Praha 2
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Prague 2, day 49: Varšavská
Originally published on Twitter on 25 December 2022. Varšavská was built in 1884. Until 1926, this was Kollárova, after Ján Kollár (1793-1852), Slovak poet, archaeologist, politician and renowned Pan-Slavist. Varšava is obviously Warsaw, which is obviously the capital of Poland, which obviously got a lot of coverage on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/01/27/prague-2-day-14-polska/. And a bit more coverage on Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 48: Uruguayská
Originally published on Twitter on 24 December 2022. For those who don’t use X/Twitter: a) you’re sensible; b) I’m still knocking these posts out each day on there, but am not so good at putting them on here. However, with only two weeks left until I’ve finished Prague 1, I’m going to transfer everything over Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 47: Záhřebská
Originally published on Twitter on 23 December 2022. Záhřebská was built in 1872. Until 1880, this was Hrabova, after Josef Hraba (born 1815), a hotelier who owned the land upon which the street was built (and who died the year before it was). Then, until 1926, it was Klicperova, after Václav Kliment Klicpera (1752-1859), a Continue reading
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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
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Prague 2, day 45: Francouzská
Originally published on Twitter on 21 December 2022. Francouzská was built in 1884. Like Anglická (and Moskevská in Prague 10), this was formerly part of the highway leading to Vršovice: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/03/02/prague-2-day-39-anglicka/. Then, also like Anglická (and Moskevská), it was renamed to Palackého until 1926. In 1940, both Anglická and Moskevská became Bismarckova, after Otto von Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 44: Šubertova
Originally published on Twitter on 2o December 2022. Šubertova was built in 1905. Like Ibsenova (which is on the other side of the Vinohrady Theatre), this was originally called U divadla (By the Theatre). However, while what is now Ibsenova was renamed to Divadelní in 1920 (and Ibsenova in 1928), its other half maintained its Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 43: Ibsenova
Originally published on Twitter on 19 December 2022. Ibsenova was built in 1905. Until 1920, this was U divadla – ‘By the (National) Theatre’ – before becoming Divadelní (Theatre Street) until 1928. Henrik Ibsen was born in Skien, southern Norway, in 1828 – i.e. the name change to Ibsenova occurred on the centenary of his Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 42: Náměstí Míru
Originally published on Twitter on 18 December 2022. Náměstí Míru – Peace Square in English, Mirák to locals – was built in 1884. Until 1926, it was called Purkyňovo náměstí after Jan Evangelista Purkyně (1787-1869), anatomist, physiologist and coiner of the word ‘protoplasm’. Then, in 1926, when Vinohrady underwent its Allied Renaming Extravaganza (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/12/23/prague-2-day-1-italska/), it Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 41: Londýnská
Originally published on Twitter on 17 December 2022. Londýnská was built in 1875. From 1875 to 1884, this was Tunelová, named after the tunnel under the street, connecting the main train station with the one in Nusle. Then it became Hálkova until 1926, after Vítězslav Hálek (1835-74), a poet, writer and journalist who was one Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 40: Bělehradská
Originally published on Twitter on 16 December 2022. Bělehradská was built in the 19th century. Until 1875, this was the Linecká silnice – the highway to Linz in Austria; it then became the Nuselská silnice – the highway to a somewhat nearer place, Nusle, until 1880. Then, from 1880 until the Great Geographical Renaming Funday Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 39: Anglická
Originally published on Twitter on 15 December 2022. Anglickáwas built in its current form between 1867 and 1878. Historically, there was a highway (if that’s the term) leading from Žitná brána (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/27/prague-2-day-36-zitna/) to the then village of Vršovice. From 1878, it was named Palackého after František Palacký, figurehead of the Czech National Revival. It then Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 38: Vocelova
Originally published on Twitter on 14 December 2022. Vocelova was built in 1884. Jan Erazim Wotzel was born in Kutná Hora in 1802. He studied in both Prague and Vienna, and, at some point in these years, adapted his surname to its Czech form, Vocel. In Prague, he also befriended František Palacký. Upon graduating, he Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 37: Mikovcova
Originally published on Twitter on 13 December 2022. Mikovcova was built in 1884. Ferdinand Mikovetz was born in Sloup v Čechách / Bürgstein (near Česká Lípa) in 1826. Despite being born into a German-speaking family, he became fascinated by Czech patriotism during his school years. In the early 1840s, he studied history and art history. Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 36: Žitná
Originally published on Twitter on 12 December 2022. Žitná was built between the 15th and 18th centuries, possibly making this one 400 years older than any other street we’ve covered so far. Žitná is the feminine form of the adjective stemming from žito, rye. (I guess I’ve never mentioned that these streets are almost all Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 35: Čelakovského sady
Originally published on Twitter on 11 December 2022. Čelakovského sady was/were (sady – gardens – is plural) built in 1882. František Ladislav Čelakovský was born in Strakonice in 1799. After graduating from the gymnasium in České Budějovice, he moved to Prague to study philosophy. Financial constraints forced him to drop out and continue his studies Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 33: Rubešova
Originally published on Twitter on 9 December 2022. Rubešova was built before 1884, and the history of the road is slightly complicated. Part of the street, while created around the same time, was originally called Resslova, after Josef Ressel, who was briefly mentioned here as he was a native of Chrudim: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/06/24/prague-3-day-177-chrudimska/ While, in 1895, Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 32: Římská
Originally published on Twitter on 8 December 2022. Římská was built in 1884. Řím is Rome. And yet I’m writing this from the airport in Athens. I bet there’s a Latin or a Greek word for this. Awesome sunrise from where I’m sitting right now, too. Until 1926, the street – which was shorter at Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 31: Sázavská
Originally published on Twitter on 7 December 2022. Sázavská was built in 1889. Sázava is the name both of a river in the Vysočina and Central Bohemian regions, and of a town of 3,700 people on its banks, in the Benešov district. The proto-Slavic verb sázeti means something like ‘to depose a lot of sediment’. Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 30: U Tržnice
Originally published on Twitter on 6 December 2022. Building started around 1903, with the street actually getting its name in 1920. Formerly the location for a factory that produced mill machinery, the ‘Vinohrady market hall’ was designed by architect Antonín Turek, and was built between 1901 to 1903. Vinohrady has quite a lot to thank Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 