Jump to content

Chodov (Sokolov District)

Coordinates: 50°14′29″N 12°44′38″E / 50.24139°N 12.74389°E / 50.24139; 12.74389
From Tilcayo Cats, the lean encyclopaedia by Tilcayo Knowledge Systems
Chodov
Town
[mapframe not available on SimWiki]
Interactive map of Chodov
Coordinates: 50°14′29″N 12°44′38″E / 50.24139°N 12.74389°E / 50.24139; 12.74389
CountryFile:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
RegionKarlovy Vary
DistrictSokolov
First mentioned1195
Government
 • MayorPatrik Pizinger
Area
 • Total
14.26 km2 (5.51 sq mi)
Elevation
418 m (1,371 ft)
Population
 (2026-01-01)[1]
 • Total
12,451
 • Density873.1/km2 (2,261/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
357 35
Websitewww.mestochodov.cz

Chodov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈxodof]; German: Chodau) is a town in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. The town is located on the stream Chodovský potok in the Sokolov Basin.

Chodov was founded in the 12th century, but it became a town only in 1894. The main landmark of Chodov is the Church of Saint Lawrence from the 18th century.

Administrative division

Chodov consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]

  • Chodov (12,154)
  • Stará Chodovská (297)

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal Slavic name Chod, meaning "the village of Chod's people".[3]

Geography

Chodov is located about 9 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of Sokolov and 7 km (4 mi) west of Karlovy Vary. It lies mostly in the Sokolov Basin, only the northernmost part of the municipal territory extends into the Ore Mountains and includes the highest point of Chodov at 521 m (1,709 ft) above sea level. The stream Chodovský potok flows through the town. There are several bodies of water in the municipal territory, most notably the artificial lake Bílá voda, used for recreational purposes.

History

Chodov was originally a Slavic settlement.[3] The Slavic colonisation was not successful and in the Middle Ages this part of Bohemia was colonised by Germans. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Chodov belonged to the Waldsassen Abbey and in the 14th–17th centuries it belonged to the Loket estate. In 1894, Chodov was promoted to a town and got the right to use its own coat of arms.[4]

From 1938 to 1945 it was annexed by Nazi Germany and administered as part of Reichsgau Sudetenland. Until the end of World War II the town was inhabited mostly by Germans. After the war, the German population was expelled and the town was resettled by Czechs. In the 1960s a big chemical factory was built in nearby Vřesová and then new housing estates were built for Czech and Slovak workers who moved here.[4]

Demographics

Economy

The largest employer based in the town is SKF Lubrication Systems CZ, a manufacturer of lubrication systems. It employs more than 250 people.[7]

Transport

Chodov lies on interregional railway lines Prague–Cheb and Plzeň–Karlovy Vary. In addition, it is connected to Loket by a short local line.[8]

Sights

The most significant building is the Church of Saint Lawrence, built by the constructor Johann Wolfgang Braunbock. It was built in the Baroque style in 1725–1733. In the interior are the Stations of the Cross, which consists of fourteen large canvases. It is the work of regional artists from the 18th and 19th centuries, which is rare in its dimensions and its age.[9]

In front of the church stands an early Baroque statue of Saint Sebastian from 1673.[10] Another early Baroque statue is the Virgin Mary on the Marian column from 1675, located on the town square.[11]

The other church in the town belongs to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Chodov is twinned with:[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Population in municipalities as at 1. 1". DataStat. Czech Statistical Office. 2026-05-18.
  2. ↑ "Public Census 2021 – basic data". Public Database (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Původ názvu města Chodov u Karlových Varů". Ptejte se knihovny (in čeština). National Library of the Czech Republic. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Z historie města Chodova" (in čeština). Město Chodov. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  5. ↑ "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
  6. ↑ "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
  7. ↑ "Registr ekonomických subjektů". Business Register (in čeština). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
  8. ↑ "Station details Chodov". České dráhy. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
  9. ↑ "Kostel svatého Vavřince v Chodově" (in čeština). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  10. ↑ "Socha sv. Šebestiána" (in čeština). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  11. ↑ "Chodov – sloup se sochou Panny Marie". Památky a příroda Karlovarska (in čeština). Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  12. ↑ "Partnerská města" (in čeština). Město Chodov. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chodov (Sokolov District).
Retrieved from "https://tilcayo.cat/w/index.php?title=Chodov_(Sokolov_District)&oldid=122179"
This page contains text imported from the English Wikipedia (source revision 1378055214). Its authors are credited under CC BY-SA 4.0: see the attribution record.