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).

  • Prague 3, day 161: Vinohradská

    Originally published on Twitter on 1 October 2022.

    Vinohradská was built long enough ago for people to not know the exact year.

    Caution: multiple name changes coming.

    It was originally called Říčanská, as it led to Říčany in modern-day Prague-East (reputedly the best place to live in the country, or so says the Quality of Life Index: https://obcevdatech.cz/en/ricany).

    Around 1873, it became Černokostelecká silnice, as it also led to what is now known as Kostelec nad Černými lesy (‘Fortified Church upon the Black Forests’, because this country is awesome), also now in in the Prague-East district.

    From 1884 to 1920, it was Jungmannova, after Josef Jungmann  (1773-1847), poet, leader of the Czech National Revival and the man often credited with creating the Czech language as we know it today.

    Then, from 1920-40, and 1945-6, it was Fochova, after Ferdinand Foch, French Supreme Allied Commander during WW1, who was present at the Armistice and complained that the Treaty of Versailles was too lenient on Germany.

    Which leads to the very unsurprising news that the Nazi occupiers changed the name (to Schwerinova, after Kurt Christoph von Schwerin (1684-1757), a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who was killed in the Battle of Prague (Štěrboholy) during the Seven Years’ War).

    From 1946 to 1962, it was Stalinova. I’m not going to give a potted biography but am going to say this: what a c**t.

    Vinohradská is obviously named after Vinohrady, which itself is named after the many vineyards the district used to contain.

    The most well-known building is probably Český rozhlas / Czech Radio at number 12 (do subscribe to #Vinohradska12 if you’re a Czech speaker, and https://english.radio.cz/newsletter/subscribe… / @RadioPrague if you’re not).

    Whereas the most useful but definitely not the nicest is often Atrium Flora, and I have a real soft spot for Vinohradská tržnice (AKA ‘the really stylish Albert’) at number 50.

  • Prague 3, day 160: Pod židovskými hřbitovy

    Originally published on Twitter on 30 September 2022.

    Pod židovskými hřbitovy was built in 1981 (like me).

    Another belated ‘oh, that’s Prague 3’ moment – the only street sign says otherwise, but the northernmost part of the short street is actually in the district.

    The street name translates as ‘Under the Jewish Cemeteries’, and that’s exactly where we are – here’s the previous thread about Izraelská: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/28/prague-3-day-99-izraelska/.

    Though there’s been a significant and overdue event involving Prague’s Jewish cemeteries since that thread: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/07/broken-jewish-tombstones-used-to-pave-czech-square-made-into-memorial.

    Although that monument is actually located at Prague’s *old* Jewish cemetery, which is now the location of the Žižkov Television Tower.

  • 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 get to one.

    Until 1931, the street was called Žižkova; in 1940, it took over a street called Trocnovská (not https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/30/prague-3-day-102-trocnovska/).

    The street was also called 5. května (5 May), a reference to the start of the Prague Uprising, for a brief time after WW2.

    Nové Vysočany is the south-western part of Vysočany, a separate town between 1902 and 1921, before it was incorporated into Prague. It’s directly north of Na Balkáně (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-39-na-balkane/).

    Vysočany has traditionally been an industrial area. On 25 March 1945, it was hit by an Allied air raid, which killed 400 people and damaged several factories and the historic fortress: https://www.vhu.cz/exhibit/nasledky-americkeho-naletu-na-prahu-z-25-brezna-1945/ and https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/veda/3066916-lidem-hruzou-sedively-vlasy-a-umirali-v-polich-nalet-na-prahu-pred-75-lety-zanechal.

    Nové Vysočany is also the name of a building development, aiming to improve the fairly empty areas that are still around here despite the nearby presence of the O2 and the Harfa shopping centre: https://www.blesk.cz/clanek/regiony-praha-praha-zpravy/693365/nove-centrum-vysocan-namesti-emila-kolbena-vznikne-u-o2-areny-obklopi-ho-byty-i-skoly.html

    For Czech speakers, here’s a more interesting story about a new street name than anything I’ve managed to write above: https://www.forum24.cz/dalsi-hrdinove-heydrichiady-maji-v-prazskych-vysocanech-svoji-ulici/.

  • Prague 3, day 158: Jičínská

    Originally published on Twitter on 28 September 2022.

    Jičínská was built in 1910.

    Jičín is a town of 16,000 people in the Hradec Králové Region. Initially a royal town, Jan Lucemburský sold it to the Vartenberk family in 1337.

    It really started to expand in 1621, when it was purchased by the military leader Albrecht von Wallenstein (who fought on the victorious Catholic side at Bílá Hora the year before).

    Wallenstein / Valdštejn chose Jičín as the capital of his de facto sovereign Duchy of Friedland (Frýdlantské vévodství). He called in Italian architects to make improvements to the city.

    After his death, the city was looted by the Swedes and forcibly re-Catholicised.

    The 19th century saw the city become one of the centres of the Czech National Revival (František Ladislav Rieger taught at the gymnasium here), and also saw a key battle of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866.

    During the 1968 invasion, a drunk Polish soldier shot dead a man and a woman in the centre of town: https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/zahranici/jicinsky-masakr-je-hanbou-okupantu-polak-v-roce-1968-zavrazd/r~191b3b9e68a411e89b0fac1f6b220ee8/.

    Afterwards, Soviet troops used the city’s Jesuit college as a base until 1991, and didn’t exactly care about its upkeep.

    The city has a very nice website which makes me quite want to spent a weekend there next time the weather’s good: https://www.jicin.org/en/discover-jicin.

  • Prague 3, day 157: Olšanské náměstí

    Originally published on Twitter on 27 September 2022.

    Olšanské náměstí was built in 1910.

    For the story of Olšany, the village that was once located here, I’m going to take you to https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/22/prague-3-day-73-olsanska/.

    Until 1930, the square was called Radešínovo náměstí, after Vilém z Radešína, who owned Olšany from 1546.

    For the story of why it looks so damn 1970s round here, I’m going to take you to https://twitter.com/ed__ley/status/1571098077066567680… (not technically part of this series, and so not on the website).

    I don’t want to accuse this square of being uninteresting or anything, but Czech Wikipedia, trying to list important landmarks, mentions two addresses, and one of them is a branch of Tipsport.

    But it looks like the area might be about to get a bit of a kick up the ass: https://cc.cz/zanedbane-olsanske-namesti-ma-chytit-novy-dech-s-opravou-dvou-panelaku-pruchod-jednoho-doplni-obchody/.

  • Prague 3, day 156: Sudoměřská

    Originally published on Twitter on 26 September 2022.

    Sudoměřská was built in 1898.

    It was originally called Sudoměřická until 1958, when it was changed on the grounds that Sudoměřská is the grammatically correct adjective for something from Sudoměř, and Sudoměřická… is not.

    These days, Sudoměř is a village which is part of the municipality of Čejetice in Southern Bohemia.

    On 25 March 1420, it was the site of a battle between Catholics (Royalists) and Hussites, the first major battle of the Hussite Wars.

    The latter, led by Jan Žižka, were outnumbered five to one, and less well equipped.

    However, the Catholic side got caught in the marshland and the Hussites were able to finish them off. The Hussite forces escaped later that day.

    Sudoměř is now the site of a pretty awesome statue, made in 1925 by Emanuel Kodet, to commemorate the battle: https://cs.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitva_u_Sudom%C4%9B%C5%99e#/media/Soubor%3APam%C3%A1tn%C3%ADk_Jana_%C5%BDi%C5%BEky_u_Sudom%C4%9B%C5%99e_(2).JPG.

    Fans of military reenactments will enjoy the last few seconds of this piece, filmed at the statue on the battle’s anniversary earlier this year: https://taborsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/video-u-sudomere-opet-valcili-husite-stejne-jako-pred-602-lety-20220326.html

    And here’s how the battle was filmed in 1955 as part of Otakar Vávra’s Hussite trilogy:

  • Prague 3, day 155: Baranova

    Originally published on Twitter on 25 September 2022.

    Baranova was built in 1885.

    It was named Vratislavova until 1940 and again from 1945 to 1947, after Vratislav II, who is in this bumper here’s-all-the-Přemyslids-thread from a few days back: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/02/26/prague-3-day-152-premyslovska/.

    It was then called Habánská from 1940 to 1945, after the Habaners, the Hutterites (that’s a branch of Anabaptists) who moved to Slovakia in the 16th century.

    These days, almost all Hutterites live in Western Canada and the Great Plains.

    Kurt Baran was born in 1899 to a Jewish, German-speaking family in Brno. He met his wife-to-be, Marie Baranová, during a strike against Sunday work.

    In 1921, Baran became a paid functionary of the Communist party. He married Marie in 1925, and the couple moved to current-day Radhošťská (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/02/26/prague-3-day-149-radhostska/).

    After the communist party was banned, Baran went to work for an advertising agency which was actually a front for communist activity.

    The Nazi occupiers arrested the illegal communist leadership in February 1940. Kurt and Marie were among those betrayed to the authorities.

    Baran was sent to Terezín, then Dachau, then Mauthausen, where he died, supposedly of heart failure, on 28 October 1941. He was 42.

    His daughter Vlasta suffered a similar fate in Bergen-Belsen in 1945, succumbing to meningitis at the age of 19.

    Marie survived WW2, and worked for the communist party afterwards before being expelled from it in the 1970s.

    Kurt Baran is the most obscure person I’ve written about so far. This doesn’t feel entirely right.

    This post is based on the recollections of Elly Jouzová, the Barans’ other daughter, who is still resident in Žižkov today. A great read: https://www.pametnaroda.cz/cs/magazin/pribehy/naciste-ji-vzali-nejblizsi-po-otci-pojmenovali-ulici-pribeh-elly-jouzove.

    The main picture in that link is a photo of the family on what was presumably their last holiday together in 1939.

  • Prague 3, day 154: Jagellonská

    Originally published on Twitter on 24 September 2022.

    Jagellonská was built in 1896.

    Continuing (and ending) this trilogy of streets, the Jagiellonian dynasty was founded by Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, in 1386.

    In their time, they ruled Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Bohemia.

    The dynasty is known as the Jagiellonowie, the Jogailaičiai, the Jagelló and the Jagellonci in the respective languages.

    They lasted longest in Poland (186 years), compared to 40 years (over two stints) in Hungary and 55 years in Bohemia.

    So here goes with both the Jagiellonian kings of Bohemia. The first reign is far too eventful to fit into one tweet, but oh well.

    Vladislav Jagellonský (1471-1516): clashed with Pope and Hungarian claimant to throne, Matthias Corvinus. Liked peace and consensus, which made him look weak because nobody else did. Reign included much Hussite-vs-Catholic and towns-vs-nobility squabbling.

    Ludvík Jagellonský (1506-26): mainly lived in Hungary (like dad). Visited Bohemia once, cf that expat acquaintance we all have who claims to live here but has been once since 2020 to ‘sort things out’.

    Died in Battle of Mohács against Ottomans in 1526. Aged 20. Childless.

    Enter the Habsburgs. Who don’t have a street named after them here, despite, or perhaps because of the fact that these three were built during the reign (they presumably weren’t ready to be historical figures or a past dynasty yet).

    In Poland, the Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) in Kraków is Poland’s oldest and most prestigious university, and Jagiellonia Białystok  is a premier league football team.

  • Prague 3, day 153: Lucemburská

    Originally published on Twitter on 23 September 2022.

    Lucemburská was built in 1896.

    The Lucemburkové, or the House of Luxembourg, or D’Lëtzebuerger Haus if you really want to be like that about it, ruled as Kings of Germany, Holy Roman Emperors, and Kings of Bohemia (and Hungary, and Croatia).

    Luckily, it’s a much shorter list than yesterday.

    Jan Lucemburský / John the Blind / Jang de Blannen (1310-46): clashed with the nobles, to their advantage, and got bored of Bohemia and its intrigues as a result. Died in battle at Crécy, aged 50 and already blind for a decade.

    Karel IV (1346-78): son of Jan. Smart. Important. Got the nobles on side. Got Prague bishopric elevated to archbishopric. Became Holy Roman Emperor. Founded Prague Old Town. Karlštejn / Karlovy Vary / Charles Bridge / Charles University / many Charles Squares.

    Václav IV (1378-1419): son of Karel, who spoiled him. Fence-sitter in papal schism. Dethroned as German king in 1400. Squabbled with the nobility, his brothers, and the chancellor. Probable alcoholic. Apparently died of shock at Hussites (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-23-jana-zelivskeho/).

    Zikmund Lucemburský (1419-37): except all the Hussite wars and stuff meant he couldn’t really rule until 1436. And had to reluctantly bow to Hussite demands (but got a few mutineers killed too).

    Left no sons. End of the line.

  • Prague 3, day 152: Přemyslovská

    Originally published on Twitter on 22 September 2022.

    Přemyslovská was built in 1896.

    The Přemyslid dynasty ruled Bohemia from the mid-9th century until 1306.

    So here’s a very abbreviated and yet really quite long guide to all the ones who ruled.

    Years of rule are often best guesses in the early days.

    Bořivoj I (872-89): Baptised. Banished. Returned. Married to Ludmila.

    Strojmír (883-5): replacement. Brief. Obscure. No pic.

    Spytihněv I (894-915): son of Bořivoj. Castle-lover, Hungary-hater.

    Vratislav I (915-21): brother of Spytihněv. Founded Wrocław. Died fighting Hungarians. Married Drahomíra, who got Ludmila killed.

    Václav I (921-35): son of Vratislav. Last looked out. Saintly. Don’t forget 28 September is a holiday.

    Boleslav I (935-72): The Cruel. Brother/possible murderer of Václav. Founded Plzeň.

    Boleslav II (972-99): Son of Boleslav II. The Pious. Founded Diocese of Prague.

    Boleslav III (999-1002, 1003): had his own brother (Jaromír) castrated *and* couldn’t rule for sh*t.

    Jaromír (1003, 1004-12, 1033-4): castrated by one brother, blinded by another (Oldřich). Poor sod.

    Oldřich (1012-33, 1034): Regained Moravia. Knob (see above).

    Břetislav I (1034-55): son of Oldřich. Regained Wrocław. Banned polygamy. Died when about to invade Hungary.

    Spytihněv II (1055-61): son of Břetislav. Expelled the Germans. Even his mum.

    Vratislav II (1061-92): brother of Spytihněv. Named first King of Bohemia (1085). Which may be why he’s in colour.

    Konrád I (1092): brother of Vratislav. Died 8 months in.

    Břetislav II (1092-1100): son of Vratislav. Hated pagans. Assassinated in the woods. Smirky pic.

    Bořivoj II (1100-07, 1117-20): half-brother of Břetislav. Sulked off to Hungary.

    Vladislav I (1109-17, 1120-5): brother of Bořívoj. Stopped Poland from interfering too much.

    Soběslav I (1125-40): son of Vratislav. Defeated Germans at Chlumec.

    Vladislav II (1140-72): son of Vladislav I. Earned title of King. Did crusades. Abdicated. No selfies available.

    Bedřich (1172-3, 1178-89): son of Vladislav. Barbarossa didn’t want him.

    Soběslav II (1173-8): son of Soběslav I. Barbarossa did want him. Got excommunicated.

    Konrád II. Ota (1189-91): son of none of the above. Died of plague while on a Crusade.

    Václav II {1191): son/brother of The Soběslavs. Deposed after three months. Hard to find pics of.

    Přemysl Otakar I (1192-3, 1200-30): King no 3 as per Golden Bull of Sicily. Son of Vladislav.

    Václav I (1230-53): son of Otakar. Repelled Mongols. Into jousting. First king to allow privileges to Jews (for a fee).

    Přemysl Otakar II (1253-78): son of Václav. In charge of much of present-day Austria. Then not. Founded Kaliningrad. Tried to become Holy Roman Emperor. Failed. Died in battle.

    Václav II (1287-1305): son of Otakar I. Initially too young to rule, later also King of Poland *and* Hungary. Died at 33.

    Václav III (1305-6): son of Václav II. Murdered in Olomouc at the age of 16. Killers never identified. End of the Přemyslids.

    Phew.

    Any Přemyslid rulers who I’ve left out or who feel misrepresented are welcome to DM me. Also feel free to comment on which one was the hottest (spoiler: it’s obviously Břetislav II).

  • Prague 3, day 151: Křišťanova

    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 was a supporter of Jan Hus, whom he visited when Hus was imprisoned in Constance.

    His views became somewhat less radical upon his return, which made him popular with the nobility but not with the Želivský crowd, who raided his parish & forced him to flee Prague in 1427.

    Returning to Prague two years later, he reconverted to Catholicism in 1434, but died of in the plague epidemic in 1439.

    So yes, social media would’ve had a field day trying to draw connections between those two events.

    He was also a prolific writer, mainly known for two volumes about the astrolabe. Here’s an excerpt in his own hand as shown on http://astronomia.zcu.cz/astronomove/kristan/2497-kristan-z-prachatic.

    He also wrote about treatment of the plague (for all the good that did him), bloodletting, arithmetic, astrology, botany and more.

    I get the impression that he would’ve tweeted every 15 seconds and been on 93% of all panel shows if these things had existed back then.

  • Prague 3, day 150: Žižkovo náměstí

    Originally published on Twitter on 20 September 2022.

    Žižkovo náměstí was built in 1904, and I’m now wondering how I spin this one out.

    Oh, OK: until 1947, it was Kollárovo náměstí, after Ján Kollár (1793-1852), Slovak poet, pastor, writer and promoter of Pan-Slavism.

    From 1947 to 1958, it was Chelčického náměstí, and you can find out about Petr Chelčický here: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/24/prague-3-day-78-chelcickeho/.

    This town ain’t big enough for the both of us, so the original Žižkovo náměstí had to be renamed to Tachovské náměstí in 1958: https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/19/prague-3-day-17-tachovske-namesti/.

    Jan Žižka is, at this moment in time but probably not at any other moment, most famous for not being a massive hit in US movie theatres.

    (I haven’t seen the film yet and don’t like to base my impressions on box office results or sales – any feedback from people who have?)

    The square is the home of the Higher Vocational School of Applied Arts and Secondary School of Applied Arts: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Um%C4%9Bleckopr%C5%AFmyslov%C3%A1_%C5%A1kola_%C5%BDi%C5%BEkov#/media/File:130912_VOSUP_SUPS_Praha_01b.jpg

    I’m comfortable with Czech, but seeing the words ‘Vyšší odborná škola uměleckoprůmyslová a Střední uměleckoprůmyslová škola’ just did something to me and I’m not sure I enjoyed it.

    And the square is another place that will be looking nicer and greener in a couple of years, if all goes well: https://prahain.cz/zivot-ve-meste/zizkovo-namesti-upravi-firma-enviromental-building-4801.html

  • Prague 3, day 149: Radhošťská

    Originally published on Twitter on 19 September 2022.

    Radhošťská was built in 1904.

    Part of Radhošťská used to be a separate street, called Rostislavova from 1920 to 1947, after Rostislav, the second known ruler of Moravia from 846 to 870.

    Before becoming a victim of cancel culture, 1952-street-planning-style, Rostislavova was renamed Tayerlova, after Rudolf Tayerle (1877-1942), a trade unionist and politician for the ČSSD.

    Tayerle was arrested in Akce Albrecht I, a preventive arrest operation by the Gestapo in September 1939, and died in Mauthausen three years later.

    Radhošť, meanwhile, is a mountain in the Beskydy range, and, according to legend, the seat of the Slavic god Radegast/Radogost.

    However, it’s generally believed that Radegast wasn’t a separate god at all, but was the local name for Svarozhits, the Slavic god of fire.

    Legend has it that Cyril and Methodius (who were obviously in Moravia to tell people to start worshipping Actual God instead of Radegast or Svarozhits or whoever) erected a cross here and banished Radegast forever.

    This is why the peak of the mountain now hosts a cross, a chapel (built in 1898) and a sculpture of Cyril and Methodius (from 1931).

    https://www.turistika.cz/mista/radhost-socha-radegast/detail

    In 1968, Radhošť hosted a camp for Soviet army soldiers. Screw them and their military interventions.

    It’s too early for one of these, isn’t it?

  • 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 band.

    He graduated from Prague Conservatory in 1876, continuing his studies in Paris. Later, he moved to London, performing at St James’s Hall on Piccadilly.

    In the late 1880s, he settled in Vienna (where he would lead the Neue Wiener Konservatorium from 1910 to 1915); in the 1880s and 1890s, he embarked on numerous tours of Europe, Asia and North America.

    Such was his popularity in Bohemia that, in 1901, attendees of one of his concerts at the Rudolfinum unharnessed a horse from a carriage and led it to Václavák, where Ondříček was staying.

    Proof that fans doing stupid things is hardly a phenomenon created by the internet.

    He moved back to Prague when Czechoslovakia was founded, and taught at the Conversatory.

    He died in 1922 of a heart attack in a carriage at Milan train station, just four days after giving a concert in Geneva.

  • Prague 3, day 147: Blodkova

    Originally published on Twitter on 17 September 2022.

    Blodkova was built in 1905.

    Vilém Blodek was born into a poor family in Prague in 1834.

    He graduated from the Prague Conservatory at the age of 19, subsequently becoming a piano teacher in Lubycza Królewska (then Galicia, now in south-eastern Poland on the Ukrainian border).

    He returned to Prague in 1855 and continued teaching, ultimately taking up a position as a flute teacher at the Academy.

    He was also active as a composer, most famous for his opera V studni (In the Well), which was premiered in 1867.

    The overture of the opera can be listened to here:

    At the age of 35, Blodek suffered a psychological breakdown and was hospitalised at Kateřinky, an institution in Prague. He died there at the age of 39.

  • Prague 3, day 146: Zvonařova

    Originally published on Twitter on 16 September 2022.

    Zvonařova was built in 1904.

    Josef Leopold Zvonař was born near in Kublov near Beroun in 1824.

    At the age of 18, he moved to Prague to train to study pedagogy, but, as he was already proficient in several instruments, music was a greater attraction.

    Therefore, he enrolled at an organ school (does ‘organ school’ look odd to you? It does to me). While there, he realised his talents lay more in music theory and composition.

    Therefore, in 1844, he took a teaching position at the school, which he would hold for 16 years.

    In 1860, he wrote the first history of Czech music, Dějiny české hudby, and also wrote pioneering papers on the study of Czech folk music.

    He mainly composed music to accompany German, and, later, Czech poetry, with his most famous piece being his adaptation of Vlastenské hory by Karel František Pitsch.

    He co-founded Umělecká beseda and the Hlahol choir association, and was a member of the National Theatre’s commission. He also wrote music reviews for papers including the Prager Zeitung.

    He died of tuberculosis in 1865 at the age of 41, partially as a consequence of overworking.

    A music professor, Mirko Očadlík, once said that, if Smetana was the Messiah of Czech music, then Zvonař was its John the Baptist, thanks to his contribution to music theory and popularising music among the Czech people.

  • Prague 3, day 145: Škroupovo náměstí

    Originally published on Twitter on 15 September 2022.

    Škroupovo náměstí was built in 1910.

    Until 1940, and again from 1945-7, this was Smetanovo náměstí, after Bedřich Smetana (1824-84), composer of Má vlast, and often called the father of Czech music.

    From 1940-5, it was Sukovo náměstí, after Josef Suk (1874-1935), composer and son-in-law of Antonín Dvořák.

    František Škroup was born near Hradec Králové in 1801. Music was in the family – father Dominik and brothers Jan and Ignác were also composers.

    By the age of 12, František was already performing in the Loreta and in Týn Church in Prague. He moved to the city in 1818 to study philosophy.

    Music took priority over studies, though, and in 1823 he founded the first Czech opera society.

    Škroup would write the first Czech opera, Dráteník, first performed in 1826.

    In 1827, he became a bandmaster at the Stavovský Theatre. One of his compositions for Josef Kajetán Tyl’s farce Fidlovačka was first performed there in 1834.

    Its name was Kde domov můj.

    In 1857, due to the lesser success of some recent operas and disagreements with the Theatre’s director, Škroup left to open a singing school. In 1860, he became bandleader at the German Opera in Rotterdam.

    He died there two years later.

    The first verse of Kde domov můj became half of the Czechoslovakian national anthem in 1918; the other half was the first verse of Nad Tatrou sa blýska.

    In 1993, it became the Czech national anthem; while the Slovaks added a second verse to to theirs, the Czechs decided not to, even though the second verse does exist.

    Fidlovačka was adapted for the silver screen in 1930; here’s the full version of Kde domov můj from that:

    In December 1988, Škroupovo náměstí was the scene of the first officially permitted opposition demonstration of the normalisation period. This is a story that deserves its own thread, but the footage here (including Havel) is amazing:

    Marta Kubišová leads a singalong of Kde domov můj around six minutes in, and again about 90 seconds before the end.

    Also incredible is this picture from https://babylonrevue.cz/na-skroupove-namesti-10-prosince-1988/….

  • Prague 3, day 144: Pospíšilova

    Originally published on Twitter on 14 September 2022.

    Pospíšilova was built in 1904.

    It was called Dvořákova until 1930. Explanation probably not needed.

    Karel Pospíšil was born near Chotěboř in 1867, and was taught music by both his grandfather, Josef Pospíšil, and his uncle, the famous pianist Karel Slavkovský.

    He became a teacher in a school in Žižkov, as well as master of the local Vítkov choir, but also accompanied various musicians (including Jan Kubelík – https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/01/14/prague-3-day-138-kubelikova/) and opera singers of the day as a pianist.

    From the start of the 20th century, he dedicated himself to composing music for the purposes of the Sokol movement and physical education performances.

    Here’s the most famous example of one of these compositions: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA…

    (This may not be fully accurate)

    In 1928, he published Základy rytmického tělocviku sokolského / Basics of Sokol Rhythmic Gymnastics.

    He died in Prague a year later.

  • Prague 3, day 143: Fibichova

    Originally published on Twitter on 13 September 2022.

    Fibichova was built in 1904.

    From 1940 to 1945, this was Ševčíkova. Fibichova is to the right of Ševčíkova (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/01/14/prague-3-day-142-sevcikova/). Except Current Ševčíkova wasn’t called Ševčíkova until 1947.

    Blimey.

    Zdeněk Fibich was born in Všebořice near Benešov in 1850. Encouraged by his music-loving (and Austrian) mother, he attended school in Vienna and in Malá Strana.

    By the age of 15, he had composed over 64 pieces. At that same age, he contacted Karel Sabina (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2022/11/24/prague-3-day-79-sabinova/), later putting his libretto Bukovina to music.

    He became choirmaster and second conductor at the Provisional Theatre in 1876, and operatic dramaturg at the National Theatre in 1899.

    Fibich had three wives. The first, Růžena Hanušová, died after two and a half years of marriage, and Fibich married her sister Betty, an opera singer.

    He dedicated three of his operatic characters to her, but also left her in 1895 for his third wife.

    Said third wife was Anežka Schulzová, who wrote the libretto for his opera Šárka.

    However, Fibich died in 1900, and it’s Betty with whom he’s buried in Vyšehrad Cemetery.

  • 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 at the age of seven, and was admitted to the Prague Conservatory in 1866.

    After graduating, he became concertmaster at the Mozarteum in Salzburg (https://moz.ac.at/en/index.php) in 1870.

    In 1875, he took up a position at the Russian Music Society in Kyiv, staying there until 1892.

    This seems like a good juncture at which to point how admirable it is that, in September 2022, the Kyiv Conservatory is giving concerts: https://concert.ua/en/venue/nacionalnaja-muzykalnaja-akademija-ukrainy-im-pi-chaikovskogo…. Слава Україні.

    He returned to Prague to take a position as a violin teacher at the Prague Conservatory, becoming head of department in 1901 (when Antonín Dvořák was the Conservatory’s director).

    One of his pupils was a young Jan Kubelík (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2023/01/14/prague-3-day-138-kubelikova/).

    Ševčík also set up a summer school for talented violinists, initially in Prachatice, but as the German-speaking authorities didn’t approve of his work with the Czech minority, he moved it to Písek.

    He moved to the Viennese Music Academy in 1909, returning to the Prague Academy – as its director – when Czechoslovakia became independent.

    He travelled to the US for teaching purposes on several occasions, and even taught in England at the age of 81. He died in 1934 and is buried in Písek.

    His teachings works, such as The Little Ševčík and The School of Violin Technics, are still in use today.