Synagogues
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Prague 4, day 215: U Šálkovny
U Šálkovny was built in 1935. Vineyards existed around here at least as far back as 1400. About four hundred years later, a farmstead was set up here by an owner called Mr Šálek. Šálek was Jewish and, for a time, the farmstead included a synagogue. After World War One – by which time the Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 229: U Staré školy (The Old School)
Originally published on X on 15 May 2024. The oldest Jewish settlements in Prague were probably on Malá Strana and near Vyšehrad. The Vyšehrad one disappeared around the end of the 11th century. The one in Malá Strana, meanwhile, was burned down in 1142, when Conrad III of Germany laid siege to Prague Castle. The Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 228: Dušní
Originally published on X on 14 May 2024. A relatively quick one today, as I can just point you towards https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/31/prague-1-day-227-u-svateho-ducha/ (with an update: I’ve seen a website saying the church was built between 1346 and 1348). Originally, the southern part of the street was called U sv. Ducha (like yesterday’s street), and the northern Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 219: U starého hřbitova (The Old Cemetery)
Originally published on X on 5 May 2024. This might be the Old (Jewish) Cemetery, but it’s not the oldest in Prague – we know that there was another one in the present-day New Town, dating back to at least 1254: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/09/14/prague-1-day-107-charvatova/. King Vladislav II had that one closed down in 1478. However, this cemetery Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 218: Červená
Originally published on X on 4 May 2024. I’m not in Prague today, but if you are, and have cleaning tools and a ladder, here’s an idea for a fun day out. ‘Červená’ means ‘red’. Jewish butchers had their shops round here, and these were painted red. Originally, the street was called Řeznická (a ‘řezník’ Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 215: Maiselova
Originally published on X on 1 May 2024. Mordecai Meisel was born in Prague in 1528 (the oldest mention of a member of the Meisel family living in Prague dates from 1425). Moredcai, meanwhile, is first mentioned in writing in 1569; he was a banker and businessman who eventually became a member of the court Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 214: Široká
Originally published on X on 30 April 2024. Starting this story a bit to the north: Štvanice is an island between Karlín and Holešovice; you’re most likely to know it for its tennis arena which hosts the WTA Prague Open. Anyway, once upon a time, there was a ford at Štvanice, and there was a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 130: Jeruzalémská
Originally posted on X on 1 February 2024. Back in the early days of the New Town, this street was called Sedmihrady, which is Czech for Transylvania (see also: the German ‘Siebenbürgen’), and if you want to know a little bit about Czechs in Romania, take a look at https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/06/30/prague-2-day-52-rumunska/. However, it’s more likely that Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 