What's in a Prague street name

Jasná I was built in 1938.

‘Jasná’ translates as ‘clear’ or ‘bright’ or ‘radiant’, which whoever named the street clearly thought was one of its main characteristics.

In 1960, the street, originally known as Jasná, was split into Jasná I and… well, you might have guessed and are more than welcome to skip the post for the second part when I reach it.

It’s pretty, well, clear.

In 1971, two fourteen-year-olds, David Vávra and Milan Šteindler, founded a theatre called Divadlo Sklep (The Cellar Theatre), so called because it was originally located in the basement of Vávra’s grandmother’s house.

Originally performing for friends only, it went public in the late 1970s. Then, in 1980, it moved to the Dobeška Theatre, on this street. It’s still there.

For more on the ‘Dobeška’ name, see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/10/08/prague-4-day-192-na-dobesce/.