What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 24 June 2024.

In the 14th century, the street was named Štercéřská after the owner of one of the houses, but also Hrnčířská after the potters (hrnčíři) who lived and worked there.

Continuing the trades and crafts theme that’s been quite prevalent in this series, a ‘truhlář’, also known as a ‘stolař’, is a joiner or a cabinetmaker.

A ‘truhla’ is a chest or a box, borrowed from Middle High German; in modern-day German, ‘Truhe’ has the same meaning.

Number 8 in the street, formerly known as Na skále, Na pískách or Dům Ratzenbeckský, was renovated recently; formerly a prayer house, the leisure centre Jednička (Number One) has operated here since 2023: https://www.idnes.cz/bydleni/rekonstrukce/praha-rekonstrukce-jednicka-baroko-malby-centrum-deti-seniori-rodice-truhlarska.A230512_132356_rekonstrukce_web.

While, if you look at the Truhlářská side of the Palladium Shopping Centre, you’ll learn that this is where Josef Kajetán Tyl (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/07/01/prague-2-day-53-tylovo-namesti/) wrote the lyrics to the Czech national anthem in 1834.

It’s probably worth mentioning that, back then, this was Kasárna Josefská, i.e. military barracks, and that Tyl didn’t come up with the words while wondering where the best place was to buy some new shoes.