Archive for March, 2010
The capital of the Czech Republic is one of the most important historical preservation sites in central Europe. Prague’s one of-a-kind urban centre has been a UN world cultural and natural heritage site since 1992.
Prague is a great city for romantics. Traces of the city’s history are found on nearly every corner.
A stroll through the Old City past Powder Tower (1475), the old town hall and other equally marvellous baroque architectural masterpieces leads to the Charles Bridge, one of the most photographed bridges in the world.
Prague Castle was erected on the Hradshin River by a landowner named Premysl around 870, and Prague soon became the seat of the House of Premysl.
Vratislav I, the first Bohemian king, transfered the royal household to Vysehrad Castle in 1085, probably due to a fight for power with his brother, Bishop Jaromir.
Prague Castle remained the seat of the bishops of Prague for decades. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, another early building, is also located on the castle grounds.
Prague expands.
Protected by the two castles, an influx of German and Jewish merchants and local craftsmen led to rapid expansion on both sides of the Muldau River. The largest fortified section was near the already ancient Prague Castle. Prague received its city charter in 1234 from King Wenceslas I, who made it his primary residence.
Shortly thereafter, the “New Town” districts of Mala Strana and Hradshin were ffounded. The fourteenth century brought yet more prosperity to Prague. In 1348 the first university in central Europe was founded here, Charles University, named after Emperor Charles IV.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Prague was torn by two religious wars. The Hussite Wars (1419-1437) and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) left deep scars.
The events that set off both of these wars started in Prague. These include the famous “defenestrations”, in which Catholic clerics and dignitaries were thrown out of windows by dissenters, the first time by Hussites, followers of rebel reformer Jan Hus, and later by Protestants, setting off the Thirty Years War.
The victims of the first defenestration did not fall far, but luckily landed in the arms of a mob waiting outside to lynch them. The second time was from an upper story, but the Catholics were saved because they fell into a heap of manure. From the Catholic point of view, divine intervention prevailed. The two long, debilitating wars killed hundreds of thousands, setting back growth for generations. Like other afflicted cities, Prague lost most of its international prominence during this time.
Prague Spring.
In 1945, Prague became the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. Communist leadership caused a deep-seated financial crisis: the Soviet central planning bureau contributed to nearly complete economic stagnation.
In the spring of 1968, public criticism grew and much of the population became increasingly disenchanted. Street demonstrations of the “Prague Spring” were news all over the earth.
Ultimately, power struggles within the ruling party led to the invasion of Prague by Warsaw Pact troops on 21 August 1968, and the brief period of expression was ruthlessly terminated.
It would be 1989 before Prague broke away from Russian control, and in 1993 was named capital of an independent Czech Republic.
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