Violinists
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Prague 4, day 173: Bohuslava Martinů
Bohuslava Martinů was built in 1966. Bohuslav Martinů was born in a church in Polička (near Pardubice) in 1890. From 1906 to 1910, he attended the Prague Conservatory, studying the violin, the organ and composition, but didn’t complete his studies, partly because he was much more interested in exploring Prague (Bohuslav, I hear you). However, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 131: Hoffmannova
Hoffmannova was built in 1925, but remained nameless until 1955. The whole namelessness thing starts to make sense when you see that it feels more like a ye olde village road than anything else. Karel Hoffmann was born to a poor family in Smíchov in 1872, initially living near Anděl, then at Bertramka. As a Continue reading
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Prague 1, day 20: Nový Svět (New World)
Originally published on X on 18 September 2023. Nový Svět was originally a village, developing outside Hradčany in the early 1300s, and, in 1360, being attached to it as ordered by Charles IV. Not surprisingly, many of its residents worked at the Castle. And its attachment to Hradčany is why it became known as a Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 148: Ondříčkova
Originally published on Twitter on 18 September 2022. Ondříčkova was built in 1885. Until 1937, this was Břetislavova, presumably after Břetislav I (1005-1055), II (1060-1100) III (died 1197), all Dukes of Bohemia. František Ondříček was born on Nový Svět in Hradčany in 1857, and played violin in taverns and cafes as part of his father’s Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 142: Ševčíkova
Originally published on Twitter on 12 September 2022. Ševčíkova was built in 1904. Until 1947, this was Bendlova, after Karel Bendl (1838-97), composer, organiser of the Umělecká beseda’s music department, second conductor of the Deutsche Oper and later of Prague’s National Theatre. Otakar Ševčík was born in Horažďovice in 1852. He started learning the violin Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 140: Slavíkova
Originally published on Twitter on 10 September 2022. Slavíkova was built in 1910. Until 1961, this was Grégrova, after Julius Grégr (1831-96), co-founder of the Young Czechs and of Národní listy. Josef Slavík was born in Jince (near Příbram) in 1806. A prodigy on the violin, he was, by the age of nine, the lead Continue reading
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Prague 3, day 138: Kubelíkova
Originally published on Twitter on 8 September 2022. Kubelíkova was built in 1885. Until 1930, this was Libušina, after Libuše, ancestor of the Přemyslid dynasty and of the Czechs. So the number of streets named after women in Prague 3 has actually gone *down* over the years. Gah. From 1930 to 1947, it was Dvořákova, after Antonín Dvořák, Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 