Wierzbica Górna


Wierzbica Górna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wołczyn, within Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately west of Wołczyn, west of Kluczbork, and north of the regional capital Opole.
In the years 1945-54 it was the seat of the rural administrative district of Wierzbica Górna.
In the years 1975-1998 it administratively belonged to the province of Opole.

Belonging to Wierzbica Górna are the rural hamlets Międzybrodzie and Leśnicówka along with settlements Cegielnia and Kołaczek.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany. For the history of the region, see Upper Silesia.
The village has a population of 1,141.

Name History

In 1295 the Latin Chronicle Liber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis lists the town in the Latin as Wirzbicze superiori in the passage Wirzbicze superiori et inferiori. It also gives the name as Wirbicz polonicalis indicating that it was named according to Polish law.
The geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland issued at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries has the name as Wierzbica Polska in Polish and Polnisch Wuerbitz in German.