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Choceň (Czech pronunciation: [ˈxotsɛɲ]; German: Chotzen) is a town in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,500 inhabitants.

Choceň
Town
Tyršovo Square with the town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Choceň Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 50°0′6″N 16°13′23″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	Pardubice
District	Ústí nad Orlicí
First mentioned	1227
Government
• Mayor	Jan Ropek
Area
• Total	21.69 km2 (8.37 sq mi)
Elevation	290 m (950 ft)
Population  (2022-01-01)[1]
• Total	8,477
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	565 01
Website	www.chocen-mesto.cz

Administrative parts

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.

Geography

Choceň is located about 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of Ústí nad Orlicí and 31 kilometres (19 mi) east of Pardubice. It lies in the Orlice Table. The Tichá Orlice river flows through the town.

History

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.[2]

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 Kinsky family in the 18th century. Several architectionally valuable Baroque building were built here, including the new Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, the rectory and the belfry. In 1829, the castle was rebuilt to its current Neoclassical form.[2]

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.[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 3,932 —     1880 4,340 +10.4% 1890 4,514 +4.0% 1900 4,981 +10.3% 1910 5,673 +13.9%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 5,771 +1.7% 1930 6,998 +21.3% 1950 7,511 +7.3% 1961 8,566 +14.0% 1970 8,710 +1.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 9,716 +11.5% 1991 9,246 −4.8% 2001 9,039 −2.2% 2011 8,702 −3.7% 2021 8,422 −3.2%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Economy

Since 1928, there is a significant dairy company Choceňská mlékárna in the town.[5]

Transport

Choceň is situated on a main railway link between Prague, Pardubice, Ústí nad Orlicí and Brno, and is served by Choceň railway station.

Notable people

• Wenzel Thomas Matiegka (1773–1830), composer
• Ulrich, 10th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (1893–1938), nobleman
• Richard Rychtarik (1894–1982), Czech-American set and costume designer
• Leoš Šimánek (born 1946), traveler and writer
• František Sisr (born 1993), cyclist

References

External links

• Official website

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