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Prague 4, day 39: U Křížku
U Křížku was built in 1930. A ‘křížek’ is a small cross (a regular-sized cross is a ‘kříž’), and this was once the name of… something round here, probably involving the Holy Cross. There’s a hill originally named after the Holy Cross, and colloquially also known as Křížek, in Prague 3, and, if you live round Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 38: Družstevní
Družstevní was built in 1920. The street name is an adjective which derives from ‘družstvo’, meaning ‘association’, ‘collective’ or ‘co-op’. For many, the word has communist connotations – a ‘zemědělské družstvo’ is what we would call a cooperative farm, although it also translates as ‘agricultural cooperative’, and, as Dairy Farmers of America and similar organisations Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 37: U Pernštejnských
U Pernštejnských was built in 1938, but was nameless until 1947. The Pernštejns were a noble family originating in south-west Moravia. They reached the peak of their power in the 1500s, becoming one of the three richest families in the Czech Lands. However, by the mid-1600s, they were no more, as the last of the Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 36: Mojmírova
Mojmírova was built in 1892. Slavs started arriving on the territory of present-day Czechia in the 5th century; this was a gradual process, happening in several waves. We know that a king called Sámo formed the first West Slavic state – Samo’s Empire, in the 600s (from 623 or 631 to 658). It was most Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 35: Rostislavova
Rostislavova was built in 1892. Rostislav was the nephew of Mojmír I, the first known ruler of the Moravian Slavs. More on him in a couple of days. It’s possible that, as a child, he was held as a vassal, upon Uncle Mojmír’s request, by Louis the German, King of East Francia. Louis invaded Moravia Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 34: V podluží
V podluží was built in 1925. Yesterday, we discussed how a ‘luh’ is a meadow, and that the area around here once had that name too (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/13/prague-4-day-33-v-luhu/). We’re not straying at all far from that story today, because ‘podluží’ would translate as ‘the area under the meadow’. Shove ‘Podluží’ into Wikipedia, and you’ll find out Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 33: V luhu
V luhu was built in 1925. A ‘luh’ is a riparian forest, i.e. a forest that’s next to a body of water. It can also be translated as ‘meadow’, and it seems that that’s what the area round here was once known as. I would apologise for the days on which these posts are short, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 32: Pod vilami
Pod vilami was built in 1925. The street name translates as ‘below the villas’, and, well, that’s pretty self-explanatory. The corner of Pod vilami and Vladimírova features St Wenceslas Church (Kostel svatého Václava), built in 1898, the year in which Nusle, not yet part of Prague, was elevated to the status of royal town. Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 31: Vladimírova
Vladimírova was built in 1898. Vladimir (or Volodymyr) was born in 958, the illegitimate son of Sviatoslav (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/10/prague-4-day-30-svatoslavova/) and his servant, Malusha. In 970, Sviatoslav made his legitimate son, Yaropolk (pictured), ruler of Kyiv; Vladimir was put in charge of Novgorod. Sviatoslav was murdered two years later, and war broke out between Yaropolk and the Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 30: Svatoslavova
I can’t say with certainty when Svatoslavova was built, but it’s had its name since 1900. There are Svatoslavs that the street could be named after. I’ll get the more Czech – but less interesting – one out of the way, and then I’ll move on to option two. Option 1 Svatoslav was an alleged Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 29: Náměstí Generála Kutlvašra
Náměstí Generála Kutlvašra (General Kutlvašr Square) was built in 1911. Karel Kutlvašr was born in Michalovice, near Havlíčkův Brod, in 1896. Graduating from business school in 1911, he first worked in Humpolec, then in Kyiv. However, when World War One started, he joined the Czech Company, a volunteer unit consisting of Czechs living in the Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 28: Pod sokolovnou
Pod sokolovnou was built in 1933. Its name translates as ‘under the Sokol’, which had been opened eight years earlier. For the story of the Sokols, see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/26/prague-2-day-114-sokolska/. In communist times, the powers-that-be decided that the Sokols should be replaced with the joyful-and-spontaneous-as-they-sound Czechoslovak Union of Physical Education. From 1948 until the end of the Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 27: Na Květnici
Na Květnici was built in 1925. ‘Květnice’ is a now-obsolete word used to denote a flower garden. There’s a settlement in Prague East called this, complete with a castle with the same name. It also seems that there was a local settlement with the name here in Nusle. Na Květnici is the present-day location for Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 26: Táborská
Originally, this was part of the road from Prague to České Budějovice and then on to Linz, and was therefore known as Linecká, Budějovická, or, reflecting its direct surroundings, Nuselská. From 1900 to 1940, and again from 1945 to 1947, it was named Palackého – see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/31/prague-2-day-145-palackeho-namesti/ to learn about Mr Palacký. Tábor, population 34,000, Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 25: 5. května (5 May)
The road was built in 1931, and, until 1940 (and again from 1945 to 1978), it was named 1. listopadu – 1 November – in honour of the Battle of Vyšehrad in 1420: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/01/prague-4-day-21-na-vitezne-plani/. By May 1945, Bohemia and Moravia had been occupied by Nazi Germany for over six years. However, both Soviet and American Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 24: Lounských
Louny is a town of 18,000 people in the Ústí nad Labem Region, located about 20 km from the town we discussed yesterday, Žatec (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/02/03/prague-4-day-23-zateckych/). Přemysl Otakar II (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/01/06/prague-4-day-6-otakarova/) had a royal town built here in the 1260s. The rest of the story is very similar to yesterday’s – there was a rumour in Hussite Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 23: Žateckých
Žateckých was built in 1931. The street is named after a group of people from Žatec, a town of 20,000 people, located 62 km north-west of Prague. As late as the 1500s, it was one of the largest cities in Bohemia. More on https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/20/prague-1-day-207-zatecka/. In the late 1410s, many Hussites thought that the end of Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 22: Kongresová
Kongresová was built in 1986. In 1971, a spatial plan determined that some sort of ‘service centre’ should be built in this location, which was also the site of improved transport links – Nusle Bridge (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/08/21/prague-2-day-86-nuselsky-most/) would be opened in 1973, and Prague’s first metro line would follow in 1974. After a drawn-out selection procedure Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 21: Na Vítězné pláni
Na Vítězné pláni (On the Victory Plain) already existed in the first half of the 20th century, but wasn’t given its name until 1993. If you were ever a Czech schoolkid, you’ll be familiar with the Hussite Wars; if you weren’t, let’s take a trip back to 1420. In March, Pope Martin V issued a Papal Continue reading
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Prague 4, day 20: Pod Terebkou
Pod Terebkou (‘Under Terebka’) was built in 1935. Once upon a time, this area was either a vineyard or just a regular field, but, in 1841, a homestead was built here. Later in the century, it was purchased by Rudolf Tereba (1851-1904), an architect who had travelled around Italy, later settling in Prague and building Continue reading
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What's in a Prague street name 