Vamberk (; german: Wamberg) is a town in

Rychnov nad Kněžnou District Rychnov nad Kněžnou District ( cs, okres Rychnov nad Kněžnou) is a district ('' okres'') within Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative center is the town of Rychnov nad Kněžnou. List of municipalities Albrechtice ...

in the

Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region ( cs, Královéhradecký kraj, ; pl, Kraj hradecki) is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec K ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. It has about 4,500 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

Villages of Merklovice and Peklo are administrative parts of Vamberk.

Geography

Vamberk is located about south of

Rychnov nad Kněžnou Rychnov nad Kněžnou (; german: Reichenau an der Knieschna) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Adm ...

and southeast of

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as an ...

. The western part of the municipal territory lies in the

Orlice Table Orlice (german: Adler) is a river in the Czech Republic. It is tributary of the Labe (''Elbe'') river, which it enters in the city of Hradec Králové. Its main tributaries are Divoká Orlice and Tichá Orlice. Part of the Divoká Orlice acts as t ...

, the eastern part lies in the Podorlická Uplands and includes the highest point of Vamberk at . The Zdobnice River flows through the town.

History

The first written mention of Vamberk is from 1341. It was called Waldemberg, and then shortened to Walmberg, and later to Wamberg, or in Czech Vamberk. In 1616, Vamberk gained town privileges. The town lived for centuries from lacemaking, weaving and the timber trade. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the textile, stove and meat industries developed, and Vamberk became the industrial centre of the region.

Demographics

Economy

Vamberk is known for the

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

production. The first mention of the production in Vamberk is from 1642, but the tradition is probably older. In the mid-17th century, Magdalena of Gramb, a Belgian owner of the Vamberk estate, introduced Belgian lace patterns and a new technique of

bobbin lace Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually de ...

making using a lace cushion or pillow. Vamberk became a European centre of lace-making. The tradition continues to this day. The largest employer based in the town is ESAB CZ, the world's leading manufacturer of

welding Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...

and cutting equipment and welding consumables.

Sights

The Church of Saint

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman gener ...

is the main landmark. It was built in Baroque style in 1712–1713. The tradition of lace making is documented in the Lace Museum Vamberk.

Notable people

Jan Václav Voříšek Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek (; ''Johann Hugo Worzischek'', 11 May 1791, in Vamberk, Bohemia – 19 November 1825, in Vienna, Austria) was a Czech composer, pianist, and organist. Life Voříšek was born in the town of Vamberk, Bohemia, where h ...

(1791–1825), composer * Josef Richard Vilímek (1835–1911), publisher *

Josef Kalousek Josef Kalousek (2 April 1838 – 22 November 1915), was a Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One ...

(1838–1915), historian

References

External links

*
Vamberk lace
{{authority control Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Rychnov nad Kněžnou District