New Town
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Prague 1, day 111: Jungmannova
Originally published on 12 January 2024. Josef Jungmann was born in Hudlice, near Beroun, in 1773. His family wanted him to make a career in the church, and sent him to attend the local Piarist school. However, he transferred to a grammar school on Panská in Prague’s New Town, graduating in 1792 and then studying Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 110: Magdalény Rettigové
Originally published on X on 11 January 2024. Magdalena Artmann was born at the castle in Všeradice, near Beroun, in 1785. After the premature deaths of her father and siblings, she moved to Plzeň with her mother. Until she was 18, Magdalena only spoke German, but then she fell in love with a law graduate Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 109: Vladislavova
Originally published on X on 10 January 2024. Vladislav/Władysław/Vladislaus/Ulászló was born in 1456, as the eldest son of Casimir IV Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. His mother was Elizabeth of Austria, granddaughter of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (and King of Bohemia from 1419 to 1437). Elizabeth’s brother, Ladislaus the Posthumous (Ladislav Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 108: Purkyňova
Originally published on X on 9 January 2024. Jan Evangelista Purkyně was born on the noble estate at Libochovice (near Litoměřice) in 1787. He joined the Piarists as a monk in 1804, but quit at the age of twenty and became a tutor to a noble family before studying medicine at Prague University from 1813 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 107: Charvátova
Originally published on X on 8 January 2024. Prague’s New Town was founded in 1348; of its early citizens, we know that there was one called Jakub Charvát. We can also assume he was quite well-off, because, in 1378, he bought two houses (now at numbers 33 and 34 on this street), as well as Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 104: Náměstí Václava Havla
Originally published on X on 5 January 2024. Václav Havel was born in 1936 in Prague. His family was well-off and well-known: his grandfather Vácslav (1861-1921) had built Lucerna, while his father (also Václav; 1897-1979) had created Barrandov Terraces. Meanwhile, his maternal grandfather, Hugo Vavrečka (1880-1952), had been a renowned war correspondent, and was also Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 103: Voršilská
Originally published on X on 4 January 2023. Svatá Voršila is known to English-speakers as Saint Ursula; we don’t know much about her other than that, in 383 AD, she, along with a group of virgins, was beheaded by the Huns in Cologne, where the main church devoted to her is now located. We also Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 102: Mikulandská
Originally published on X on 3 January 2024. When this street was built in the 14th century, it was named Pasířská, because it was inhabited by pasíři – craftsmen making belts from metal, i.e. girdlers. When they moved to another nearby street – which we’re getting to soon-ish – they were replaced by makers of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 101: Černá
Originally published on X on 2 January 2024. Until the 1700s, this was known as V Opatovicích (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/13/prague-1-day-99-opatovicka/), but has been known by its current name since (‘Černá’ means ‘black’). While it’s been suggested that there may have been a Mr Černý who owned property here, the most likely explanation is because the street Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 100: Křemencova
Originally published on X on 1 January 2024. Around 1400, one of the houses on this street was owned by a Velík Křemenec, whose name literally translates as ‘Big Quartzite’, which is incredible. We don’t know much about him other than that he was wealthy, the house he owned was named Na Křemenci, and he Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 99: Opatovická
Originally published on X on 31 December 2023. In 1115, Vladislav I, Duke of Bohemia, had a monastery built in Kladruby, near Tachov (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-17-tachovske-namesti/); he would be buried there when he died a decade later. He also decreed that a village be created here, in the monastery’s honour. The village was named Opatovice (an opat Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 98: V Jirchářích
Originally published on X on 30 December 2023. Remember a tanner and his family being brought up yesterday (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/13/prague-1-day-97-pstrossova/)? Well, we’re still on this topic. Jircha is tanned leather, derived from the Latin ‘hircus’, which is a buck or male goat. So a jirchář is a tanner, but is not exactly as the same as Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 97: Pštrossova
Originally published on X on 29 December 2023. František Václav Pštross was born on this street in 1823; his father, also called František, was a local politician and owned a tannery, which František Junior joined in 1842. Not content with only following in some of his father’s footsteps, he was elected to Prague City Council Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 96: Ostrovní
Originally published on X on 25 December 2023. We can keep this nice and simple: an ‘ostrov’ is an island, and this street leads towards the one I wrote about yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/13/prague-1-day-95-slovansky-ostrov-slavonic-island/ I’m quite glad this one is brief, because I’m currently on the larger of the two britských ostrovů, where we celebrate Christmas a 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 92: Vojtěšská
Originally published on X on 21 December 2023. Vojtěch was born around 956 in Libice nad Cidlinou, near Nymburk, into the powerful Slavník dynasty (the other powerful family of the time being the Přemyslids). Studying in Magdeburg for about ten years, he took the name ‘Adalbert’ upon his confirmation and was ordained as the second Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 171: Hálkova
Originally published on X on 30 April 2023. The street was part of Na Rybníčku (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-169-na-rybnicku/) at first, gaining its own status/name in 1886. Vincenc Hálek was born as Vincenc Hálek in Dolínek, nowadays in Prague East, in 1835. He entered a seminary in Prague, but moved to the Academic Gymnasium (on Štěpánská – https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-167-stepanska/) Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 170: V Tůních
Originally published on X on 29 April 2023. V Tůních was built around the end of the 17th century. Until 1870, it was known by a similar name, Tůnní. A tůň, or tůně, is a ‘circular or oval-shaped freshwater ecosystem located in the floodplains of rivers or streams’. So I guess we’re dealing with a pond, Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 169: Na Rybníčku
Originally published on X on 28 April 2023. Na Rybníčku was built in 1844. Until 1880, the street was known either as Nová Štěpánská (due to its proximity to the church described in https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-167-stepanska/), or, at other times, as Štěpánský hřbitov, after the church’s cemetery. Rybníček, or Rybník, both meaning pond, is a settlement which Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 