What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 29 March 2023.

Na Hrádku was built in 1890.

One of the important Czech noble families of the era was known as the Páni z Valdeka, the Lords of Valdek; the first one of them to be mentioned in writing is Oldřich Zajíc, who died in 1271.

As of the early 14th century, i.e. before Karel IV founded the New Town, the family owned a small castle (hrádek) more or less on this spot.

Na Hrádku was also the name given to a building here which, from 1832, served as a school and nursery, created by Jan Svoboda (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-119-svobodova/).

As the decades went by, better facilities became a necessity, and it was destroyed, with its role being taken by the school on Na Děkance instead (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-117-na-dekance/).