The name Vamberk was first mentioned in 1341, when the small town had already existed for seventy-five years. However, its convenient location over the river Zdobnice had attracted people much earlier. Based on the archeological findings it is possible to date the first notes about the people´s activities in the Vamberk region into the deep primeval times - the end of Elder Stone Age. Although the findings of weapons, jewels and coins exist also from other periods, the permanent settlement can be mentioned not earlier than in Middle Ages.

Anyway, the first centuries of the town life are not clear until the 16th century due to the lack of reliable sources. However, it is obvious Vamberk became soon the economic and cultural centre of the region. Here existed not only a church, first mentioned in about 1350, but also a castle, first mentioned in 1414.

Besides the main powerful points built in the 13th century - the Potštejn and Litice castles there was also a significant small castle on the rock over the river Zdobnice, called Waldenberg, fouded by the Drslavice family in the colonization period of the king Přemysl Otakar II. We do not know anything about its original shape, it was mentioned in the list of property returned by the king to the heirs of the punished Mikuláš from Potštejn, in the document dated 12th May 1341, written in Prague. During years the name of Waldenberg was shortened for Walmberg, and the result is Vamberk now.

In the 15th century the Drslavice descendants sold Vamberk and it was transferred to the family Vamberský from Chrast. That time it was the subjected little time with usual rights (right to be protected by walls, self-administration, running crafts and others). The first written privilege originates from 1616 and it was awarded by the emperor Matyáš together with the right to hold 3 big markets a year and 1 small market a week. At the same time the emperor permitted to cash the fee when crossing the bridge. The towns had to pay a fee to their owners called a protected coin and the inhabitants had to work for their families of the lord based on local habits and various obligations.

The influence of the Czech Brethren´s teaching probably caused the fact Vamberk was mostly an uncatholic town and for this it was persecuted by the Habsburgs. After the Battle at Bílá hora (White Mountain), in Václav Mikuláš Pecingar´s reign, who was an Evangelic supporting the rebels, one third of property was confiscated by the emperor on 12 November 1622. The property was later sold to an Emperor´s commander Albrecht of Valdštejn. A year later Valdštejn exchanged Vamberk estates with Marie Majdaléna Trčková of Lobkovice and she sold it to another Emperor´s general called Kašpar of Gramb about 1627. This represented the biggest difficulties and humbleness in all its history. There was a cultural and development decline of the town and some rights were taken away (right to cook beer, to have baths, to have the property administration and others).

In the period of finishing the Thirty-Year-War the population of the town was 400 inhabitants, then this number was increasing slowly and about 1700 reached 600 people (83 houses). In 1826 Vamberk had together with surrounded settlements 2101 people (295 houses), in 1836 it had 2252 people (334 houses) and before the World War I there were 3910 inhabitants.

The next owner was Jan Adam, count of Hustířany. He let built the cemetery chapel of St. Barbora in 1697 (it is the oldest building on the town land) and Maria Plague Column in 1699 which decorates the Vamberk square until now.

The document from 22 February 1707 confirms the sale of Vamberk to Norbert Leopold Libštejnský of Kolowrat together with the villages Merklovice, Podřezov, Roveň, Lupenice, Jámy, Jahodov, Peklo, the valley called Pekelec and a little castle with the brewery, distillery and taverns. All this for 90,000 gold coins. The new lord was improving his region and looking after its prosperity.

Manorial labour obligations gradated in Kašpar Gramb´s reign hurt the inhabitants of Vamberk very much and that is why the Town council begged the family of the lord to moderate them. The result of these requests was the document issued on 14 November 1732, confirmed by František Karel, count Libštejnský of Kolowrat who overtaken the property administration in 1716. He confirmed the Vamberk inhabitants the sale with salt, he deliberated them (except 6 houses) from the manorial labour for the annual pay 31 coins and let them from being slaves. In the Kolowrat ´s reign Vamberk became again the business and cultural centre of the region.

In 1861 the German count Lützow inherited the Vamberk region after his mother from the Kolowrat family. The count was a diplomat and great critic of the Austria-Hungarian empire. In 1932 the widow after count Lützow died and the next heir - princess Olga of Liechtenstein - was not our citizen, her property became the property of the country after the deliberation.

The life of Vamberk was influenced by the Thirty-Year-War and also by other events of the whole country. For example the Silesia wars mid 18th century, revolution year 1848, Prusia-Austria War in 1866 and the World War I in 1914 - 1918, and above all the foundation of Czechoslovakia. Despite all that the most important point was probably the first years of the World War II. The department and craft relationships developing slowly were affected due to the transfer of the company called Báňská hutní from the Silesian border, which was followed by workers arrival. This little town living for centuries from making bobbin-laces, weaving and wood-processing business, with starting development of textile, stove and butchery industries end 19th and early 20th centuries, became not only an industrial centre of the region, but also one of the most industrial town of the whole area.

The sign of the town of Vamberk

In the book TOWN SIGNS IN CZECH COUNTRIES by Jiří Čarek (published by Academia in 1985) we can read the description of the Vamberk sign as follows: „On the red shield there is a pine in natural colours on the green lawn and in front of the pine there is a white rhinoceros running to the right. Proofs: Seals in the District archive in the town of Rychnov nad Kněžnou AM Vamberk, book No. 227 and in ANM, Eichler´s collection. The sign is on the front of the Town Hall and on the column in the square.“

Another important matter is the Mayor Antonín Koblic´s letter dated 29 September 1942 to the Czech Centre of towns and districts in Prague: „We have no certain information about the origin of the town sign. There is, however, a legend which can be trusted says that when Vamberk was founded a horn of a rhinoceros was found and the inhabitants elected this as the town sign.“

In the privileges awarded to the town by the count Václav Záruba of Hustířany in 1637 is given the town of Vamberk is entitled: „to use the town sign without any objections“

This proves the sign of the town of Vamberk is very old and belongs to the town since its foundation. The sign has not been changed since.

Autor naučného okruhu: pan Bohuslav Obst, Dis.