What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on Twitter on 26 July 2022.

Basilejské náměstí – Basel Square – was built in 1932.

The Swiss city of Basel, as well as being a very nice place to walk around (which the square is currently not – see later on) has a special significance for Czechs.

The Council of Basel was called in 1431 by Pope Martin V (who died before it could take place) in order to discuss papal supremacy and Hussite heresy.

In 1436, the Council and the moderate Hussites (the Utraquists) agreed upon the Compacts of Basel, or the Compactata. These granted Hussite priests the right to administer wine to laymen during the Eucharist.

A year later, the Council confirmed that ‘communion under both kinds’ (i.e. receiving both consecrated bread and wine) was not heretical.

Google Maps typically suggests that I go through Basilejské náměstí if I want to walk into the centre. Normally, this works quite well.

Lately, it works less well, as there’s so much building work going on that you start to wonder if somebody in Basel recently declared functioning pavements as heretical as well.

In the last few days, it finally seems to be going in a visibly right direction, though: https://www.blesk.cz/clanek/regiony-praha-praha-zpravy/718192/malo-zelene-hodne-betonu-na-sitich-se-kvuli-podobe-basilejskeho-namesti-dohaduji-obyvatele-i-politici.html