What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on Twitter on 3 January 2023.

Fügnerovo náměstí was built in 1893.

Jindřich Fügner was born in 1822 on Růžová in Prague’s Old Town, as Heinrich Anton Fügner. He held jobs in trade and industry, but was more interested in education, music and sports.

When he met Miroslav Tyrš (coming up within this series), they discussed the possibility of setting up a Czech gymnastics club. This is interesting in that one source I read stated that Fügner never really mastered Czech.

Then, they actually set the club up in 1862 – it was called Sokol Pražský, and Fügner became its first leader. Its first premises were on what is now Sokolská (also coming up).

Fügner died three years later, aged just 45; his death certificate stated that the reason was pyaemia (blood poisoning). His funeral became a patriotic demonstration.