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: Markets
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Originally published on X on 29 May 2024. Until the 14th century, this was known as Starý uhelný trh (Old Coal Market), or Forum carbonum antiquum, after a market which was here but later moved to, yes, Uhelný trh: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/26/prague-1-day-147-uhelny-trh/. After that, it became known as Hrnčířská, thanks to its local craftsmen (a ‘hrnčíř’ is…
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Originally published on X on 28 May 2024. We’re still in ‘we’ve covered this, haven’t we’ territory: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/12/prague-1-day-189-tynska/. So far, we’ve had Týn, Týn Street and, now, Little Týn Street (or Týn Lane, if that’s how you’re feeling). But we’re not without things to talk about. For a start, U Černého jelena (The Black Stag)…
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Originally published on X on 27 May 2024. When I first drafted my post about Týn / Ungelt (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/12/prague-1-day-189-tynska/), I didn’t realise that the courtyard is also treated as its own street, and therefore has its own street sign. So it was quite nice to pop in and get some proper pictures of Týn, too.…
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Originally published on X on 23 May 2024. In the early 1300s (we’ll call this the ‘John of Bohemia era’), there were already meat shops around here. The local butchers formed their own guild in 1359, and regarded St Jacob’s as their place of worship (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/11/prague-1-day-185-jakubska/). The street (which was smaller at the time) therefore…
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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…
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Originally published on X on 1 April 2024. In 965, Ibrahim ibn Yaqub, an Arabic-speaking, Sephardi Jewish traveller (and probable merchant) whose family came from what is now Tortosa in Catalonia, travelled to Prague. He wrote about his trip – and what he wrote is the oldest written reference to Prague that we have. He…
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Originally published on X on 22 March 2024. ‘Ovocný trh’ translates as ‘fruit market’. You’ve already worked out where this one is going. From the early 1200s, a market selling fruit and vegetables stood here. You were still able to shop at the market in the early 20th century, as evidenced by this postcard from…
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Originally published on X on 20 March 2024. For the name, we can go back 48 hours and learn about St Gall and a town-within-a town: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/08/prague-1-day-175-havelska/. Until the 1700s, Havelská ulička was nameless, and was part of the surrounding market. There was also quite a gap between people using the current name and its…
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Originally published on X on 19 March 2024. In modern Czech, a ‘kotec’ is a hutch, as in a cage for keeping a rabbit or another small animal. In modern Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, a ‘katec’ is a pigsty – literally or figuratively – and, in Albanian, ‘katec’ can mean both these things, but also a grain basket.…
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Originally published on X on 18 March 2024. Nothing to do with the Havel you’re probably all thinking of – Svatý Havel is St Gall. According to his biographers, Gall was born in Ireland around 550, and studied at the abbey in Bangor (County Down, Northern Ireland, not Wales), becoming a disciple of St Columban.…
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Originally published on X on 18 February 2024. Uhlí is coal; a trh is a market. Coal made from wood is charcoal, and, in Czech, that’s dřevěné uhlí (literally ‘wooden coal’). Sales of charcoal took place until the 1800s, when hard coal became more popular. Uhelný trh became a place you’d go to to buy…
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Originally published on X on 3 February 2024. Your regular reminder that a ‘náměstí’ is a square, but doesn’t necessarily have to be square in shape. Let’s start with a language lesson: seno is ‘hay’, while váha means both ‘weight’ and ‘weighing machine’. So, a senováha is a hay scale, and this is Hay Scale…
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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…
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Originally published on X on 10 October 2023. Until the Middle Ages, this was the location of a stream, flowing from Strahov to the Vltava. This was then replaced with a street – Vlašská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-31-vlasska/). Then, in the late 1700s, the marketplace on Malostranské náměstí was moved to here. And – as you might be…
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Originally published on X on 24 April 2023. Lazarská was built around 1348, when the New Town was founded. Until the early 18th century, this was known as Dolejšek Dobytčího trhu, i.e. the part just below the Livestock Market, i.e. present-day Karlovo náměstí (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-164-karlovo-namesti/). After 1848, when Karlák got its current name, this street came…
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Originally published on X on 23 April 2023. Karlovo náměstí (Charles Square, or Karlák if you’re a local) was built in 1348. The square promptly became the centre of the New Town, being called Dobytčí trh (Livestock Market) until 1848. Upon its construction, it was the largest town square not only in Prague, but also…
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Originally published on X on 28 March 2023. U Nemocnice was built before 1750. Until 1750, this was Dobytčí. That’s the adjective coming from dobytek – livestock – and recalls the market that used to exist here. Then it was named Ústavní (‘institutional’), after a local institute for noblemen. This lasted until 1800, when the…
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Originally published on X on 27 March 2023. Salmovská was built in the 15th century or earlier. Until the 15th century, the street was called Krupná, after which it changed slightly to Krupičná. There used to be a market here, and the names are presumably linked to what was on sale – krupice is semolina,…
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Originally published on X on 24 March 2023. Ječná was built a long time ago. In 1348, Karel IV founded Prague’s New Town. There was a barley market (barley = ječmen) in this location, whereas, just to the north, there was a rye market (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/27/prague-2-day-36-zitna/). However, the (former) market sold pork as well as barley,…
What's in a Prague street name 