What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on Twitter on 3 October 2022.

Hollarovo náměstí was built around 1925, remaining nameless until 1955.

Václav Hollar was born to a wealthy family in Prague in 1607. An artist from a young age, he was introduced to the practice of engraving when he was 18.

In 1627, he left Bohemia and moved to Germany, though, unlike many of those who fled at the time (i.e. only seven years after Bílá Hora), it seems this was more because of employment opportunities than religious persecution.

In 1636, he caught the attention of Lord Thomas Howard of Arundel, and moved to London shortly after, working as an artist for Arundel, but also for various authors and publishers.

In 1641, Hollar married chamberlain Margaret Tracy, and met Jan Amos Comenius (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/26/prague-3-day-82-komenskeho-namesti/), who was also living in England at the time.

The English Civil War broke out a year later, and Hollar entered the service of the Royal Family. Captured by parliamentary forces in 1645, he managed to escape to Antwerp.

Here’s one of his etchings of Grand-Place in Brussels.

He returned to London in 1652 and lied near Temple Bar. Despite being so prolific, he died in desperate circumstances in 1677.

He’s buried at St Margaret’s Church in Westminster.

The art school on the square bears his name. It’s colloquially known as ‘Hollarka’, because Czechs do this (as they should): https://hollarka.cz

The University of Toronto has an online collection of Hollar’s works: https://hollar.library.utoronto.ca/