What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 23 January 2023.

Spytihněvova was built in 1892.

Spytihněv I was born around 875.

People do enjoy railing against nepo babies lately, so knock yourselves out with this one: dad was Bořivoj, the first documented Bohemian ruler (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/01/14/prague-3-day-134-borivojova/), while mum was Ludmila, who later became a saint.

Bořivoj died around 890, and Spytihněv was too young to rule, so the job was passed to Svatopluk I of Moravia until his death in 894, at which point Spytihněv declared himself prince.

In 895, he travelled to the Reichstag in Regensburg to develop ties with Arnulf of Carinthia, who was then also King of East Francia, to which Bohemia joined in order to shake off Moravian rule.

Spytihněv created a series of castles in Central Bohemia, including at Mělník, Libušín and Stará Boleslav. He also continued to develop Prague Castle – whose construction had started in 870 – as the Přemyslids’ administrative centre.

Spytihněv (left) died in either 905 or 915, and, while he left a wife, the marriage was childless – so his brother Vladislav became prince.

Svatopluk’s death in 894, meanwhile, triggered a power struggle between his sons, and within 15 years, Great Moravia would be no more.