What's in a Prague street name
Every street in Prague, one by one.
recent posts (search bar on main page for about a gazillion more)
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: Writers
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Originally published on Twitter on 4 January 2023. Wenzigova was built in 1893. Josef Wenzig was born in Prague in 1807. After working as a private tutor, he became a professor at the Prague German School, staying there from 1833 to 1849, when he set up the První česká reálka (First Czech Secondary School) on…
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Originally published on Twitter on 29 December 2022. Tylovo námestí, colloquially known as Tylák, was built around 1875. The square was built on what was then the highway to Linz-slash-Nusle, i.e. present-day Bělehradská: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/03/02/prague-2-day-40-belehradska/ When the square was founded, it was called Tržiště – the Marketplace – or Tržní náměstí – Market Square, for obvious…
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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,…
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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…
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Originally published on Twitter on 23 November 2022. Třebízského was built around 1903. From 1940 to 1945, this was Krušnohorksá, after Krušné hory / the Erzgebirge / the Ore Mountains, which separate Bohemia and Saxony. Václav Beneš was born in Třebíz, near Slaný, in 1849. The school he went to there was attended at the…
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Originally published on Twitter on 21 September 2022. Křišťanova was built in 1904. Křišťan z Prachatic was born in the late 1360s, started studying at Charles University in 1386, and then became a maths lecturer there while also being a parish priest in the Old Town. *And* also becoming the University’s dean and chancellor. He…
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Originally published on Twitter on 26 August 2022. Seifertova was built in 1875. Until 1940, this was Karlova, after Karel IV; from 1940 to 1945, it was Lutherova, after Martin Luther. After a brief return to its original name, it became Kalininova from 1947 to 1990, after Mikhail Kalinin (1875-1945), an Old Bolshevik revolutionary after…
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Originally published on Twitter on 23 August 2022. Havlíčkovo náměstí was built in 1875. Until 1910, this was Basilejské náměstí, now the name of another square slightly to the east (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/26/prague-3-day-94-basilejske-namesti/). Between 1940 and 1945, it was Husovo náměstí (limited explanation required). Karel Havlíček Borovský was born in 1821 and studied in Německý Brod (now…
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Originally published on Twitter on 19 August 2022. Štítného was built before 1875. Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného was born into the lower nobility at the Štítná fortress (now part of Žirovnice, Vysočina Region) around 1333. He moved to Prague to study at the Art Faculty of Charles University, where he became acquainted with reform preachers…
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Originally published on Twitter on 20 July 2022. Koldínova was built in 1904. Pavel Kristián z Koldína (1530-1589) was a lawyer and writer. He held several key positions in Prague: rector of the Latin school, dean of Charles University (from 1561), and chancellor of the Old Town from 1565 to 1584. In 1569, he and…
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Originally published on Twitter on 16 July 2022. Blahoslavova was built before 1875. Jan Blahoslav (1523-1571) was a writer, translator, and composer, among many other professions. He was a bishop in the Jednota bratrská (see yesterday: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/26/prague-3-day-83-ceskobratrska/), and, in 1564, translated the New Testament into Czech. He also published ‘Muzika’ (a ‘guide to how to…
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Originally published on Twitter on 11 July 2022. Sabinova was built in 1875. Until 1962, the street was called Jaboukova (named after either Jakoubek ze Stříbra or Jakoubek z Vřesovic, both prominent Hussites in the early 15th century). Karel Sabina (1813-77) was, among other things, a writer, poet, playwright, journalist and politician. Despite growing up…
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Originally published on Twitter on 10 July 2022. Chelčického was built in 1885. Petr Chelčický (1379-1460-ish) was most likely a pseudonym for Petr Záhorka, born in the Chelčice region (in South Bohemia). He was a writer, translator and theologian, one of the most important figures of the Czech Reformation. He didn’t have a university education,…
