Chotěboř, Havlíčkův Brod, Vysočina Region, Czech Republic

🇨🇿 Chotěboř (Chotieborsch) is a town in Havlíčkův Brod District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts 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.

Geography Chotěboř is located about 14 km (9 mi) north-east of Havlíčkův Brod and 34 km (21 mi) north of Jihlava. It lies in the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is the hill Fiedlerův kopec at 615 m (2,018 ft) 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 and 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.

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 Dobřenský of Dobřenice  family. The castle was returned to their ownership in 1992.

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

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.

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.

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.