What's in a Prague street name

Zachova was built before 1935.

Until 1952, it was called U krčské vodárny III. I’ve promised before that we’ll get onto the Krčská vodárna soon enough, and that still holds.

Zach, meanwhile, is another character from the novel O ševci Matoušovi a jeho přátelích, which has its own post on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2026/05/13/prague-4-day-381-sevce-matouse/.

And whose author also has a post on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2026/05/07/prague-4-day-378-antala-staska/. How wonderful to imagine writing a novel, and then having multiple streets named after it.

Toník Zachů is not a main character in the novel, but appears in its later stages, when Matouš (he of the title) ends up living in the forest and meets Toník, whom he once went to school with. Toník had worked as a carpenter in Vienna, but returned after getting into trouble for distributing anti-establishment leaflets.

Růza – Matouš’s love interest – allows both Matouš and Toník to stay at her father’s house, and both young men get jobs at the local factory.

Ultimately, during Matouš’s escape from prison, Toník is shot and dies, contributing to Matouš’s decision that nothing is left for him in his home village, and to flee abroad.