What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 10 March 2024.

This is one for which we don’t have a definitive explanation, which is odd when you consider that the name has only been used since the late 1700s.

‘Liliová’ is the feminine adjective derived from ‘lilie’, which is, yes, a lily.

On the one hand, some sources believe there might have been a fragrant, upmarket, French locality around here.

On the other, there are sources which state that the street was… not the most fragrant, and that it was named ‘Liliová’ for a laugh.

For much of the 18th century, the street was called Za seminářem, which there’ll be more info on in two threads’ time.

Things on Liliová include Dům U Voříkovských at number 5, notable for the fact that Josef Jungmann once lived here (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/15/prague-1-day-111-jungmannova/).

It’s also notable for having had a much-needed upgrade between 2015 and 2017 – compare this recent pic with the one from 2012 on Wikipedia: https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%AFm_U_Vo%C5%99%C3%ADkovsk%C3%BDch#/media/Soubor:M%C4%9B%C5%A1%C5%A5ansk%C3%BD_d%C5%AFm_U_Vo%C5%99%C3%ADkovsk%C3%BDch_(Star%C3%A9_M%C4%9Bsto),_Praha_1,_Liliov%C3%A1,_Zlat%C3%A1_5,_Star%C3%A9_M%C4%9Bsto.jpg

Similarly upgraded is number 13, which is the other side of Čejkovský palác (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/03/prague-1-day-164-anenska/).

Number 14, part of a complex with the catchy name of Palác pánů z Kunštátu a Poděbrad, has been lived in by multiple well-to-do people, the most famous of whom was George of Poděbrady (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/12/23/prague-3-day-189-namesti-jiriho-z-podebrad/).

While number 20, U Modré štiky (The Blue Pike) is of note not just because of the large numbers of tourists swarming past it, but also because, in 1907 (a year after it was built), Prague’s first permanent cinema, Bio Ponrepa, was opened here.

It’s named after its founder, Victor Ponrepo (1858-1926), born as Dismas Šlambor. He was also a magician, and his stage name was meant to be a play on the Bon Repos castle near Stará Lisa.

Pretty much everything in those two sentences is why I love writing these posts.

More on Ponrepo in 2045 if you’re still following me then – he has a street in Prague 21.

I kind of want to go to Prague 21 right now.