Politicians
-
Prague 4, day 106: Plamínkové
Plamínkové was built in 1968. Františka Plamínková was born in Prague in 1875, qualifying as a teacher in 1895 (astounding fact, at least to me: at that time, female teachers were required to be celibate). She taught until 1924. In 1903, she founded the Czech Women’s Club; two years later, she founded the Committee for Continue reading
-
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
-
Prague 1, day 126: Olivova
Originally published on X on 28 January 2024. Alois Oliva was born in Kutná Hora in 1822, but went to school in Dresden, where he had relatives. Going straight into employment after he finished school, he was, by the age of 20, a procurator. He then joined a sugar factory in Ruzyně, eventually becoming a Continue reading
-
Prague 1, day 124: Washingtonova
Originally published on X on 26 January 2024. George, not Denzel, Dinah or Poussey. I could tell the George Washington story, but you might already know it quite well and/or feel it’s not got enough/any Czech connections (it won’t shock you to learn that GW never set foot in Bohemia). So let’s go looking for Continue reading
-
Prague 1, day 113: Palackého
Originally published on X on 14 January 2024. Again, I get to direct you to one I wrote earlier: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/31/prague-2-day-145-palackeho-namesti/. Palacký spent his final years – and, in 1876, died – at number 7. The street was first mentioned in 1383, under the name of Tandléřská – a tandléř, derived from southern German, being a Continue reading
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Prague 1, day 43: Sněmovní
Originally published on X on 19 October 2023. Buckle up, kids, this one probably has a link to many of your least favourite Czechs. Because sněmovna is short for Poslanecká sněmovna, or ‘Chamber of Deputies’. In 1650, one Countess Markéta Anna Thunová purchased a building here, and the family bought two more in 1662 and Continue reading
-
Prague 1, day 18: Černínská
Originally published on X on 12 September 2023. Černínská was built around or before 1700. From the 1700s, this was known as Nový Svět (New World), as were current-day Nový Svět and Kapucínská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/07/prague-1-day-16-kapucinska/). It then became Zadní (Lower) Nový Svět in the early 1800s, later being treated as part of Kapucínská before gaining its Continue reading
-
Prague 1, day 10: Chotkova
Originally published on X on 1 September 2023. Carl Bernhard Graf Chotek von Chotkowa und Wognin was born in Vienna in 1783. His father, Johann Nepomuk Rudolph Graf Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin, after serving as finance minister in Vienna, became Supreme Burgave of Bohemia from 1802 to 1805; in this role, he was responsible Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 156: Masarykovo nábřeží
Originally published on X on 15 April 2023. Masarykovo nábřeží (Masaryk Embankment) has existed in its current form since 1903. From 1903 to 1912, this was Františkovo nábřeží, after Francis II, who ruled Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia from 1792 to 1835. Then, from 1912 to 1940 (and again from 1945 to 1946), it was Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 154: Jiráskovo náměstí
Originally published on X on 13 April 2023. Jiráskovo náměstí was built in 1905 as a result of modifications to the riverbank. Until 1940, and again from 1945 to 1947, this was Riegrovo náměstí, after František Ladislav Rieger (1818-1903), politician, publicist, and early leader of the Czech nationalist movement. Under the Nazi occupation, it was Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 148: Trojanova
Originally published on X on 7 April 2023. Trojanova was built in 1897. Trojanova replaced a smaller street called ‘Kočičí’ when the district was given a major facelift in the late 19th century. Kočičí translate as ‘feline’ or ‘cat-like’, which is therefore the best street name ever, and, no offence to Mr Trojan or anyone, Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 145: Palackého náměstí
Originally published on X on 4 April 2023. Palackého náměstí was created in 1896 as a result of renovation of the nearby embankment. From 1942 to 1945, this was Rudolfovo náměstí, after Rudolph II (1552-1612), the Habsburg who certainly made Prague a more fascinating cultural centre than ever, but whose actions also indirectly led to Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 125: Rašínovo nábřeží
Originally published on X on 15 March 2023. This embankment was formed in 1951 from the joining of two separate streets (see later for details of the multiple name changes). Alois Rašín was born in Nechanice, near Hradec Králové, in 1867. He went to Prague to study medicine at Charles University, but then switched to Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 56: Koubkova
Originally published on X on 1 January 2023. Koubkova was built in 1883. Jan Pravoslav Koubek was born into a wealthy family in Blatná, in Strakonice District, in 1805. He went to secondary school in Písek (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/03/19/prague-3-day-175-pisecka/) and later in Prague, where he was taught by Josef Jungmann. In 1827, he went to Charles-Ferdinand University Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 53: Tylovo námestí
Originally published on Twitter on 29 December 2022. Tylovo námestí, colloquially known as Tylák, was built around 1875. The square was built on what was then the highway to Linz-slash-Nusle, i.e. present-day Bělehradská: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/03/02/prague-2-day-40-belehradska/ When the square was founded, it was called Tržiště – the Marketplace – or Tržní náměstí – Market Square, for obvious Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 46: Jana Masaryka
Originally published on Twitter on 22 December 2022. Jana Masaryka was built in 1875. Until 1884, this was Wimmerova, after Jakub Wimmer (1754-1822), entrepreneur, landowner, benefactor and colonel. Then it was renamed Čelakovského after František Ladislav Čelakovský (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/18/prague-2-day-35-celakovskeho-sady/). In 1926, the street was renamed Polská. Which means that I have to retract this tweet from Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 1, version 2.0: Hartigova
Originally published on Twitter on 2 October 2023, one day after the street, formerly Koněvova (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/18/prague-3-day-1-konevova/) , was officially renamed. Karel Hartig was born in Sedlčany, near Příbram, in 1833, and trained as a bricklayer, working, amongst other places, on the George of Poděbrady / Jiří z Poděbrad barracks, which we now know better as Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 