radiated enthusiasm and ambition, but it provided
new opportunities and opened wide the door to a new and more modern
world of online IT communication.
Vrbovec Wireless is a
non-profit association of citizens (led) by a group of ambitious
people who have developed a wired and wireless network in Vrbovec
using the public frequency and the equipment that makes it possible.
The number of members ranges between 40-45, and most members are
employed or studying. The association holds open meetings and
encourages the spread of knowledge about computer, network and
internet technologies, as well as the most important thing for which
the association was formed in the first place, which is the social
component, socializing, entertainment, exchange of knowledge from
all areas of human activity.
Vrbovec was first mentioned as a settlement on April 21, 1244 in
written documents. The document is in the Archbishop's Archive in
Zagreb, in the Privilegealia series. It is the charter of the Croatian
and Hungarian king Bela III. (IV.) by which the right to enjoy the
feudal estate of Vrbovec (Verbouch, Worbouch, Verbovecz) and Polonja, a
gift of the Croatian duke Koloman (brother of King Bela), is confirmed
to the prefect Junko, son of Izak from Ravno. Prefect Junk was a senior
official at Križevačka County. At that time, the road from Križevci to
Zagreb and further towards the sea passed through Vrbovec. It was
Koloman's road, which had great importance. In 1389, Vrbovec was merged
with the Rakovec estate into one feudal lordship, which would last until
1848 and would have a common feudal lord.
In the 15th century,
Vrbovec is mentioned as a trade center with craftsmen and organized
fairs.
In the 16th and 17th centuries century, its feudal lord is
the Zrinski family, which defends this area from the Turks. Petar
Zrinski, Croatian ban, was born there in 1621. For a time, the Erdödy
family became the owners of the property, then the Zrinskis came to
power again, until the 18th century. century, when the owners became the
Patačić family, who in 1734 received fair privileges from the ruler, and
in 1769 opened a public school there. In 1780, an
administrative-judicial district was founded in Vrbovac, which takes
care of the functioning of healthcare and education in this area.
In the 19th century, there was a post office in Vrbovec, and the
Voluntary Fire Brigade was founded in 1882. In 1886, the National
Reading Room began operating, and in 1870, the 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 built a
brick factory.
In 1928, industrialist Đuro Predović built a dried
meat factory. In 1939, Vrbovac was electrified. The first financial
institution, Vrbovečka dionička štedionica, was founded in 1906.
The establishment of the Croatian Farmers' Association in 1901, the
Marvogoj Association in 1913, the Croatian Singing Society "Petar
Zrinski" in 1912, and the Croatian Falcon in 1908 were significant for
the economic and cultural development of Vrbovac.
Vrbovec is located northeast of Zagreb.
The distance between
the town of Vrbovac and Zagreb is:
32 km on the A-4 highway (Zagreb –
St. Helena), then on the state road D28 Sv. Helena – Vrbovec.
40 km
along the old main road Zagreb - Dugo Selo - Bjelovar, as well as the
railway line Zagreb - Vrbovec - Koprivnica.
The center of Vrbovac
is located on a hill. The foot of the church of St. Vida is taken as a
geodetic measure, and it is exactly 125 m above sea level.
To the
east of Vrbovac, the river Črnec flows into Glogovnica.
In the local elections in 2021, Denis Kralj (SDP) was elected mayor,
and Marko Belošević (HSS) was elected deputy.
The President of
the City Council is Krunoslav Sohora (SDP).
The production of meat and meat products, brick products, metal parts
and machines are the basic branches of the economy in Vrbovac.
The most famous company is Mesna industrija PIK Vrbovec, which employs
1,600 people. As a part of the former Agrokor, now the ForteNova group,
it is one of the most important meat industries in Croatia.
Of
the other companies worth mentioning: the former Gradip - brick industry
- today Pos Plast - a plastic recycling company, the former Masiv (then
Šavrić, then Pevec), today Bravel - a transport company, and Oprema
Vrbovec - a manufacturer of machines for transport technology, as well
as the Association Craftsmen of the City of Vrbovac.
Agriculture
is the main backbone of the activities of the population around the town
of Vrbovac. Milk production and livestock growth, as well as
consolidation of private farms in recent years, are an important factor
in the progress of the surrounding villages around the town of Vrbovac.
Primary education in Vrbovac began in 1669 with the foundation of the
primary school. Today there are two elementary schools (Krunoslava Kuten
and Marije Jurić Zagorka) and one secondary school.
The gymnasium
was founded by the decision of the People's Committee of the Vrbovec
municipality on December 27, 1961, and it started working on September
1, 1962 under the name "Vladimir Nazor", its first director was Đorđe
Damjanović. In 1971, Nedjeljko Bilanović became the director, when the
school was transformed into a high school center with four departments:
gymnasium, food and meat processing school, trade school and metal
department. The new school building was built in 1977. The school became
"Srednja Škola Vrbovec" in 1992.
Today, the Vrbovec Secondary
School, in 22 classes, has 596 students in the following programs:
general high school, economics and trade - professions economist and
salesperson, food profession - profession butcher, mechanical profession
professions: car tinsmith, car mechanic, turner, mechanic and gas fitter
.
Currently, 57 employees are employed.
Vrbovec Health
Center was opened in 1952 in a small building in Kolodvorska Street in
Vrbovec. In 1970, it was moved to a new large building where the health
service and protection could develop successfully. In the health center
Vrbovec there are: general medicine surgeries, children's school clinic,
clinic for women's diseases, anti-tuberculosis clinic,
hygiene-epidemiological service, diagnostic laboratory, dental service
with dental laboratory and emergency service.
Josip Buturac, historian, senior archivist and priest of the
monastery
Petar Zrinski, Croatian ban, born in Vrbovac in 1621.
Marija Jurić Zagorka, the first female journalist and novelist born in
the nearby village of Negovec
Štefa Iskra Kršnjavi, poet, prose
writer and translator
Krunoslav Kuten, writer for children
Emilij
Laszowski, author of the work "From the History of Vrbovac"
Iskra
Mijalić, Croatian volleyball national team player
Jana Fett, Croatian
tennis player
Božidar Pankretić, Minister of Agriculture,
Vice-President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Member of
Parliament of the HSS, politician
Josip Pankretić, HSS MP,
politician, "people's tribune"
Leona Paraminski, actress
Stjepan
Pavunić, parish priest of Vrbovec, head of KUD Petar Zrinski, MP of HSP
and HSS
Eugène d'Halwin de Piennes, French marquis, donor of many
works of art to the Strossmayer Gallery in Zagreb
Ivan Sovic Sova,
poet, songwriter and mountaineer
Dubravko Stipanček, photographer,
mountaineer
Msgr. Ivan Šaško, born in Đivan, auxiliary bishop of
Zagreb
Mate Turić (Mata CROata), sculptor
Josip Velebit,
professor, poet and writer
Dragan Vicković, journalist, writer and
radio host, collector of national treasures
Antun Vramec, writer,
born in Vrbovac in 1538.
Ljudevit Vukotinović, biologist, worked in
the area of Vrbovac
Andrea Petrek, member of the Croatian national
team in bench press (powerlifting), European junior champion in 2018,
eight-time national champion of Croatia (2015 – 2022), national record
holder in four categories. The best athlete of the city of Vrbovac in
2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Winner of the annual award of the city
of Vrbovec for sports achievements and promotion of the city of Vrbovec
at the international level. National and international powerlifting
judge (IPF). Bodybuilding instructor and powerlifting coach, senior
vice-champion of Europe in 2022. World bench press champion in 2021
(Lithuania) and 2023 (South Africa). Top athlete of the Croatian HOO.