Mills
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Prague 4, day 217: Na Mlejnku
Na Mlejnku was named in 1938. In 1625, the Dominican Order of St Giles (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/06/prague-1-day-171-jilska/ for a bit more about him and them) came to Braník and acquired the local fortified manor. At some point, they had a water mill – a vodni mlýn – built. It lasted a good while, being purchased by Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 283: Stárkova
Originally published on X on 11 July 2024. Antonín Stárek was born in 1841. We don’t know much else about him, but we do know he worked as a miller – which would explain why he has a street named after him round here (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-258-nove-mlyny/). We also know that he was a New Town councillor Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 281: Helmova
Originally published on X on 9 July 2024. Some of the mills which used to be here – and are taking up quite a large chunk of recent threads – were owned by the Helm family, one of the richest in the New Town. Their name is first mentioned in connection with the mills in Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 280: Lodní mlýny
Originally published on X on 8 July 2024. That translates as ‘ship mills’, as does the name the street had in the 14th century (Lodecké mlyny). The ship mills have already been covered here, just a few metres away: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-263-lodecka/. There were both upper and lower ship mills around here, and the street was named Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 278: Mlynářská
Originally published on X on 6 July 2024. Repetition alert (not inappropriate for svátek 2 of 2): the street is named after the mills that used to be here (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-258-nove-mlyny/). Or, if we’re being really accurate, the people who worked in them – a ‘mlynář’ is a miller. Mlynářská has had its name since 1890; Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 277: Samcova
Originally published on X on 5 July 2024. In the early 1400s, this street – along with Mlynářská, which is one of the eight streets we haven’t covered yet – was called Mezi pekaři (Among the bakers), because they had set up shop round here. At a later stage, it was called Mlýnská, after the Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 263: Lodecká
Originally published on X on 21 June 2024. We’ve spoken about how this was once an area of mills: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-258-nove-mlyny/. Specifically, ship mills, also known as ‘škrtnice’ (cutters) in Czech, existed on the Vltava as far back as the 1300s, and survived until 1818. A ‘ship’ in Czech is a ‘loď’, and, while ‘lodní’ is Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 259: Novomlýnská
Originally published on X on 17 June 2024. Something of a day off for me today, because I posted this yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-258-nove-mlyny/. But, of course, the view of the tower from this street is different, so here you go. Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 258: Nové mlýny
Originally published on X on 16 June 2024. Before the New Town was founded in 1348, Prague got its water from public and private wells (there were aqueducts too, but these were only used for royal buildings and churches). Later, four waterworks were set up; the ones serving this part of the New Town were Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 93: Šítkova
Originally published on X on 22 December 2023. Mills operating here by the Vltava got their name from a former owner, Jan Šítka, who died in 1451. In 1495, a wooden water tower was built, but would be destroyed by a fire six years later. A replacement would also be burned down in 1588, after Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 72: U Sovových mlýnů
Originally published on X on 19 November 2023. As has been covered a few times in the last few days, the island of Kampa came into being when a canal, Čertovka, was created, aiming to increase the water supply for the mills round here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/09/prague-1-day-69-na-kampe/. In Renaissance times, there was a miller called Václav Sova Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 71: Velkopřevorské náměstí
Originally published on X on 18 November 2023. A převor is a prior – a word whose meaning differs depending on what kind of monastery they’re in. Among Dominicans, Augustinians, Brothers of Mercy and other Catholic orders, a prior is any monastic superior. Among Premonstratensians, Benedictines and Cistercians, however, a prior would be directly subordinate Continue reading
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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 Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 