What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on Twitter on 25 June 2022.

Rixdorfská was built in a very recent 2012.

Český Rixdorf, or Böhmisch-Rixdorf, was a community founded by Protestant refugees from Bohemia in 1737. It’s located in what is now the Neukölln district of Berlin.

Like other Bohemian Protestants, these exiles left the country as they were being increasingly prosecuted against after the Battle of Bílá Hora in 1620.

Based on the chronology, these departures were still happening a century on.

Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia suggested that these exiles move to Rixdorf, which was divided into two (German Rixdorf and Bohemian Rixdorf).

Bohemian/Český Rixdorf even had a ‘Malá ulička’ until 1909 (it’s now the Kirchgasse).

Approximately a quarter of the houses in Rixdorf were destroyed in a fire in 1849.

Both Rixdorfs were merged into a new municipality in 1873, which was renamed Neukölln in 1912.

The name change was an attempt to remove the district’s reputation as a location for… ‘frivolous entertainment’, let’s call it.

Neukölln became part of Berlin in 1920. You may also recognise its (deliberately misspelt) name from this:

I’ve walked this street many a time, and have stayed (and partied) in Neukölln more than once, and never knew about any of this.

You’ll have noticed that not every single street name story is thrilling. But when they’re like this one, they’re *such* a joy to write about.