Chotěboř Explained

Chotěboř
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Vysočina
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Havlíčkův Brod
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.7208°N 15.6703°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Ondřej Kozub
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1265
Area Total Km2:54.05
Elevation M:515
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:9096
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:583 01

Chotěboř (in Czech pronounced as /ˈxocɛbor̝̊/; German: Chotieborsch) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts

The villages and hamlets of Bílek, Dobkov, Klouzovy, Počátky, Příjemky, Rankov, Střížov and Svinný are administrative parts of Chotěboř.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Chotěbor. There was the Chotěbor's manor, owned probably by the noble Chotěbor of Vchynice.[2]

Geography

Chotěboř is located about 14km (09miles) northeast of Havlíčkův Brod and 34km (21miles) north of Jihlava. It lies in the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is the hill Fiedlerův kopec at 615m (2,018feet) above sea level. There are several fish ponds on the outskirts of the town.

History

The first written mention of Chotěboř is from 1265. Because of the silver mines in the vicinity, King John of Bohemia bought the village. In 1331, he promoted it to a town. It was a royal town until the end of the 15th century, when it was acquired by the Trčka of Lípa family.[3]

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the owners often changed. Vilém Leopold Kinsky built a castle there in 1701–1702. From 1836 to 1948, the castle was owned by the family. The castle was returned to their ownership in 1992.[3]

Economy

The largest employer based in the town is GCE company, a manufacturer of welding supplies. It employs more than 500 people.[4]

Transport

Chotěboř is located on the railway line PardubiceHavlíčkův Brod.[5]

Sights

Chotěboř is known for the Chotěboř Castle. It is a Baroque building with Italian architecture elements. It contains an exposition of the town museum. The castle complex includes Chapel of the Holy Trinity and English style park.[6]

The town square is lined by Neoclassical houses. They were built by reconstruction of the houses destroyed by fire in 1832 and the arcades were walled up. The landmark of the square is the former town hall with a typical clock tower.[6]

The Church of Saint James the Great was built on the site of a Romanesque chapel from the 12th century, which was older than the town. The church was rebuilt many times after frequent fires. Its current form is after the Neo-Gothic reconstruction in 1894–1895.[7]

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic. Chotěboř is twinned with:[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Web site: Historie města. Information Centre Chotěboř. cs. 2022-07-15.
  3. Web site: O Chotěboři . Město Chotěboř. cs. 2023-12-05.
  4. Web site: Registr ekonomických subjektů. Business Register. Czech Statistical Office. cs. 2023-06-07.
  5. Web site: Detail stanice Chotěboř. České dráhy. cs. 2023-12-05.
  6. Web site: Chotěboř. CzechTourism. cs. 2021-10-28.
  7. Web site: Kostel sv. Jakuba Staršího v Chotěboři. CzechTourism. cs. 2021-10-28.
  8. Web site: Partnerská města. Informační centrum Chotěboř. cs. 2021-10-28.