Praha 2
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Prague 1, day 88: Šeříková
Originally published on X on 5 December 2023. A šeřík is a lilac tree. Lilac trees originated in south-east Europe and Asia Minor, but are often grown in the Czech Republic for ornamental purposes. The technical word for lilac – ‘Syringa’ – comes from the Greek for ‘pipe’; ‘lilac’ comes from the French ‘lila’, denoting 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
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Prague 2, day 166: Omladinářů
Originally published on X on 25 April 2023. We don’t know when the street was built. What we do know is that the road was known as Malá Lazarská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-165-lazarska/) until 1909, then becoming part of Lazarská itself until 1934. In 1890, an eleven-point plan, known as Punktace, was drawn up, aiming at Czech-German reconciliation. Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 165: Lazarská
Originally published on X on 24 April 2023. Lazarská was built around 1348, when the New Town was founded. Until the early 18th century, this was known as Dolejšek Dobytčího trhu, i.e. the part just below the Livestock Market, i.e. present-day Karlovo náměstí (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-164-karlovo-namesti/). After 1848, when Karlák got its current name, this street came Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 164: Karlovo náměstí
Originally published on X on 23 April 2023. Karlovo náměstí (Charles Square, or Karlák if you’re a local) was built in 1348. The square promptly became the centre of the New Town, being called Dobytčí trh (Livestock Market) until 1848. Upon its construction, it was the largest town square not only in Prague, but also Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 163: Spálená
Originally published on X on 22 April 2023. Spálená was built in the Middle Ages. Before the founding of the New Town in 1348, this was part of a road leading from Vyšehrad to Prague Castle, and which was therefore known as Vyšehradská cesta. As well as founding the New Town, Karel IV evicted various Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 162: Odborů
Originally published on X on 21 April 2023. Odborů was built in 1897. Until 1947, this was the eastern part of Na Zbořenci: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-160-na-zborenci/. Then it was Kleinova until 1952. This story deserves to be told in a bit more detail than I’ve done for other street names that are no longer in use – Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 161: Myslíkova
Originally published on X on 20 April 2023. Myslíkova was built around 1348, when the New Town was founded. Originally nameless, the street became known as Pod Zderazem, due to its location ‘under Zderaz’: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-159-na-zderaze/. Then, it became known as Pasířská until about 1700, because of the craftsmen (a pasíř is one who makes decorative Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 160: Na Zbořenci
Originally published on X on 19 April 2023. Na Zbořenci was built in 1897. Prior to 1897, the western part of the street was called Zderazská, and the eastern part was called Na Zderaze, and, for a potted history of Zderaz, please take a look at https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-159-na-zderaze/. Yesterday’s thread mentioned a not very catchily named Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 159: Na Zderaze
Originally published on X on 18 April 2023. Na Zderaze was built in 1869 and replaced a square which had been there before that. Zderaz is the name of a settlement that used to stand here. Legend has it that it was named after Zderad, who was a favourite attendant of 11th-century Bohemian ruler Vratislav Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 158: Záhořanského
Originally published on X on 17 April 2023. Záhořanského was built in 1877. Bernard Augustin Zahořanský was born in 1738, into a family which had originated in the town of Záhořany, becoming ennobled in 1600 and settling in Prague’s New Town three years later. He graduated in law and, in 1763, became a councillor at Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 157: Náplavní
Originally published on X on 16 April 2023. In the late 1700s, this street – or its precursor – was known as ‘U cihelny’, after a nearby brickyard (and if you want to know about a former brickyard in Prague 3, take a peek at https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/21/prague-3-day-69-u-stare-cihelny/). The name Náplavka appeared in the 19th century, after Continue reading
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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
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Prague 2, day 155: Jiráskův most
Originally published on X on 14 April 2023. Jiráskův most (Jirásek Bridge) was opened in 1931. It’s another ‘no, you’re not getting a street sign’ fest, and apparently I couldn’t even be bothered to walk up to the bridge itself. We covered Alois Jirásek yesterday (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/01/prague-2-day-154-jiraskovo-namesti/), but this bridge, the seventh to be built over Continue reading
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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
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Prague 2, day 153: Resslova
Originally published on X on 12 April 2023. Until 1870, the street was known as U Hurta, Nad Hurtem, Hurtova or Hurtovská, all named after a building here (U Hurta) which hosted the municipal forge. Josef Ressel, meanwhile, was born to a Czech-German family in 1793 in Chrudim, which garnered him a quick mention on Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 152: Václavská
Originally published on X on 11 April 2023. Until 1839, the street had various names. One of these was Na Lávkách (on the footbridges), so called because there was a footbridge leading from the Old Town to Podskalí along here. A second name was Korunní, probably because of a house on the street that had Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 