What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

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I could talk about myself for ages, or I could point out that https://english.radio.cz/ed-ley-englishman-recording-stories-pragues-streets-one-one-8806941 is over two years old but still largely stands (other than the Twitter links).

Category: Films

  • Prague 1, day 242: Ve Stínadlech

    Originally published on X on 31 May 2024. For this one, we’ve got to start with a writer, Jaroslav Fogler, who was born on Benátská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/28/prague-2-day-127-benatska/) in 1907, although the family moved out of Prague shortly afterwards. After his father’s death in 1914, he moved back to Prague with his mother, living on Korunní (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/12/23/prague-3-day-187-korunni/).…

  • Prague 1, day 225: Náměstí Miloše Formana

    Originally published on X on 11 May 2024. Miloš Forman was born as Jan Tomáš Forman in Čáslav (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/07/02/prague-3-day-178-caslavska/) in 1932. His mother, Anna, was arrested by the Nazis for lying about her involvement in the distribution of anti-Nazi leaflets, and died of typhus at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943. His father, Rudolf (actually not his biological…

  • Prague 1, day 211: náměstí Jana Palacha

    Originally published on X on 27 April 2024. Originally, this area was called Rejdiště (more on that in a few days); the square came into being in the 1870s and was called Na Rejdišti. During WW1, it was named náměstí císařovny Zity after Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892-1989), the final Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.…

  • Prague 1, day 207: Žatecká

    Originally published on X on 23 April 2024. Žatec is a town of approximately 19,000 inhabitants in the Ústí Region, named after a hillfort which existed there in the early 10th century. It was an important city in Hussite times – when preachers predicted that it was one of five cities which would survive the…

  • Prague 1, day 127: Politických vězňů (Political prisoners)

    Originally published on X on 29 January 2024. When the New Town was founded, this street was named Angelova, after Angelo of Florence (died 1408), court apothecary under Charles IV and his son, Wenceslas IV. In 1757, it was renamed Bredovská after the noble Bredow family (Josef Breda was the governor of Prague’s Old Town,…

  • Prague 1, day 123: Václavské náměstí

    Originally published on X on 24 and 25 January 2024 (it’s a two-partner). Václav (Wenceslas, as in ‘Good King’) was born around 907, the son of Vratislav (Wrocław-founding) and Drahomíra (pagan; murderous), and the granddaughter of Ludmila (Christian; victim of said murderousness; later saintly) and Bořivoj (the first verifiable Czech leader). He became Prince of…

  • Prague 1, day 67: Čertovka

    Originally published on X on 12 November 2023. Čertovka may get a street sign – but it’s actually a canal which separates Kampa Island from the rest of Malá Strana. Kampa (which is getting a post of its own soon) was created in the 12th century, when the Knights of Malta (ditto) ordered the building…

  • Prague 1, day 20: Nový Svět (New World)

    Originally published on X on 18 September 2023. Nový Svět was originally a village, developing outside Hradčany in the early 1300s, and, in 1360, being attached to it as ordered by Charles IV. Not surprisingly, many of its residents worked at the Castle. And its attachment to Hradčany is why it became known as a…