What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on Twitter on 11 May 2022.

We’ve reached the western end of Koněvova, so now we’re crossing the road and it’s time for Chlumova, built in 1872.

Jan Kepka z Chlumu / John of Chlum (date of birth unknown) came from the Česká Lípa region (the modern village of Chlum has 259 inhabitants).

In youth, he joined the army of King Sigismund, largely due to lack of funds. In 1414, Sigismund called Jan to Bologna and sent him to accompany Jan Hus at the Council of Constance, where the latter would ultimately be commended as a heretic.

The two became friends. Right up until Hus’s execution in 1415, Kepka protested against the Council’s verdict, publicly blaming the Pope and twice nailing a written protest to the door of the Church of Constance.

Kepka was reportedly the last person to shake Hus’s hand before he was killed.

In the last decade of his life, Kepka became burgrave of Mělník and acquired a castle, subsequently destroyed in battle. He died in 1425.

Part of the street was initially called Želivského; this became part of Chlumova in 1951.