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Prague

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Prague: city of history

Prague, the caPital of the czech rePublic, has a PoPulation of 1.2 million PeoPle. it is not only the governmental heart of the country, but it’s also a city full of cultural events, architecture and history. Join us on a Jaunt through Prague!

and beauty

Prague history

The city, established in the 9th century, was the seat of Czech princes and later kings of Bohemia and became the political heart of the Czech State. Charles IV (1316 – 1378), Bohemian King and Holy Roman Emperor, chose the city as the capital of his whole Empire. He founded Charles University, St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and the New Town. Many of the most beautiful things we associate with Prague can be traced back to Charles IV.

Many important figures have passed through Prague, and many events have occurred in the city as well. Prague is connected with the Czech religious reformer Jan Hus and the Hussite movement. Prague was also where the Thirty Year’s War began with the uprising of the Czech Estates in the early 17th century. The Czech National Revival in the 19th century restored once again Prague’s prominence and the National Theatre was built to express this feeling of national pride for Czechs. The building itself was financed from money collected by the Czech people. In 1918, the city became the capital of the independent Czechoslovakia and after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, it became the capital of the Czech Republic.

A variety of architecture can be seen all over the city from the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral to the Art Noveau Municipal House and even modern designs like the Dancing House.

Prague districts

The old centre of Prague consists of five historical districts. Old Town, New Town and Josefov (the former Jewish Town) are situated on the right bank of the Vltava. The Lesser Quarter and Hradčany (the Castle District) are on the left bank.

the old town

Charles Bridge ranks among the greatest monuments in Prague. Its construction began on 9th July 1357 at 5.31 a.m. According to astrologists at the time, it was the best date and time for laying the foundation stone . While the bridge was being built, the builders added eggs to the mortar to make a strong substance to hold the bridge together. People from all over the country gave eggs to help the cause. Legend has it that one village didn’t quite understand the concept and sent the eggs to Prague hard-boiled !

Charles Bridge is 516 meters long and 10 meters wide. It is an open‑air gallery of unique Baroque statues. In about the middle of the bridge stands the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. He lived in the 14th century and held the position of General Vicar . He was also

Before the St. Vitus Cathedral was built, there was a rotunda founded by Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia. Charles IV ordered the bulding of the gothic cathedral, and it took almost 600 years to complete – it was finished only in the 20th century.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Bernardo Bolzano , a famous mathematician and philosopher, counted 103 towers and spires in Prague and that’s how the city got its nickname “City of a hundred spires”.

the confessor of the Queen of Bohemia1 and refused to give away any of the Queen’s secrets. John angered the King when he confirmed the appointment of the new Abbot of Kladruby Monastery against the King’s will . For this, John was tortured to death and his dead body was thrown into the Vltava River. Later, he was proclaimed saint , and today he is venerated by many believers.

The Old Town Square is another significant historical spot. It used to be the most important market place in Prague and the scene of many historical events. Its main monument is the Old Town Hall with its world‑famous astronomical clock. There are also two famous churches on the Old Town Square: the Gothic Týn Church and the Baroque St. Nicholas Church.

The Estates Theatre is near the Old Town Square. The world premiere of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni took place there in 1787. Mozart visited Prague a few times. He stayed mainly at Bertramka in Smíchov as a guest of Czech composer F. X. Dušek and his wife Josefine. The house has now been converted into a Mozart museum where it is possible to see the composer’s personal belongings , letters, music manuscripts and old musical instruments.

the lesser Quarter

Near Charles bridge lies Kampa Island, separated from the Lesser Quarter by

16 Bridge 06/2007–2008

a small canal called Čertovka. In the past there used to be many mills on Kampa and two big wooden mill wheels are still preserved today.

The Church of St. Nicholas, at the center of the Lesser Quarter, is one of the most outstanding examples of Czech Baroque architecture. The 1,500 square meter fresco on the ceiling is one of the largest in the world.

Another important part of the Lesser Quarter is Nerudova Street with its characteristic house-signs . The three fiddles sign has been preserved on one of the houses, signifying the three generations of violin makers who used to live and work there. The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven is believed to have once played a violin made in this

Legend has it that if you touch the statue of St. John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge and make a wish, it will come true.

workshop . The most important house is probably No. 233, also known as At The Two Suns. This is where the well‑known Czech writer Jan Neruda used to live. Today the building is a famous pub.

the castle district

The Cathedral of St. Vitus is the biggest church in Prague and holds the treasury of the Czech coronation jewels . There are many interesting parts to the cathedral: It has the oldest reticulated vault in Europe and the southern Golden Gate has an amazing mosaic decoration. St. Wenceslas Chapel was built to protect the relics of the most important Czech saint and national patron – St. Wenceslas. Its walls are decorated with frescoes and Czech semi-precious stones .

Another well‑known place in the Castle District is the Loreta. The most fascinating part is its Treasure Chamber with a diamond monstrance decorated with 6,222 diamonds.

other places of interest

Vyšehrad

Vyšehrad Castle is situated on a rock overlooking the Vltava River. Legend has it that Czech Princess Libuše prophesied the glory of Prague from here. Vyšehrad has an important place in Czech history and the Czech national cemetery was founded here. Writer Karel Čapek, sculptor J. V. Myslbek, composers A. Dvořák and B. Smetana, poet J. Neruda and artist M. Aleš are all buried here.

Petřín Hill

Prague’s skyline is defined by Petřín Hill. There is a 60‑meter tall viewing tower on the hill, which was built in 1891. It was modelled on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Apart from the tower, there’s a mirror labyrinth and the Prague Municipal Observatory .

The house At the Black Madonna in Celetná Street in Prague 1, built in 1912 and designed by the architect Josef Gočár, represents a unique example of cubist architecture in Prague.

cultural life

Prague’s cultural events offer something for everyone. The National Gallery houses a collection of modern art, various dance performances can be seen at the National Theatre and classical concerts by Mozart, Dvořák, Smetana and other famous composers can be heard at the Rudolfinum and the Municipal House. Modern dramatic productions include many theatre plays as well as the special black light performances in The Laterna Magica.

Both Czechs and visitors alike cannot fail to be charmed by the beauty and magic of this old‑new city on the Vltava. Hana Gavranová (CR), Jacy Meyer (USA)

Note: 1 She was Žofie Bavorská, the wife of Wenceslas IV.

Y Vocabulary ranks amongfor laying the foundation stone [r&Nks @“mVN] - [“leIIN patří mezi jaunt [dZO:nt] - procházka faUn”deIS(@)n] - pro položení prince [prIns] - kníže základního kamene can be traced back to [treIst] - se dají mortar [“mO:t@] - malta vysledovat k hard-boiled - uvařená natvrdo religious reformer [rI”lIdZ@s rI”fO:m@] [rI”lIdZ@s rI”fO:m@] General Vicar [“dZEn(@)r(@)l “vIk@]

religious reformer [rI”lIdZ@s rI”fO:m@] [rI”lIdZ@s rI”fO:m@] - náboženský reformátor with the uprising of the Czech Estates

[Vp”raIzIN I”steIts] - povstáním českých stavů

National Revival [“n&S(@)n(@)l rI”vaIv(@)l] - národní obrození division [dI”vIZ(@)n] - rozdělení Art Nouveau [A:t nu:“v@U] - secese,

monastery [“mQn@st(@)ri] - klášter against the King’s will - proti králově vůli was tortured to death [“tO:tS@d]

secesní

Municipal House [mjU”nIsIp(@)l] - Obecní dům bank [b&Nk] - břeh

to proclaim saint [pr@“kleIm seInt]

to venerate [“vEn@reIt] - uctívat Estates Theatre - Stavovské divadlo composer [k@m”p@Uz@] - skladatel belongings [bI”lQNINz] - věci

manuscript [“m&nuskript] - rukopis mill - mlýn mill wheel - mlýnské kolo

fresco [“frEsk@U] - freska

house-sign - domovní znamení

fiddle, violin [“fId(@)l vaI@“lIn] - housle workshop [“w@:kSQp] - dílna coronation jewels [kQr@“neIS(@)n

“dZu:@lz] - korunovační klenoty reticulated vault [rI”tIkjUleItId vO:lt]

mosaic [m@U”zeIIk] - mozaika, mozaikový chapel [“tS&p(@)l] - kaple relics [“reliks] - ostatky

semi-precious stones [sEmi”prES@s] - polodrahokamy monstrance [“mQnstr(@)ns] - monstrance (ozdobná schránka na hostie)

to overlook [“@Uv@lUk] - shlížet na

dI”faInd] - pro pražské panorama je typický

mirror labyrinth [“mIr@ “l&b(@)rInT]

observatory [@b”z@:v@t(@)ri]

Bridge 06/2007–2008 17

Zdroj: MATURITA HADR/ANJ/Témata/Témata/The Czech Republic/Prague/13_prague.pdf