Old Town
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Prague 1, day 260: U nemocenské pojišťovny
Originally published on X on 18 June 2024. A ‘nemocenská pojišťovna’ is a ‘health insurance company’, and, between 1924 and 1926, a building designed by Bohumil Hypšman and František Roith was created to house one of these. This coincided roughly with the same time that grand ministerial buildings were being built on the Vltava (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-257-nabrezi-ludvika-svobody/). 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 253: Za Haštalem
Originally published on X on 11 June 2024. This guy again (this street is ‘behind’ the church): https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-245-hastalske-namesti/. Wherever Castulus is watching this from right now, I hope it makes him happy knowing that, although he’s only got Wikipedia pages in 14 languages (cf. 123 for St Peter), he has *four* streets named after him Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 252: K Haštalu
Originally published on X on 10 June 2024. A quick one today: K Haštalu leads to the Church of Svatý Haštal, or Castulus, which I covered here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-245-hastalske-namesti/. Some of Castulus’ relics are in the church; if you want to see more, you may wish to head to St Martin’s Church (officially named after ‘St. Martin Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 251: Hradební
Originally published on X on 9 June 2024. Soběslav I, Duke of Bohemia from 1125 to 1140 (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/24/prague-2-day-96-sobeslavova/), started the process of fortifying Prague (‘hradby’ are fortifications). However, the process of fortifying the Old Town (and Malá Strana) really got going during the rule of Václav I (1230-1235, and, unlike Soběslav, as King), and would Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 250: Na Františku
Originally published on X on 8 June 2024. In the 1100s, there was already a settlement round here, named Újezd and centered around today’s Church of St Castulus (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-245-hastalske-namesti/). When the Convent of Saint Agnes was built in 1231 (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-243-anezska/), the district started to grow. The order residing here was originally inspired by the Order Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 249: Malá Klášterní
Originally published on X on 7 June 2024. A street with a name, but without a sign. Malá Klášterní translate as ‘Little Convent Street’, so let me take you back to here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-243-anezska/. But what the street (all 30 metres of it) lacks in street signs, it makes up for in open spaces, specifically Zahrada Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 248: Klášterská
Originally published on X on 6 June 2024. Quick one today: a ‘klášter’ is a monastery, convent, nunnery or cloister, and this convent was already discussed a few days ago: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-243-anezska/. The church that has its address on Klášterská is the Church of St Salvator (Christ the Saviour), opened in 1611 (and the garden that’s Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 247: Řásnovka
Originally published on X on 5 June 2024. Jan Řásný z Řásnova was, in the 17th century, the hetman of Strahov Monastery (which is on the other side of the river, but got covered on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/08/prague-1-day-30-strahovske-nadvori-strahov-courtyard/). I’ll admit to not being entirely sure what a ‘hetman’ is when we’re dealing with a monastery – back in the Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 246: Haštalská
Originally posted on X on 4 June 2024. Same story as yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-245-hastalske-namesti/; this is what the church looks like from here. The square was actually part of this street until 1928. It was at number 26 that Max Brod, Kafka’s closest friend, was born (i.e. I missed a trick by not posting this one Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 245: Haštalské náměstí
Originally published on X on 3 June 2024. Svatý Haštal is Saint Castulus, chamberlain to Emperor Diocletian. He sheltered Christians in his home, converted many people to Christianity, and also arranged for people to be baptised by Pope Caius. He was thanked for this by being being buried alive in a sandpit in 286. His Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 244: U milosrdných
Originally published on X on 2 June 2024. Originally, the street was known either as U svatého Kříže – after a now-defunct church of the Holy Cross – or as U svaté Anežky (see yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/05/prague-1-day-243-anezska/). Around 1350, a hospital was built here, founded by one Bohuslav z Olbramovic, and completed at the instigation of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 243: Anežská
Originally published on X on 1 June 2024. Přemysl Otakar I was Duke of Bohemia from 1192 to 1193, and again from 1197 to 1198. In the latter year, he became the third King of Bohemia, and would stay as such until 1230. He was the first ruler of Bohemia who inherited the title of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 242: Ve Stínadlech
Originally published on X on 31 May 2024. For this one, we’ve got to start with a writer, Jaroslav Fogler, who was born on Benátská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/28/prague-2-day-127-benatska/) in 1907, although the family moved out of Prague shortly afterwards. After his father’s death in 1914, he moved back to Prague with his mother, living on Korunní (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/12/23/prague-3-day-187-korunni/). Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 241: U obecního dvora
Originally published on X on 30 May 2024. Around here, we’re near the end (or start) of one of the oldest trade routes between Prague (specifically Old Town Square), Bohemia and Germany. Therefore, around the 15th century, the Obecní dvůr (Municipal Court) was built here, as a yard owned by the Municipality of Prague. However, Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 240: Kozí
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 Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 239: Týnská ulička
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) Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 238: Týn
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. Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 237: Rámová
Originally published on X on 26 May 2024. Two possibilities here. The first one is that the street is named after number 4, U Modrého rámce (The Blue Frame). It’s pictured, and, at least in 2024, not noticeably blue. The second theory is that the street is named after the frames (Czech: ‘rámy’) used by Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 