What's in a Prague street name

Every street in Prague, one by one.

Category: Politicians

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Originally published on Twitter on 2 September 2022. Sladkovského náměstí was built in 1890. Karel Sladkovský was born in Malá Strana in 1823, and studied law in Vienna. He returned to Prague in 1848, becoming a leader of the student movement. He became famous after a speech at Svatováclavské Lázně (which no longer exists, having…

  • Originally published on Twitter on 11 July 2022. Sabinova was built in 1875. Until 1962, the street was called Jaboukova (named after either Jakoubek ze Stříbra or Jakoubek z Vřesovic, both prominent Hussites in the early 15th century). Karel Sabina (1813-77) was, among other things, a writer, poet, playwright, journalist and politician. Despite growing up…