What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 15 April 2024.

Svatý Linhart is Leonard of Noblac (died 559), who is closely associated with the Limousin region of France, where he lived as a hermit.

He’s the patron saint of imprisoned people, including political prisoners and prisoners of war. As well being the patron saint of horses, and of women in labour.

Where the south-east corner of the New City Hall now is, there was once St Leonard’s Church. The oldest surviving written mention is from 1268, and it was likely to have been built in the century before that.

It was where the local population would give donations to disabled people, until that started to take place at the Church of St Lazarus (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-165-lazarska/) instead.

Given to French Catholics by Emperor Ferdinand II in 1628, the church was abolished in 1787 and demolished entirely in 1798.

The New City Hall was built from 1908 to 1911 (more on that tomorrow), and the street was created as a result of that. Here’s what the city hall looks like from this side.