What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 5 June 2024.

Jan Řásný z Řásnova was, in the 17th century, the hetman of Strahov Monastery (which is on the other side of the river, but got covered on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-30-strahovske-nadvori-strahov-courtyard/).

I’ll admit to not being entirely sure what a ‘hetman’ is when we’re dealing with a monastery – back in the day, ‘hetman/hejtman’ meant ‘military commander’; nowadays it’s a regional governor, and I’m assuming Strahov had something between the two.

Anyway, between 1667 and 1679, Mr Ř z Ř bought some land round here and had a house built, called, appropriately, dům Řásnovka.

I would put a picture of it here, but, in news that may have evaded the people who gave Řásnovka its current name in 1894, it’s actually on a different street (those who really want the photo are welcome to pop in on day 253).

What you do get on Řásnovka are some pretty fine views of the back of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (AKA the building you find yourself staring at when you’re watching the sun set in the Letná beer garden).

Opposite, at number 8, there’s a late (1941-50) functionalist office building by František Marek. It’s currently used by the Technical Administration of Communications of the Capital City of Prague (TSK HMP).

Next to that, there’s a pretty fine oak tree, planted in 1850, and the only memorial oak in the Old Town.

As you walk westwards, Řásnovka then turns into what feels like an entirely different street, and starts heading south-west.