Vrba (Slovenia)

Vrba
Village
Vrba from an airplane
Vrba
Coordinates: 46°23′N 14°09′E / 46.383°N 14.150°E / 46.383; 14.150
Country	Slovenia
Region	Upper Carniola
Municipality	Žirovnica
First mentioned	1247
Population (2002)
• Total	196

Vɾba (pronounced [ˈʋəɾba]) is one of ten villages in the Municipality of Žirovnica in the Upper Carniolan region of Slovenia. It was first mentioned in written sources from 1247 and is a typical example of a compact Alpine village. According to the 2002 census, it has a population of 196. The Slovene national poet France Prešeren, who was born in the village, dedicated it the sonnet "O Vrba", the first of his Sonnets of Misfortune.

In 1940, the Prešeren House and the village were filmed for the black and white sound documentary O, Vrba. It was directed by Mario Förster () and produced in 1941. Due to the communist-imposed ban on artistic productions, it was released only in 1945. The house was presented by Finžgar, whereas Oton Župančič read the poem "O Vrba". Due to the news about the German assault on Poland the film has a threatening atmosphere created by clouds moving over the Karawanks mountain range.

Vrba is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Bele Linden Mass Grave (Slovene: Grobišče Belejeva lipa) is located in a meadow south of the settlement and west of the freeway, near a hayrack along a field road. It contains the remains of 20 people from Jesenice that were killed en route from Jesenice to Begunje na Gorenjskem.