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Prague 1, day 232: Salvátorská
Originally published on X on 20 May 2024. In 1610, a Protestant nobleman, Jáchym Ondřej Šlik, bought a plot of land for the construction of a German Evangelical church; the foundation stone was laid a year later, and the church (Kostel svatého Salvátora / St Salvator’s Church) was consecrated in 1614. Salvátor is a Czech Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 195: Malé náměstí
Originally published on X on 8 April 2024. A street sign that accessorises. I approve. ‘Malé náměstí’ translates as ’Small square’ (and the map above is another excellent reminder that we might translate náměstí as ‘square’, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be shaped like one. And the name – already fairly self-explanatory – makes Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 194: Melantrichova
Originally published on X on 7 April 2024. Jiřík Černý was born around 1511 in Rožďalovice, near Nymburk, but there are no written mentions of him until 1534, when he gained a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. At some point (the years after his graduation aren’t well documented either), he Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 163: Anenské náměstí
Originally published on X on 6 March 2024. In this spot, there was once a rotunda devoted to St Lawrence (Vavřinec). In 1230, the Knights Templar bought the land and had the rotunda expanded into a church. Pope Clement V disbanded the Knights Templar in 1312, largely due to the machinations of Philip IV of Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 140: V Cípu
Originally published on X on 11 February 2024. A cíp is a tip or a corner. And, as this is basically an extension of Panská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/23/prague-1-day-139-panska/) which doesn’t lead anywhere, this seems quite apt. First referred to as ‘in vico dicto Czyp’ in 1395, it was also known as Heršova for a time, as a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 120: Ve Smečkách
Originally published on X on 21 January 2024. A smečka is a pack (e.g. of dogs or wolves), or a pride (of lions). It originally meant ‘loop’ or ‘dog-collar’, before being attributed to a whole group of animals rather than simply to one animal’s neck. This could be the reason for the street’s name, but Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 