| Choceň | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Pardubice |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Ústí nad Orlicí |
| Pushpin Map: | Czech Republic |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the Czech Republic |
| Coordinates: | 50.0017°N 16.2231°W |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Jan Pažin |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1227 |
| Area Total Km2: | 21.69 |
| Elevation M: | 290 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 8662 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 565 01 |
Choceň (in Czech pronounced as /ˈxotsɛɲ/; German: Chotzen) is a town in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,700 inhabitants.
The villages of Březenice, Dvořisko, Hemže, Nová Ves, Plchůvky and Podrážek are administrative parts of Choceň. Nová Ves and Plchůvky form an exclave of the municipal territory.
The name is derived from the personal name Chocen, meaning "Chocen's (court)".[2]
Choceň is located about 13km (08miles) west of Ústí nad Orlicí and 31km (19miles) east of Pardubice. It lies in the Orlice Table. The highest point is at 354m (1,161feet) above sea level. The Tichá Orlice river flows through the town.
The first written mention of Choceň is from 1227. In 1292, it was already a market town and was owned by King Wenceslaus II. In the early 14th century, it was acquired by Mikuláš of Potštejn, who founded a castle here. Mikuláš undertook marauding expeditions to the surrounding area. In 1339, the army of Charles IV conquered Choceň, demolished the castle and killed Mikuláš.[3]
During next centuries, Choceň often changed owners. During the rule of Zikmund of Šelmberk, the town experienced a boom. He had a castle with a large courtyard built here in 1562. The next boom was during the rule of the Kinsky family in the 18th century. Several architectionally valuable Baroque buildings were built here, including the new Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the rectory and the belfry.[3]
In 1845, the railway from Prague to Olomouc via Choceň was built. In 1875 and 1881 the railways to Broumov and Litomyšl were built and Choceň became an important railway junction.[3]
The largest industrial employed based in the town is Autoneum CZ, a manufacturer of automotive parts.[4] Since 1928, there is a significant dairy company Choceňská mlékárna in the town.[5]
Choceň railway station is situated on the main railway lines from Prague to Brno via Pardubice and Ústí nad Orlicí and from Prague to Luhačovice via Olomouc. Choceň is also the terminus of the lines from Náchod, Vysoké Mýto and Litomyšl.[6]
The Choceň Castle dates from 1562. It was originally a Renaissance building, rebuilt in the Baroeu style in 1710–1720, and then in its current Neoclassical form in 1829 after it was damaged by a fire. The neo-Gothic Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was added to the castle in 1849–1850. Today the castle houses the Orlické Museum.[7] [8]
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi was built in the Baroque style in 1728–1733, after the old Gothic church was destroyed by a fire. The church has a separate bell tower, built in 1702–1703.[9]