What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 28 January 2023.

Nezamyslova was built in 1892.

Legend has it that, between Přemysl Oráč, the legendary founder of the Přemyslid dynasty, and Bořivoj, the first properly documented Duke of Bohemia (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/01/14/prague-3-day-134-borivojova/), there were seven princes. Nezamysl was one of them.

There are two particularly interesting theories as to where his name came from.

One is that, while Přemysl thought a lot, and had ambitions, Nezamysl… did not.

Another is that the seven mythical princes were derived from Old Slavic names for days of the week – with Nezamysl being Sunday.

Nezamysl’s name is given in Chronica Boemorum, written by Cosmas of Prague between 1119 and 1125. However, we don’t know much about him, a problem not exactly solved by the fact that he possibly didn’t exist.

He ruled after Přemysl – and was therefore possibly his son – and was followed by Mnata. Who doesn’t get a street in Nusle or anywhere else in Prague.

Nezamysl does appear in the million-selling 2012 video game Crusader Kings II, in which he apparently tries to attack Bavaria, only for his army to get crushed at Regensburg.