Urban Study: Prague

A week after my Euro Trip I am still left with lingering memories of the adventurous week that it was. Perhaps the most inspirational of the places I visited were Preikestolen, Norway and the beautiful city of Prague. I had always heard great things about the city of Prague, but really wasn't sure what to expect. Most of my cultural insight is derived from movies, and quite frankly I can't think of any big movies set in Prague. Before my visit the most iconic sights of Prague I could think of were the astronomical clock and the Tyn Church. Little did I expect it would be so much more than those two landmarks. It is a city on par with Paris or Rome in majestically quality and truly has it's own unique and mysterious allure. 

We spent two full days in the city, Saturday and Sunday (and I even made a Monday morning walk into Old Town before we left for the airport). The city was of course bustling with tourism both days and rightfully so. From the get-go as we walked into the district of Old Town it was like entering a whole different time period. Cars were removed from the equation and it was nothing but pedestrian traffic walking along cobblestone roads. The streets were aligned with restaurants, cafes, and stores catering to the tourists. And all around us was beautiful architecture, with countless spires shooting into the skies. 

The Gothic Powder Tower serves as the gates into the Old Town. From there it is not long to enter The Old Town Square which reminded me of the Brussels Grand Plaza. It has a large open plaza overlooked by the iconic Tyn Church. This Gothic cathedral is the Eiffel Tower of the city, towering over everything. It's spires are quite unique in that there are off-shoots of spires from the two main spires. The church is also unique in that it is nestled around buildings rather than it's own lot. This example of Gothic architecture is the norm in Prague, which has to be one of the most Gothic cities in the world. I think for this reason alone the city has somewhat of a dark and mysterious appeal to it. Like something out of a fantasy or vampire movie. 

However the Old Town Square was only the beginning. Just around the corner is the astronomical clock, one of the oldest of it's kind. It is a very complex yet aesthetically pleasing display of mechanics. Surrounded by demons and mythology it is another example of Prague's more gothic allure. From here it is not too long to walk to the Charles Bridge with it's iconic tower, streetlights, and sculptures. This is the most mesmerizing view of Prague to see the beautiful Vltava River and the Prague Castle perched on a hill in the distance. It is here that you get a scope of all the incredible buildings and spires from afar. For me it was the bridge that was my favorite aspect of the city. I only however spent two days in the city and would like to further understand it's history and perhaps visit someday again. 

History of Prague

The history of Central Europe is still rather new to me, and I learned quite a bit in my previous post on Austria. While Vienna was established as a city within the Bavarian region, the city of Prague was established within the Bohemian region. This began as a principality of the Holy Roman Empire that eventually established into it's own Bohemian kingdom. By the year 800 Prague had boomed into a bustling city in Central Europe with its location along the Vltava River. The Prague Castle was one of the first landmarks constructed in the year 870. It served as the royal court for the Kings of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. 

The Vysehrad fortification was constructed in the 10th century along the Vltava River with it's iconic Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul. The Vysehrad cemetery contains some of the most famous Czechs such as musicians Anton Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana. The city became a booming center of merchant trade and brought settlers from all across Europe, including a high percentage of Jews. The first bridge in Prague was built in 1170 known as the Judith Bridge, commissioned by King Vladislaus. This bridge eventually was flooded and replaced by the more iconic Charles Bridge in 1357 which still stands to this day. 

Prague became a flourishing European city under the reign of King Charles IV of the Holy Roman Empire from 1346-1378. As a Bohemian himself he made Prague the new imperial capital of the mighty Holy Roman Empire and gave way to many new infrastructure developments. He commissioned the iconic St. Vitus Cathedral in 1344 which became the centerpiece of the Prague Castle. He also founded Charles University which remains one of the oldest universities in Central Europe. However with growing trade and craftsman guilds came also a new growth of poverty throughout the city.

When Charles died in 1378 his son King Wenceslaus IV oversaw growing religious tensions with the Jews and the rise of the theologian, Jan Hus. Hus was an early predecessor to the famed reformist Martin Luther and spoke against the corruptions of the Catholic Church. He was later murdered for heresy in 1415, however he established an impassioned following of Hussite reformists. In 1419 a Hussite mob murdered several government statesmen in the First Defenestration of Prague. Seven members of the city council were thrown out of the New Town Hall. This shock brought an end to King Wenceslaus IV and the beginning of the religious Hussite Wars throughout the Bohemian lands. 

During the Hussite Wars, Prague became the center for the Hussite radical movement against the Catholic Holy Roman Empire. This conflict lasted from 1419-1434 and the radicals were eventually subdued however a compromise was agreed upon between the Catholics and the moderate Hussites. This was however only the beginning of the religious Christian conflicts sweeping throughout Europe. In 1483 a second defenestration occurred by religious Hussite extremists seeking to maintain influence.  By the 1520s the powerful Habsburg dynasty took control of Bohemia and were quickly at odds with the popular Protestant majority within Prague. By 1576 King Rudolf II took on this reformist identity and brought about an artistic renaissance to the city. Prague became a center for cultural and scientific revolution, bringing about great scientists, artists, and astronomers such as Johannes Keppler. 

The third and most famous Defenestration of Prague occurred in 1618 and is believed to have caused the Thirty Years War. A Protestant mob once again attacked the city officials, this time a council of Catholics and threw them out the window of the Prague Castle. Miraculously however they survived the fall attesting it to the will of the angels. The aftermath of this event was an explosion of military alliances that began in Bohemia and quickly spread throughout all of Europe. The war lasted from 1618-1648 and was one of the most deadliest wars of its time. It escalated from a religious war to a balance of power, in which France took centerstage. The conflict between the Protestants and Catholics was unresolved, the city of Prague however was returned to a Catholic state. 

In 1744 Frederick the Great of Prussia invaded Bohemia and caused much damage to the city of Prague. His siege was eventually repelled by 1757 and despite much damage the city of Prague still stood. By the 1770s, following other European enlightenments Prague once again began to thrive as a cultural epicenter. The Industrial Revolution furthered the cities economy, and the Revolutions of 1848 were suppressed with a new growing fervor of Czech nationalism. By 1880 the Czech language became prevalent over the German language in Prague. After WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was partitioned and a new state of Czechoslovakia was created. 

In 1938 the Czechoslovakia was annexed by Nazi Germany and Hitler had many of it's Jewish population deported and killed. However Prague did resist the occupation, and during the Operation Anthropoid one of Hitler's right hand men, Reinhard Heydrich was assisted by Czech rebels. Prague was able to lead a successful uprising in 1945 as the war was coming to a close. Most Germans were exiled from the country and Czech was quickly under the influence of Communist Russia. In 1955 the Soviet Union constructed the largest Stalin statue in the city of Prague along the Vltava River. It was later demolished in 1962. 

By 1968 a political movement gave way in Prague against the Communist influence of the Soviet Union. The Prague Spring quickly gained traction all throughout Czechoslovakia yet was easily put down by a Soviet military invasion. The Soviets kept a military presence in Czechoslovakia until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. This new social movement expelled their Soviet occupiers by 1991 and reshaped the country of Czechoslovakia. The country was divided into two new sovereign nations, Czech Republic and Slovakia. From this point on Prague became more of a westernized global city of trade and tourism. 

 

Architecture: Key Landmarks

As with most of Europe, the architecture in Prague is quite breathtaking and offers a time portal rich with history. Their is an Old Town district with buildings dating back to the Middle Ages, and a new town district with very modern buildings. The Old Town is my favorite with it's cobblestone streets, the churches, the bridges by the Vltava River, the gothic towers, and the Prague Castle perched on it's hill. The architecture of Prague is a blend of gothic, Baroque, and modern designs. I'd like to highlight some of my favorite structures that I saw during my trip. 

Prague Castle- St. Vitus Cathedral

• Construction: 930, 1344 (current church)
  
• Purpose: Roman Catholic Cathedral
• Architecture Style: Gothic
• Significance: The Prague Castle was home to the Kings of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire for many centuries. The castle grounds had a array of buildings but it's true landmark was the glorious St. Vitus Cathedral first constructed in 930. The church was later expanded to it's present day cathedral in 1344 and stands as one of the iconic Gothic structures in Prague. I would argue that the Tyn Church is more distinctive but this cathedral perched on it's high hill serves as the beacon of Prague. 

Charles Bridge

• 
  Construction: 1357-1402
  
• Purpose: Main bridge across the Vltava River
• Architecture Style: Gothic and Baroque
• Significance: The bridge was commissioned by King Charles IV to replace the Judith Bridge that was destroyed by a flood. It has a very distinctive tower standing at 154 feet which we climbed to the top. The bridge also has many Baroque statues depicting religious saints and angels. For me it was my favorite spot in Prague, as well as the Old Town Square. I was glad we got the take a boat tour under and around the bridge on the Vltava River. 

Astronomical Clock

• Construction: 1410
• Purpose: Displays the astronomical position of the stars and planets
• Significance: It is one of the oldest astronomical clocks still in use and without question one of the most distinctive landmarks of Prague. Located near the Old Town square this unique display old mechanics has a very colorful and mythological quality to it. There are four mysterious  figures at the sides of the clock which represent vanity, greed, lust, and death. The bridge is a rather macabre design and adds to the mysterious appeal of Prague. 
  

Church of Our Lady before Tyn

• Construction: 1300s-1450s
• 
  Purpose: Roman Catholic church
• Architecture Style: Gothic
• Significance: It is the focal point of the Old Town square and arguably of the entire city of Prague. It's distinctive quality is it's very unique twin spires that have two layers of four spires branching off. The towers stand at an impressive 260 feet. It's gothic architectural style is at full display and the building is one of the most distinctive features of Prague. For me this was the most recognizable sites before I arrived, and serves as the city's Eiffel tower. The site did not disappoint and was my favorite landmark of Prague along with the Charles Bridge. 
  

Gothic Powder Tower

• Construction: 1475 (Renovated in 1876)
  
• Purpose: Serves as a city gate into Old Town
• Architecture Style: Gothic
• Significance: This is the real first major landmark upon entering the Old Town and serves as a gate. It stands at 213 feet and has a very similar structure to the Charles Bridge Tower. The gate was used to store gunpowder hence the name "Powder Tower". 

Petrin Lookout Tower

• Construction: 1891
• Purpose: Observation and Transmission Tower
• Significance: Built as a replica of the Eiffel Tower, it serves as an observation and transmission tower. The tower stands at 208 feet tall and served as the communications tower of Prague until the much larger Zikov Tower was built in 1992.  

Municipal House

• Construction: 1905-1912
• Purpose: Musical Concert Venue
• Significance: The site use to be home to the King of Bohemia from 1383 to 1485, but was later demolished. In 1905 a new modern building was constructed as a musical concert venue. Although it is not as grandiose as the national theatre, the Smetana Hall is quite a site to see. I say this mostly because we saw a classical concert here and I was very impressed by the outer façade and especially inside the hall.  

Dancing House

• 
  Construction: 1992-1996
• Purpose: Business of NN Investment Group
• Significance: Also referred to as Fred and Ginger as the building depicts two dancers. It was the site of a WWII bombing by the Americans trying to clear our Nazi pockets in 1945. The Dutch insurance company wanted to create something special and unique to commemorate this event. The building also represents Czechoslovakia's transition from Communist influence to it's own independent nation. Unfortunately I did not see this building, but still find it to be a very inspiring and unique display of modern architecture. 
  

Zizkov Television Tower

• Construction: 1985-1992
• Purpose: A communications transmitter
• Architecture Style: Structural Expressionism
  
• Significance: It is the tallest structure in Prague, a modern design of high tech architecture. It stands at 709 feet tall and offers an impressive observatory of the city of Prague. Unfortunately I did not see this structure in Prague, as we were mostly focused on Old town, but I find to be a very unique modern design. 

Church of St. Ludmila

• Construction: 1888-1892
• Purpose: Catholic Church
• Significance: It is one of many impressive Catholic gothic churches located in Prague. Built in the Peace Square it overlooks a very green pasture. The church is named after St. Ludmila of Bohemia, who was the grandmother of good King Wenceslaus. Aside from raising a devout family, she made great efforts to further convert Czech to Christianity during the 9th century. 

Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul

• 
  Construction: 1070-1080; 1887-1903
  
• Purpose: Catholic Church
• Architecture: Neo-Gothic
• Significance: Located at the historic Vysehard Fortification it is one of the oldest sites in the city of Prague. The church was originally built in 1070 however destroyed by fire in 1249. The structure that stands today was built in 1887 in the iconic gothic style popular throughout Prague. Many famous Czechs are buried in the cemetary of this church such as Anton Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana. 

National Monument of Vitkov

• Construction: Built in 1928-1938
• Purpose: A monument to glorify the Czech statehood 
• Significance: Located on the Zikov hill, this monument depicts Jan Zizka riding a horse. He was a general and follower of the Hussite movement who defeated the Catholic king Sigismund in the Battle of Zikov Hill 1420. Below the statue there is also a ceremonial hall and a tomb of the unknown soldier dedicated to the heroic soldiers of WWI and WWII.

National Theatre

• Construction: 1881-1883
  
• Purpose: Hall of Art and culture
• Significance: It is considered the national monument of Czech culture and history. It's main hall stages the finest quality of opera, ballet, and theatre drama. It's worth noting that the first opera performed at the theatre was Bedrich Smetana's Libuse. The large building sits alongside the Vltava River and it's rooftop Triga statues overlook the city.