What's in a Prague street name
Every street in Prague, one by one.
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I could talk about myself for ages, or I could point out that https://english.radio.cz/ed-ley-englishman-recording-stories-pragues-streets-one-one-8806941 is over two years old but still largely stands (other than the Twitter links).
Category: Resistance
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Skálové was built in 2021. Dagmar Šimková was born in Plzeñ in 1912. She joined a scout troop in 1934, where the other members nicknamed her Rakša. Rakša is Raksha – the Mother wolf in The Jungle Book who raised Mowgli as her own cub. Raksha (रक्षा) is Hindi for ‘protection’. She and her husband, Karel…
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Nedvědovo náměstí was nameless until 1906. From 1906 to 1934, the square was called Komenského náměstí, of which there is still one in Prague 3: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/26/prague-3-day-82-komenskeho-namesti/. From 1934 to 1948, it was called Podolské náměstí. Miloš Nedvěd was born in 1908. His father, František Nedvěd, would later co-found the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in the early…
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Brabcova was built in 1938. It’s not been easy to find information on this one. Apparently, Karel Brabec was born in 1909, was a labourer, and a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. He was executed in 1942 for taking part in resistance activities. Before 1952, the street was named after Hynek Krušina z…
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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…
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Sinkulova was built in 1892. It was initially called Krušinova, after Hynek Krušina z Lichtenburka, a noble who first fought on the Hussite side in the 1400s, then on the side of the Catholics. Having been lengthened by taking over another street in the 1930s, the street has had its present name since 1948. Václav…
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Marie Cibulkové was built in 1900. Until 1940, and again from 1945 to 1947, the street was called Libušina, as nearby https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/23/prague-2-day-93-libusina/ still is. Marie Cibulková was born as Marie Grasserová in 1888. In 1920, she became a leader of the Pankrác Sokol (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-114-sokolska/), as well as a representative of the Sokols at the…
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Štětkova was built in 1898. Until 1940, and again from 1945 to 1948, the street was called Horymírova, and you can learn a thing or two about Horymír on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/01/29/prague-4-day-7-kresomyslova/. Then, from 1948 to 1952, it was called Mikešova, after Mikeš Divůček z Jemniště, a mintmaster from Kutná Hora who was good friends with Jan…
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In 1938, this square was first named individually on maps – but it was called Soudní náměstí (Court Square), after the Prague High Court, which had moved here in 1933 (see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/03/25/prague-4-day-57-soudni/). During the Prague Uprising of May 1945 (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/05/prague-4-day-25-5-kvetna-5-may/), barricades stood in front of the court, aiming to stop the Nazis from reaching Pankrác;…
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Pikrtova was formerly part of 5. května (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/05/prague-4-day-25-5-kvetna-5-may/), but construction of the nearby main road changed its shape so much that it was declared a separate street in 1977. We don’t have tremendous amounts of information about Josef Pikrt – for example, we don’t know his year of birth. We do know that he was…
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Doudlebská was built in 1941. Doudleby (coat of arms below) is a village less than ten kilometres from České Budějovice – so it’s quite appropriate that this street is just a stone’s throw from Budějovická. It’s named after the Doudleby tribe, who settled in the area of the village around 800. It was one of…
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Náměstí Generála Kutlvašra (General Kutlvašr Square) was built in 1911. Karel Kutlvašr was born in Michalovice, near Havlíčkův Brod, in 1896. Graduating from business school in 1911, he first worked in Humpolec, then in Kyiv. However, when World War One started, he joined the Czech Company, a volunteer unit consisting of Czechs living in the…
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The road was built in 1931, and, until 1940 (and again from 1945 to 1978), it was named 1. listopadu – 1 November – in honour of the Battle of Vyšehrad in 1420: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/01/prague-4-day-21-na-vitezne-plani/. By May 1945, Bohemia and Moravia had been occupied by Nazi Germany for over six years. However, both Soviet and American…
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Petra Rezka was built in 1931. Until 1948, the street was named Leflova, after Jindřich Lefl z Lažan, a Polish-Czech nobleman who initially supported Jan Hus, and gave him a place to hide, but later changed sides and was killed by the Hussites at the Battle of Vyšehrad (more on that in two days’ time).…
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Originally published on X on 30 June 2024. Poříčí – meaning ‘Riverside’ – existed as a settlement by the year 1000 (its local church was mentioned in writing in 993: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/11/10/prague-1-day-261-klimentska/). It was mainly settled by German merchants, as demonstrated by the name of the trade route leading through it – Vicus Teutonicum. A second…
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Originally published on X on 15 June 2024. ‘Nábřeží’ = ‘Embankment’. Ludvík Svoboda was born in Hroznatín, a village in Vysocina Region, in 1895. His father died a year later (apparently after being kicked by a horse), and his mother remarried in 1898. He attended the Agricultural School in Velké Meziříčí, and was then called…
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Originally published on X on 8 April 2023. Gorazdova was built in 1870. Before 1947, this was the northern part of Podskalská: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-122-podskalska/ Matěj Pavlík was born in Hrubá Vrbka, near Hodonín, in 1879, and attended the Faculty of Theology in Olomouc from 1898 to 1902, after which he was ordained. During these studies, he…
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Originally published on X on 22 August 2023. Čiklova was built in 1906. From 1906 to 1940, and again from 1945 to 1948, this was Sámova, after Samo, whose empire, from 623 to 658, is the first known political union of Slavic tribes. During the Nazi occupation, the street was called Hemina, after Hemma, or…
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Originally published on X on 26 January 2023. Sekaninova was built in 1892. Until 1947, this was Přemyslovo nábřeží (Přemysl Embankment), after Přemysl Oráč, or Přemysl the Ploughman, husband of Libuše and ancestor of the Přemyslid dynasty. Ivan Sekanin was born in Nové Město na Moravě in 1900. He studied law at Charles University and joined…
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Originally published on Twitter on 28 August 2022. Siwiecova was built in 1980. Until 2009, this was Havelkova, Václav Havelka (1893-1967, and yes, that was his actual name), was a Communist functionary, so it’s quite amazing the street maintained this name for so long. Not least given that the street is the home of the…
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Originally published on Twitter on 12 August 2022. Pod Vítkovem was built in 1872. It was known as Vítkov until 1947, and as ‘under Vítkov’ ever since. So here are the new facts about the memorial as promised during https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/12/04/prague-3-day-106-u-pamatniku/. The Nazis seized the lower buildings of the Museum in 1939, but somehow didn’t bother…
What's in a Prague street name 