Chodov (Sokolov District)
Encyclopedia
Chodov (ˈxodof; ) is a town in Sokolov District
of the Czech Republic
, on the border with the Karlovy Vary District
(both districts lie within the Karlovy Vary Region). , it has around 14,500 inhabitants.
term "choda", which means a road. The Slavic colonisation was not successful and in Middle Ages
this part of Bohemia
was colonised by Germans
. In the 12th–13th century Chodau belongs to the monastery in Waldsassen
and in the 14th–17th century is locally ruled from Loket
(Elbogen). In 1894 Chodau is declared to a town and gets a right to use its own coat of arms. Until the end of the WWII is the town inhabited practically only by Germans, who were after the war deported from Czechoslovakia
. In the '60s a big chemical factory was built 4 km from Chodov in Vřesová and then new districts were built for the Czech and Slovak workers, who moving to here.
In front of the church we would find a 17th century statue of St. Sebastian and on the main square a statue of Virgen Mary (1675). The other church in the town belongs to the Protestants: Czech Brothers. Close to the gate of the Protestant church there is a monument to the war victims. It was re-erected in 1998 exactly 100 years after its first erection.
Sokolov District
Sokolov District is a district within Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Sokolov.-Complete list of towns and villages:Březová -Bublava -Bukovany -Citice -...
of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, on the border with the Karlovy Vary District
Karlovy Vary District
Karlovy Vary District is a district within the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative center is Karlovy Vary.-Complete list of towns and villages:Abertamy -Andělská Hora -Bečov nad Teplou -...
(both districts lie within the Karlovy Vary Region). , it has around 14,500 inhabitants.
History
Originally a Slavic settlement. Its name was derived from an old SlavicSlavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
term "choda", which means a road. The Slavic colonisation was not successful and in Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
this part of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
was colonised by Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. In the 12th–13th century Chodau belongs to the monastery in Waldsassen
Waldsassen
Waldsassen is a town in the district of Tirschenreuth bordering the Czech Republic in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria.As of June 2005, Waldsassen had a population of 7,483....
and in the 14th–17th century is locally ruled from Loket
Loket
Loket is a town of some 3 000 inhabitants in the Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic.Loket means "elbow" in English. The town is named this due to the town centre being surrounded on three sides by the Ohře River, and the shape the river takes is similar to that of an...
(Elbogen). In 1894 Chodau is declared to a town and gets a right to use its own coat of arms. Until the end of the WWII is the town inhabited practically only by Germans, who were after the war deported from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. In the '60s a big chemical factory was built 4 km from Chodov in Vřesová and then new districts were built for the Czech and Slovak workers, who moving to here.
Sights
The most important of them is no doubts the St. Laurent Church build by the constructor Brauenbock according to the plans of the architect Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. On the main alter there is a painting by a famous Czech-German artist Peter Johann Brandl.Petr Brandl
Petr Brandl was a painter of the late Baroque, famous in his time but - due to isolation behind the Iron Curtain - rather forgotten until recently. He was of German-speaking Austrian descent in the bilingual kingdom of Bohemia...
In front of the church we would find a 17th century statue of St. Sebastian and on the main square a statue of Virgen Mary (1675). The other church in the town belongs to the Protestants: Czech Brothers. Close to the gate of the Protestant church there is a monument to the war victims. It was re-erected in 1998 exactly 100 years after its first erection.
External links
- Official website (cs, en, de, ru)