WW2
-
Prague 2, day 81: Sekaninova
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 Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 63: Rybalkova
Originally published on Twitter on 8 January 2023. Rybalkova was built before 1884. Prior to the Nazi occupation, and again from 1945 to 1946, the street was called Jablonského, after Boleslav Jablonský (1813-81), poet and priest. During the Nazi occupation, it was known as Labská, after the river Labe (and as in ‘Ústí nad’), known Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 46: Jana Masaryka
Originally published on Twitter on 22 December 2022. Jana Masaryka was built in 1875. Until 1884, this was Wimmerova, after Jakub Wimmer (1754-1822), entrepreneur, landowner, benefactor and colonel. Then it was renamed Čelakovského after František Ladislav Čelakovský (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/02/18/prague-2-day-35-celakovskeho-sady/). In 1926, the street was renamed Polská. Which means that I have to retract this tweet from Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 36: Žitná
Originally published on Twitter on 12 December 2022. Žitná was built between the 15th and 18th centuries, possibly making this one 400 years older than any other street we’ve covered so far. Žitná is the feminine form of the adjective stemming from žito, rye. (I guess I’ve never mentioned that these streets are almost all Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 7: Na Smetance
Originally published on Twitter on 13 November 2022. Na Smetance was built in 1889. Smetanka (translation: ‘Dandelion’) is a homestead and vineyard that used to lie in this spot. It’s old enough for it to be unclear when it was built. What we do know is that it housed a pub, and, from 1859, was Continue reading
-
Prague 2, day 2: Dudova
Originally published on Twitter on 8 November 2022. Dudova was built in 2019. Josef Duda was born into a military family in Pohořelec in Hradčany in 1905. In 1923, he joined the Czechoslovak army, graduating from the Military Academy in Hranice in 1925. He then studied at the Military Aviation Academy in Cheb, and at Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 159: Novovysočanská
Originally published on Twitter on 29 September 2022. Novovysočanská was built in 1906. We’re at the ‘streets I didn’t realise were partially in Prague 3 / Žižkov’ stage of things. In my defence, there isn’t actually a single street sign in the Prague 3 part of Novovysočanská, and this pic is the nearest I can Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 75: Pitterova
Originally published on Twitter on 7 July 2022. Pitterova was part of Chelčického (coming up in a few days) from 1885 until 1996, when it was given a name of its own. Přemysl Pitter was born in Smíchov in 1895. He studied typography in Leipzig in 1911-2, and, after his father’s death a year later, Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 46: Nad Ohradou
Originally published on Twitter on 8 June 2022. Nad Ohradou was built in 1975. You can find out about Ohrada, a vineyard that was first mentioned in 1455, and which this street is ‘above’, here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-11-na-ohrade/. Except that there’s actually new stuff to say about Ohrada in the month since I originally tweeted about it. Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 22: Zelenky Hajského
Zelenky Hajského was built, with a different name (see later), in 1908. Jan Zelenka (1895-1942), born in Kamenný Újezd, but spending most of his life in Prague, was a primary school teacher, and, later, member of the Czech resistance in WW2. From 1925, he worked in a newly-built school in Háj u Duchcova, where he Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 13: Pražačka
Originally posted on Twitter on 6 May 2022. Pražačka was built in 1947. It’s named after *another* farmstead (and vineyard) that no longer exists. The origin of the name ‘Pražačka’ isn’t clear, but original maps list the name as ‘Brasatscha’ – so, surprisingly, the name probably doesn’t have anything to do with ‘Praha’. The vineyard Continue reading
-
Prague 3, day 1: Koněvova
Starting off where it all began – this was originally posted on Twitter on 24 April 2022. Here begins a series in which I walk along the very long street immediately to the north of my flat and examine the names of the streets leading off it, one by one. We’ll start with the very Continue reading
What's in a Prague street name 