Kafka
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Prague 1, day 246: Haštalská
Originally posted on X on 4 June 2024. Same story as yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-245-hastalske-namesti/; this is what the church looks like from here. The square was actually part of this street until 1928. It was at number 26 that Max Brod, Kafka’s closest friend, was born (i.e. I missed a trick by not posting this one Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 204: Náměstí Franze Kafky
Originally published on X on 20 April 2024. Franz Kafka was born in a house on the present-day square in 1883. It was called U Věže (At The Tower), and was destroyed as part the ‘clean-up’ operation in the Old Town in 1897. His father, Hermann, was originally from Osek, a South Bohemian village with Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 190: Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square)
Published on X on 2 and 3 April 2024 (there was a fair amount to say). Part 1: the history In 1338, John of Luxembourg (King of Bohemia from 1310 to 1346) gave the Old Town permission to build itself a town hall. This seemed like the perfect location, as a major market had existed Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 180: Celetná
Originally published on X on 23 March 2024. A ‘calta’ is a a type of medieval Bohemian pastry. They had some sort of ‘braided’ design on them, which means I’m currently picturing a hot cross bun, but probably more intricate. Google results for this pastry reveal more hits over in Slovakia than here, where it Continue reading
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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 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 106: Národní (‘National’)
Originally published on X on 7 January 2024. Until 1781, there was a moat here, which had the somewhat inconvenient effect of separating the Old Town and the New Town. Therefore, it was decided to fill the ditch and create a street in its place. Originally called Nové Aleje (New Avenue), this later turned into Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 59: Cihelná
Originally published on 4 November 2023. Cihelná with an á is the feminine adjective from cihelna without an á, meaning ‘brickworks’. Once upon a time, there were two tanneries here, but, in 1781, František Antonín Linhart Herget, who had purchased them, had a Baroque brickyard built in their place. A later owner, Josef Zobel, had Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 99: Izraelská
Originally published on Twitter on 31 July 2022. Izraelská was built in 1945. Until 1995, the street was part of ‘Nad vodovodem’ (‘Above the water pipeline’), which is still located directly to the east of it in Prague 10. Izraelská is directly south of the New Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery founded in 1890, as the Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 