Vinohrady
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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 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
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Prague 2, day 29: Slovenská
Originally published on Twitter on 5 December 2022. Slovenská was built around 1900. As with Moravia, I don’t want to do a ‘this is the history of […] in 15-20 tweets’ thing. So this seems like a good opportunity to remember that the Velvet Revolution happened in Slovakia too. The Slovaks prefer to call it Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 28: Lužická
Originally published on Twitter on 4 December 2022. Lužická was built around 1900. From 1940 to 1945, this was Rankova, after Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886), a historian and proponent of modern, source-based history. But Lužice / Lusatia / Lausitz / Łużyce is a historical territory, nowadays split between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Slavic Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 27: Moravská
Originally published on Twitter on 3 December 2022. I know I’m falling behind with reposting these on here, partly because I’m writing a new one every day on that place while it still exists. Moravská was built in 1889. You know where Moravia is. I know where Moravia is. I also don’t want to turn this Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 26: Šumavská
First published on Twitter on 2 December 2022. Šumavská was built in 1889. Šumava is a mountain range covering the borderlands of the Czech Republic, Germany (Bavaria) and Austria. Many German speakers refer to it as the Böhmerwald – (the Bohemian Forest), although Bavarians, clearly wanting to take full credit, like to call it the Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 25: Chodská
Originally published on Twitter on 1 December 2022. Chodská was built in 1889. From 1940 to 1945, this was Grimmova, after Jakob Grimm (1783-1863), co-author of the Deutsches Wörterbuch, co-editor of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, writer of Deutsche Mythologie and the elder of the Brothers Grimm. Chodsko is a historical area in the Domažlice region, named Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 24: Sady Bratří Čapků
Originally published on Twitter on 30 November 2022. Sady Bratří Čapků was created (sort of) in 2016. This was part of a larger park, opened in 1903, and, originally called Městský sad (City Garden) until 1928. In 1928, it became Bezručovy sady, after Petr Bezruč, the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek (1867-1958), a poet most known Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 23: Kladská
Originally published on Twitter on 29 November 2022. Kladská was built in 1896. Kladsko in Czech is Kłodzko in Polish – a town of just under 27,000 people in Lower Silesia. First mentioned in 981, its name derives from the Czech word kláda (log), as its first bridges, houses and fortifications were made of wood. Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 22: U Kanálky
Originally published on Twitter on 28 November 2022. U Kanálky was built in 1905. It was called Kanálská until 1961. Kanálka is a garden that used to exist here, between Polská and Vinohradská, built by the Czech gardener Václav Teisinger. Czech philanthrope and botanist Josef Emanuel Canal ordered its construction in the 1780s, after purchasing various Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 21: Čerchovská
Originally published on Twitter on 27 November 2022. Čerchovská was built in 1896. Čerchov, 1,042 metres high, is the highest mountain in Český les (somewhat different English name: Upper Palatine Forest), as well as the 10th-highest in the country. It’s only two kilometres from the German border. In German, it’s called Schwarzkopf, and yes, I Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 19: Na Švihance
Originally published on Twitter on 25 November 2022. Na Švihance was built in 1908. I’m not managing to work out what švihanka translates as, though. Švihat is to whip or flick (which leads to průšvih – trouble), and for the sake of people, horses and cream, I hope this isn’t the origin. (OK, I may Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 18: Chopinova
Originally published on Twitter on 24 November 2022. Chopinova, built in 1910, was called ‘U Riegrových sadů’ (which it is) until 1965. In 1965, the Polish Fryderyk Chopin Society asked for a street to be named after their idol; in exchange, the Warsaw district of Mokotów got itself an ‘ulica Bedrzycha Smetany’. Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin Continue reading
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Prague 2, day 16: Budečská
Originally published on Twitter on 22 November 2022. Budečská was built in 1889. From 1940 to 1945, this was Humboldtova, after Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835), Prussian philosopher, linguist, diplomat and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin. Budeč, the remains of a castle, is a national cultural monument located 17 km north-west of Prague in Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 