What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.


Nusle

  • Prague 4, day 76: Spolupráce

    Spolupráce was built in 1938. ‘Spolupráce’ is cooperation, or collaboration. Synonyms for that include the very recognisable ‘kooperace’, and the less recognisable ‘součinnost’. A ‘spolupracovník’ (male) or ‘spolupracovnice’ (female) is another way of referring to your ‘kolega’ (male) or ‘kolegyně’ (female), ie your co-worker. And you know what took cooperation? Building all the houses and Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 75: Nad Jezerkou

    Nad Jezerkou was built in 1934. Remember how yesterday’s street (LINK) was above Jezerka? Well, today’s is quite literally called… Above Jezerka. So here’s a link to that again: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/19/prague-4-day-51-na-jezerce/. I do promise these are going to get more varied soon, although I’ve not given much evidence of that for at least three weeks now. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 74: Nad studánkou

    Nad studánkou was built in 1934. A ‘studánka’ is a spring or a well, and ‘nad’ means above – and what this street is above has been discussed before. We’re talking about the ancient spring called Jezerka, where Libuše, the mythological founder of Prague, is said to have bathed. For the full story, check out Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 73: Na lepším

    Na lepším was built in 1934. That literally translates as ‘on the better’… something. ‘Note’ would fit in quite well. One theory has it that this once a name for the local land, so called because its soil was superior to that of neighbouring areas. However, if you’ve been following the last batch of street Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 72: Zdařilá

    Zdařilá was built in 1938. If something is ‘zdařilý’ (feminine: zdařilá), it’s successful, well done or just plain good. The adjective derives from the reflexive verb ‘zdařit se’, which means to succeed or to turn out well. And, in 1938, whoever was in charge of names of streets decreed that the building job done over Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 71: Zdaru

    Zdaru was named in 1941. ‘Zdar’ translates as ‘success’ or ‘luck’. If you were to say ‘Mnoho zdaru!’ to someone, you’d be wishing them good luck. It derives from ‘dar’, which means ‘gift’ or ‘present’. It’s also where we get ‘nazdar’, which takes third place to ‘ahoj’ and ‘čau’ in the ‘how to greet your Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 70: Na výsledku II

    Na výsledku II was named in 1947. Remember yesterday’s very ‘OK, let’s give this street a name, but let’s not waste our imagination’ story? Well, just to show even less imagination, the name was given to not one street, but two. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 69: Na výsledku I

    Na výsledku I was named in 1947. A ‘výsledek’ is a result, outcome, score, etc. It’ll be (extremely) clear to anyone following these recent posts that there was a lot of construction of residential buildings around here in the 1930s and 1940s. A lot. By 1947, this street didn’t have a name yet. Not feeling Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 68: Družnosti

    Družnosti was built in 1934. ‘Družnost’ would typically be translated as ‘sociability’ or ‘gregariousness’. Both of which are fine qualities. However, the street name comes from that which has been discussed a lot in recent posts: this area, formerly part of the Jezerka farmstead (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/19/prague-4-day-51-na-jezerce/), was sold to construction cooperatives (družstva) so that they could Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 67: U Slovanské Pojišťovny

    U Slovanské Pojišťovny was built in 1934. In 1920, Viktor Rašín, a financier and economist, founded Slovanská pojišťovna a záložna (Slavic Insurance and Savings Bank). Its headquarters were at 66 Wenceslas Square (sadly not one of the many buildings covered on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/17/prague-1-day-123-vaclavske-namesti/). The Rašíns were quite high-profile in the early days of Czechoslovakia: Viktor’s brother, Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 66: U družstva Život

    U družstva Život was built in 1934. Another day, another case where a construction cooperative built the homes in the street: its name, ‘Život’, translates as ‘life’. Which makes it pretty damn unsearchable, but at least we can compensate today with some phrases. ‘Posmrtný život’ is ‘life after death’, or the afterlife; a ‘příběh ze života’ is Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 64: U družstva Repo

    U družstva Repo was built in 1938. As discussed on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/28/prague-4-day-60-druzstevni-ochoz/, everything in this (just about) circle is all about the družstva, or cooperatives. In this case of this street, all the homes were built by a construction cooperative called Repo. The word ‘repo’ relates to a lending rate, but it seems there’s nothing about Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 63: U Jezerky

    U Jezerky was named in 1952. We’re entering repetition territory again: U Jezerky is located next to Jezerka, which we gave due attention on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/19/prague-4-day-51-na-jezerce/. And which is also the source (pun intended) of the stories behind https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/27/prague-4-day-47-pod-pramenem/, https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/22/prague-4-day-54-pod-lazni/ and https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/26/prague-4-day-58-u-libusinych-lazni/. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 62: Rovnoběžná

    Rovnoběžná was named in 1952. ‘Rovnoběžná’ is the feminine version of ‘rovnoběžný’, which translates as ‘parallel’. And, because everything is about Družstevní ochoz (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/28/prague-4-day-60-druzstevni-ochoz/) round here, this street is parallel to that one. Such is the importance of The Ochoz that the two addresses on Rovnoběžná, located between Družstevní ochoz 30 and 36, are numbered Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 61: K ochozu

    K ochozu was given its name in 1952. It leads to (k) Družstevní ochoz, which we discussed yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/28/prague-4-day-60-druzstevni-ochoz/. Yes, that was incredibly brief, but that feels quite fitting for a street which has a grand total of one address on it. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 60: Družstevní ochoz

    Družstevní ochoz was built in 1941, and has an excellent shape. ‘Družstevní’ is the adjective deriving from ‘družstvo’, which means ‘cooperative’. Everything within that circle of sorts consists of residential homes built by cooperatives. ‘Ochoz’, meanwhile, would translate as ‘gallery’, but not in the art sense: it’s a ‘a space allowing longitudinal passage through walls’. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 59: Sdružení

    Sdružení was given its name in 1938. A ‘sdružení’ is an association, a group, or a club. And the name of the street commemorates the cooperative association that was involved in its construction. This will be something of a running theme for the next couple of weeks, or more; to avoid repetition (or deflect from Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 58:  U Libušiných lázní

     U Libušiných lázní was built in 1934. Libuše has been discussed in some detail before – see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/23/prague-2-day-93-libusina/ – but the short version is that she was a legendary ancestor of the Přemyslid dynasty. She is also said to have predicted the future existence of a city you might have heard of. It’s called Prague. Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 57: Soudní

    Soudní was built in 1931. ‘Soudní’ would typically be translated as ‘judicial’, from ‘soud’ (‘court’, but also ‘trial’). In 1850, the High Provincial Court in Prague (Vrchní zemský soud v Praze) was established, replacing the General Court of Appeal. It was responsible for dealing with appeals in Bohemia (not Moravia), as well as checking up Continue reading

  • Prague 4, day 56: Na Veselí

    Na Veselí was built in 1931. ‘Veselí’ translates as ‘hilarity’, ‘merrymaking’ or ‘mirth’. And, much as it would be lovely to assume the street got its name from that, it’s just the name of a settlement that was one here instead. I assume it’s got something in common with ‘ves’, which translates as ‘village’. Continue reading