1.6.
2006
Vrbice
The part of Vrbice, formerly a separate village, ranks together with Záblatí among oldest villages in the region of Těšín. First notes about Vrbice together with Ostrava, Doubrava, Těrlicko and Žukov date back to 1229. The name is derived from willow trees that were very frequent in the area. Almost all houses form continuous built up bands on both sides of the road, the so-called “street ground plan”. They offer good living for citizens working in industrial plants and institutions located in the neighbourhood. The village is located in a flat country, there are not any names of hills, nor any forests and the character of the village is influenced by the Odra, the local stream and Vrbické lake, generated by extraction of sand. Motorway D 47, leading from Ostrava to the border crossing to Poland, goes through the village as well.
Except for the period from 1850 to 1892 when the village belonged to Pudlov, the village was always independent but never had its coat of arms. The history of the local school dates back to 1911. Even more than 200 pupils attended the school in the past, but the number went down gradually. In 1966 the school had only 29 pupils and it was closed in 1978 as a consequence of the decrease of inhabitants. Just to compare, in 1930 1,542 people lived in the village, in 1972 the number decreased to 726 and at the present time only 492 people live in Vrbice. The school building deteriorated and was damaged by the flood in 1997. In 2004 its repair was completed, including a loft conversion, and the building with new flats is used as a nursing home. A significant centre of the village is the brick neo-gothic church of St. Catherine from 1911, built in a place where a small wooden church used to stand. Currently, after several renovations, the church is repaired with a significant financial support of local parishioners. In the graveyard behind the church a renovated cross was located, mentioned by poet Petr Bezruč in his Silesian Songs. It was removed from its original place where it could have been damaged by a newly constructed motorway.
Residents of Vrbice are great patriots and they like their birth place. Best known local societies are the volunteer fire brigade, winning regular contests in the town, and the Club of Gardeners, organizing regular exhibitions of their products, local football club and others.