What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 8 April 2024.

A street sign that accessorises. I approve.

‘Malé náměstí’ translates as ’Small square’ (and the map above is another excellent reminder that we might translate náměstí as ‘square’, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be shaped like one.

And the name – already fairly self-explanatory – makes more sense when you remember that Staroměstské náměstí (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/12/prague-1-day-190-staromestske-namesti-old-town-square/) used to be known as ‘Velké náměstí’ – i.e. the big square.

Anyway, let’s take a look around (a pleasingly colourful look around at that).

Number 1, U anděla (The Angel), was once the pharmacy owned by Angelius de Florentia, Charles IV’s botanist; in the 18th century, it was owned by Ericsson. It now hosts the North Carolina State University European Center in Prague and the Polish Institute.

Number 2, U Bílého lva (The White Lion), was the site of Prague’s oldest printing house (in 1487), where the first Czech Bible was printed.

(Side note: this is clearly a later, Baroque modification, and the same goes for most buildings on this square)

Number 3, Rottův dům, is named after the Rott family, who ran a hardware store here until 1948, when they fled Czechoslovakia (although the shop survived until 1989).

Full disclosure: I once wound up at the Hard Rock Cafe for some event in 2017. There was a Roxette tribute band playing that evening. I f**king love Prague.

Number 5 – which is where the street sign pic comes from – is called U Tří kominíčků (The Three Chimneys). It’s impressively narrow.

This whole set is delightful, actually.

Number 10, U Zlatého rohu (The Golden Corner), is used by various NGOs, including the Scout Institute.

Richtrův dům was the home of Prague’s first telephone exchange (from 1882 to 1902, when it moved to Jindřišská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/19/prague-1-day-131-jindrisska/).

And, again, I’m going to have to post a few more houses on the square, because, even if I don’t have anecdotes about them, just look how freaking pretty they are, as is the fountain in the middle of the square.