What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 19 February 2024.

In the early 1500s, a hat-maker called Vít Skořepa bought number 10 and ran his business from there. It became known as Dům U Skořepů (with the alternative name of Dům U Tří zlatých lvů (the Three Golden Lions)).

It’s the same house that Mozart lived in for a time in 1787: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/26/prague-1-day-147-uhelny-trh/.

Mozart wasn’t the only person of note to live in the street – number 5 was lived in by the sculptor Jan Brokoff (1652-1718), and also his son Ferdinand (1688-1731).

You’ve seen the family’s work, even if you don’t realise it: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/09/prague-1-day-68-karluv-most-charles-bridge/.

Number 1, the Neo-Renaissance U Mladých Goliášů (The Young Goliaths), is possibly the most impressive building on the street.

Number 3 – which you can see on the right-hand side of the next picture – was the birthplace of Petr Brandl, the most famous Czech Baroque painter.

While Dům U Šturmů, at number 9, was the birthplace of Vojta Náprstek (1826-94), a philanthropist, politician and journalist. More on him in about ten days.