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: Historians

  • Prague 1, day 113: Palackého

    Originally published on X on 14 January 2024. Again, I get to direct you to one I wrote earlier: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/31/prague-2-day-145-palackeho-namesti/. Palacký spent his final years – and, in 1876, died – at number 7. The street was first mentioned in 1383, under the name of Tandléřská – a tandléř, derived from southern German, being a…

  • Prague 1, day 79: Pelclova

    Originally published on X on 26 November 2023. František Martin Pelcl was born in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, in Hradec Králové Region, in 1734. In 1755, he started studying theology in Prague, soon switching to law. After escaping to Vienna for a few months in 1757, he returned, but his father died and studying was no…

  • Prague 2, day 154: Jiráskovo náměstí

    Originally published on X on 13 April 2023. Jiráskovo náměstí was built in 1905 as a result of modifications to the riverbank. Until 1940, and again from 1945 to 1947, this was Riegrovo náměstí, after František Ladislav Rieger (1818-1903), politician, publicist, and early leader of the Czech nationalist movement. Under the Nazi occupation, it was…

  • Prague 2, day 145: Palackého náměstí

    Originally published on X on 4 April 2023. Palackého náměstí was created in 1896 as a result of renovation of the nearby embankment. From 1942 to 1945, this was Rudolfovo náměstí, after Rudolph II (1552-1612), the Habsburg who certainly made Prague a more fascinating cultural centre than ever, but whose actions also indirectly led to…

  • Prague 2, day 61: Šafaříkova

    Originally published on Twitter on 6 January 2023. Šafaříkova was built around 1880. Pavol Jozef Šafárik was born in Kobeliarovo, near Košice, in 1795. The dramatic landscapes and Slovak folk culture here would impact him significantly. By the age of eight, he had allegedly read the entire Bible twice. He then went to school in…

  • Prague 2, day 12: Balbínova

    Originally published on Twitter on 18 November 2022. Balbínova was built in 1880. It was formerly two streets; they were united in 1947. The southern half has been called Balbínova since its inception. Until 1940, and again from 1945 to 1947, the northern part was called Sladkovského. Old Karel still has a square not so far…

  • Prague 3, day 114: Dalimilova

    Originally published on Twitter on 15 August 2022. Dalimilova was built before 1875. Dalimil’s Chronicle is the oldest existing verse chronicle in the Czech language. It is based on five older chronicles which were written in Latin: the Boleslav, Prague, Břevnov, Opatovice and Vyšehrad Chronicles. In its 106 chapters, it goes from the construction of…

  • Prague 3, day 15: Hájkova

    Originally published on Twitter on 8 May 2022. Hájkova was built in 1908. Václav Hájek z Libočan – or, if you prefer, Wenceslaus Hájek of Libočany (died 1553) was a chronicler and author of the Czech Chronicle (Kronika česká, 1541). Originally a Protestant, he converted to Catholicism in 1521; from 1524, he worked as a…