Church of Saint James the Greater in Chotěboř

The Church of Saint James the Greater in Chotěboř stands right in the town centre, on Trčků z Lípy Street, and ranks among the oldest religious buildings on the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Dedicated to Saint James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles, it has long served as the deanery church of Chotěboř.

How old is the church?

The building's origins go back to the 11th century. Parts of that original Romanesque structure still survive today in the tower and the north aisle, making these elements among the oldest preserved fragments of any building in Chotěboř — even though the church's overall appearance is far more recent.

Who shaped the church's early history?

In the second half of the 13th century, Cistercian monks from the abbey in Žďár arrived in Chotěboř and founded a small monastery on the site of what is now the church courtyard. The monks left during the Hussite Wars, and the building was subsequently turned into a Gothic parish church serving the local community rather than a religious order.

What damage has the church survived?

The church's history includes a long string of fires. During the Thirty Years' War, in 1624, imperial soldiers withdrawing from the town set the building alight, causing serious damage. Over the following two centuries, the church burned down four more times. The cumulative damage was severe enough that in 1893 the original, much-altered church was largely demolished, and between 1894 and 1895 a new Neo-Gothic building rose in its place.

What does the church look like today?

Today's church is a two-aisled building with a prismatic tower, its present form the result of that late-19th-century Neo-Gothic reconstruction. From the medieval structure, however, the tower, the north side of the aisle, and a handful of other fragments have survived — physical evidence of a site of worship with a history stretching back almost a thousand years. The interior furnishings reflect the Neo-Gothic character of the last major rebuild.

What is worth seeing inside?

The interior is dominated by the main altar dedicated to Saint James the Elder. The side aisle holds additional altars devoted to Our Lady of Passau, the Holy Family, and Our Lady of Lourdes. The oldest item in the church's inventory is a tin baptismal font from 1524, cast by Andrew Ptáček of Kutná Hora — a piece more than three and a half centuries older than the current building.

What is the church's status today?

The church falls under the Chotěboř deanery and continues to function as its deanery church. It has held the status of a cultural monument since 3 May 1958, a recognition of its historical and architectural importance to the region.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? In the centre of Chotěboř, on Trčků z Lípy Street.

How old is the Church of Saint James the Greater? Its origins date to the 11th century, though the current Neo-Gothic form was built in 1894–1895.

What remains from the original medieval building? The tower, the north side of the aisle, and a few other fragments of the older structure.

What is the oldest artefact inside the church? A tin baptismal font from 1524, made by Andrew Ptáček of Kutná Hora.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as a cultural monument since 3 May 1958.