Education
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Prague 4, day 209: Školní
Školní was built in 1911. Školní is named after the elementary school at number 3, which, as implied by its website, has been operating since 1894: https://www.zsskolni.cz/. It seems things have come full circle, and the school is now named after the street. The school got a significant makeover in 2018: https://praha4.cz/rekonstrukce-zs-v-braniku-konci/. This street got Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 91: U gymnázia
U gymnázia was built in the 1930s, and given a name in 1947. A ‘gymnázium’ is a well-known false friend: it’s a grammar school (if you’re British), or a high school (if you’re American). Around the spring of each year, your local friends who have kids may talk about how insanely competitive their entry examinations Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 224: Elišky Krásnohorské
Originally published on X on 10 May 2024. Alžběta Dorota Pechová was born in Prague’s Old Town in 1747, the seventh of her father’s eight children (he was married twice). Her father believed that his family was from Krásná Hora, near Příbram – apparently, this wasn’t actually true, but it did result in the pseudonym Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 158: U Dobřenských
Originally published on X on 29 February 2024. Jakub Jan Václav Dobřenský was born in Prague in 1623. He studied medicine and philosophy at Charles University (and also in Italy), and began teaching at the university in 1664. In the meantime, he bought several properties in Prague and set up laboratories in them. One of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 126: Olivova
Originally published on X on 28 January 2024. Alois Oliva was born in Kutná Hora in 1822, but went to school in Dresden, where he had relatives. Going straight into employment after he finished school, he was, by the age of 20, a procurator. He then joined a sugar factory in Ruzyně, eventually becoming a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 110: Magdalény Rettigové
Originally published on X on 11 January 2024. Magdalena Artmann was born at the castle in Všeradice, near Beroun, in 1785. After the premature deaths of her father and siblings, she moved to Plzeň with her mother. Until she was 18, Magdalena only spoke German, but then she fell in love with a law graduate Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 58: U Lužického semináře
Originally published on X on 3 November 2023. Before I get onto the seminar itself, here’s a (not terribly brief) guide to who would qualify as lužický: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/14/prague-2-day-28-luzicka/ If you don’t want to read that: Sorbs are a Slavic ethnic group who currently live in Lusatia, which is in Saxony and Brandenburg in Germany. They Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 51: Klárov
Originally published on X on 27 October 2023. Alois Klar (no á) was born in Úštěk in 1763. He went to school in Litoměřice, and then went to Prague to study languages, graduating in 1782. Four years after that, he became a professor back in Litoměřice, before returning to Prague University after being appointed professor Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 97: Zvěřinova
Originally published on Twitter on 29 July 2022. Zvěřinova was built in 2016, making it the newest street yet. Josef Zvěřina (1913-1990) was a priest, art historian, theologian, philosopher and educator. He graduated from the (no longer existing) Archbishops’ Gymnázium in Bubeneč in 1932, and was ordained as a priest in Rome in 1937. After Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 82: Komenského náměstí
Originally posted on Twitter on 14 July 2022. Komenského náměstí was built in 1872. Named after John Amos Comenius / Jan Amos Komenský (1592-1670). There’s a lot to say about this guy. Komenský was born into the Moravian Brethren, a pre-Reformation Protestant denomination, whose last bishop he ultimately became. The religious wars forced him to Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 28: Jeseniova
Originally published on Twitter on 21 May 2022. Jeseniova was built in 1875. Jan Jesenius / Ján Jesenský (1566-1621) was a physician, politician and philosopher, born in Wrocław (then Breslau) to a father of Slovak origin. He studied in Wittenberg, Leipzig and Padua, becoming professor of anatomy at the first of these in 1594. In Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 27: Loudova
Originally published on Twitter on 20 May 2022. Loudova was built in 1930. Matěj Louda z Chlumčan (died 1460) was commander of Písek, a Hussite warrior and diplomat, and owner of a farm in Chlumčany near Louny. He studied at Charles University. He didn’t complete his studies, but he did became aware of Jan Hus’s Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 24: Rečkova
Rečkova was built in 1930. The name has nothing to do with Greece, which is Řecko in Czech (sometimes when I’m whizzing past here on the tram, I mistakenly think it’s called Řeckova, and yes, that name would make no grammatical sense). Jan Reček z Ledče was a maltster and a well-to-do citizen of Prague’s Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 