What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 12 February 2023.

Na Libušince was built in 1973.

In 1564, the Vyšehrad Chapter, having decided that Vyšehrad – at that time largely populated by poor craftsmen – needed a brewery, opened one here. It was originally called Libušínn (which looks like a pun on ‘inn’ but obviously isn’t).

Subsequently known as Pivovar Libušinka, it apparently lasted all the way until 1899. This is a painting of the brewery building from 1903, by Jan Minařík.

In the same year, it was destroyed as part of work on the Vyšehrad embankment.

In its place, we now have the rational modern Villa Sequens / Sequensova Villa, designed by architect Otakar Novotný and built in 1912-3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Villa_Sequens#/media/File:Vy%C5%A1ehrad_Libu%C5%A1ina_Sequensova_vila_1.jpg

It’s named after its first owner, František Sequens, a teacher, despite the fact that it was sold to another family (which still owns it) only three years after construction was completed.