New Town
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Prague 1, day 265: Soukenická
Originally published on X on 23 June 2024. ’Sukno’ is the Czech word for ‘broadcloth’ – i.e. plain, dense woven cloth, typically made of wool. These days, it’s mainly used for costumes. In the past, it was used for trousers, skirts, jackets and military uniforms (the Czech for ‘skirt’ is ‘sukně’). Somebody who weaves this Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 264: Petrské náměstí
Originally published on X on 22 June 2024. In the early Middle Ages, this area was a settlement called Poříčí (which means ‘riverside’). I’ll try not to give too much commentary on that today, as I’m saving it for a future thread. It was mainly inhabited by German merchants, who, around 1150, had a church 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 262: Barvířská
Originally published on X on 20 June 2024. A ‘barva’ is a colour; it can also mean ‘dye’, although you will also hear ‘barvivo’ used for this. A place where dyeing takes place – i.e. a dyeworks or a dyehouse – is a ‘barvírna’, whereas one who engages in this trade – i.e. a dyer Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 261: Klimentská
Originally published on X on 19 June 2024. Clement of Rome, or Clement I, was the fourth Pope, serving from 88 to 99 AD. Persecuted by the Emperor Trajan, he was tied to an anchor and dragged out to sea. This is how he is portrayed at St Sofia’s Cathedral in Kyiv. A pre-Romanesque church 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 257: Nábřeží Ludvíka Svobody
Originally published on X on 15 June 2024. ‘Nábřeží’ = ‘Embankment’. Ludvík Svoboda was born in Hroznatín, a village in Vysocina Region, in 1895. His father died a year later (apparently after being kicked by a horse), and his mother remarried in 1898. He attended the Agricultural School in Velké Meziříčí, and was then called Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 256: Lannova
Originally published on X on 14 June 2024. Vojtěch Lanna was born in Čtyři Dvory, now part of České Budějovice, in 1805. He was the son of a shipmaster. When he was sixteen, he moved to Prague to study mechanical engineering at what is now ČVUT (the Czech Technical University). However, he was expelled for Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 255: Revoluční
Originally published on X on 13 June 2024. The street is located where the easternmost part of the Old Town walls once stood (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/09/prague-1-day-251-hradebni/). In the 1700s, the part nearer the river was called Náplavní or Náplavka, both referring to the riverbank. The southern part was called Trubní or Rourová – ‘trubka’ and ‘roura’ Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 254: Štefánikův most
Originally published on X on 12 June 2024. Milan Rastislav Štefánik was born in Košariská, a village nowadays in the Trenčín Region of Slovakia, in 1880. He was the son of an evangelical priest, Pavol Štefánik, who raised his children to be interested in Slovak history and culture. Leaving his village at nine, he went Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 144: 28. října
Originally published on X on 15 February 2024. That street sign needs a clean. On 28 October 1918, a delegation of the Czechoslovak National Committee was in Geneva, as was Edvard Beneš, not a member, but the most prominent member of the anti-Austrian resistance. They agreed that a Czechoslovak Republic should be created, with Tomáš Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 140: V Cípu
Originally published on X on 11 February 2024. A cíp is a tip or a corner. And, as this is basically an extension of Panská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/23/prague-1-day-139-panska/) which doesn’t lead anywhere, this seems quite apt. First referred to as ‘in vico dicto Czyp’ in 1395, it was also known as Heršova for a time, as a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 139: Panská
Originally published on X on 10 February 2024. The oldest documented name for this street, around 1380, is Nová (New) – because, sometimes, these street names just aren’t that creative. On the corner with Na Příkopě, there was once land and gardens belonging to – great word alert – a maltman called Kříž or Křížalova, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 138: Nekázanka
Originally published on X on 9 February 2024. Prague’s New Town was founded by Charles IV in 1348, which I *may* have mentioned 1,348 times to date. Charles was a busy man, what with also having been crowned King of the Romans in 1346, and also experiencing the death of his first wife (Blanche of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 136: Senovážná
Originally published on X on 7 February 2024. An underwhelming post (if you’re reading), or a nice and easy one (if you’re me): Senovážná leads directly off Senovážné náměstí: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/19/prague-1-day-132-senovazne-namesti/ That said, for a street that’s less than 140 metres long, Senovážná serves us some pretty good views. Namely of Obecní dům and Prašná brána Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 135: Dlážděná
Originally published on X on 6 February 2024. Dlažba means ‘pavement’, ‘cobbles(tones)’ or ‘paving’, whereas something that is dlážděný is ‘paved’. Paving didn’t happen anywhere in Prague at all until 1329, and, when the New Town was founded just under twenty years later, was still the exception rather than the rule. As well as looking Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 134: Hybernská
Originally published on X on 5 February 2024. In the pre-New Town was founded, this street was called Horská, because it led to Kutná Hora. It then became known as Na Dlážděném from 1348, and if I explain that now, I’ll ruin tomorrow’s post. In 1355, a church was built, and dedicated to St Ambrose, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 133: Bolzanova
Originally published on X on 4 February 2024. Bernard Bolzano was born in Prague in 1781. His father was an Italian-born arts dealer, while his mother came from a German-speaking family which had arrived in Prague from Austria around 1700. Graduating from the Piarist gymnasium in 1796, he then studied mathematics and philosophy, switching to Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 132: Senovážné náměstí
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 Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 