History of Prague

The beginnings of a settlement of Prague territory go back to the Older Stone Age. The foreign merchants drew on the natural assets, local production and possibility of trade and stopped here not only for the mercantile reasons but also to have a rest before a next journey. They induced here busy but undisciplined live from which not only they profitet but also all sorts of tribes subsequently keeping surrounding territory: the Celtic Boii, then Germans and after it from the 6th century of our era the Slavs.

Founding of Prague and Prague Castle is immediately connected with a history of the first princely (later royal) Přemyslide dynasty, at the beginning taking control of only central part of the Czech lands (Bohemia). The first centre of Přemyslide Bohemia wasn´t Prague but a fortified settlement called Levý Hradec.

The first historically documented ruler Bořivoj I then moved to a parched hill above a bend of Vltava river called Praha (Prague). As early as at the end of the 9th century Prague Castle became a natural centre of consolidating Přemyslide state and soon it became a permanent symbol of the Czech statehood. Extraordinary position of Prague Castle had its negative aspect. The Castle was a key to gain control of the Czech state.

In 973 during the reign of Prince Boleslav II the Prague bishopric was founded. In 973 the first convent in Bohemia was founded, it was a residence of the Benedictine Order, their first abbess was a sister of Boleslav II - Mlada. During the reign of Prince Soběslav I Prague Castle was rebuilt "in a way of the Latin towns". The next big rebuilding of Prague Castle came under Přemysl Otakar II and under a long rule of Václav II. The Castle was restored and it was one of its golden cultural ages (troubadour poetry).

In 1306 in Olomouc a young king Václav III was assassinated. At that time the Přemyslid dynasty died out in male tail. In 1310 the throne gained John of Luxembourg and the rule of the Luxembourg dynasty starts. John of Luxembourg made Bohemia famous in many war campaigns, but to home he mostly used to arrive to collect money for his adventurous expeditions.

Only his son Charles IV had the Royal Palace rebuilt and extended, he laid the fundation stone for a bulding of the St.Vitus Cathedral, he founded the Charles University, he had the Charles Bridge built across Vltava river, he founded the New Town, he had St.Wenceslas Crown made - it is a part of the Czech Coronation Jewels. The period of his rule was considered as the golden age in the Czech history. During his reign Prague was not only a capital city of the Czech Kingdom but also the main city of the Holy Roman Empire.

His son Venceslas IV wasn´t so succesful nevertheless even during his life continued building of Prague Castle. After his death in 1419 the Hussite Revolution starts and from 1421 till 1434 the Castle remained under a control of the Prague Hussites. After the end of the Hussite wars the Czech rules resided mostly in the Royal Court in the Old Town.

During the reign of Jagellon dynasty that started to rule in 1471 a Gothic image of Prague has been accomplished. The rule of Jagellon dynasty ended by a tragic death of King Ludvík Jagellon after the lost battle with Turks at Mohácz (1526 ). After complicated diplomatic negotiations Ferdinand I Hapsburg was at the same time elected the Czech King. His election started almost four hundred years rule of the Hapsburgs in the Czech lands.

An extraordinary development the Castle and whole Prague noticed in the last third of the 16th century during a reign of Rudolf II, when Prague became for the second time in its history the Emperor´s residence and the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. The significant artists and scientists of that time used to arrive to Prague. For example painters Hans von Aachen, Bartholomeus Spranger, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a sculptor Adrian de Vries, the astronomers Johannes Kepler and Tyche Brahe, even Giordano Bruno spent in Prague one year. Emperor acquired a famous collection of the artistic works and various curiosities of which until today only a negligible torso remained in the Castle.

The building development was finished in 1611 after dethroning of Rudolf II. In May 1618 started uprising of the Czech Estates against the Hapsburg dynasty and it was also the beginning of the Thirty Years War. A leader of the Protestant Union Friedrich of Falc was elected the Czech King. He ruled only 14 months. His rule finished by a defeat of the Czech Estates at the Battle of White Mountain 8.11.1620 and by escape of King from the country. Hapsburg´s power was re-established and reinforced. But significance of Prague declined.

In the course of the Thirty Years War the Castle was two times occupied, firstly in 1631 by the Saxon army and then in 1648 by the Swedish army. Swedes moreover plundered a substantial part of a treasure from the collections of Rudolf II. A significance of Prague Castle and whole Prage after the end of the Thirty Years War more and more declined. The Habsburg rules resided mostly in Vienna and Prague Castle revived only during their temporal stay namely on the coronations.

Only at the second half of the 18th century during the reign of the Empress Maria Thereza run over a big rebuilding of the Castle. At the beginning of the 19th century a significance of Prague Castle even more declined. In this period the French King Charles X. after revolution upheaval in Paris 1830 lived in Prague Castle in an exile. The last coronation that Prague experienced was a coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand V in 1836. At the second half of the 19th century a reconstruction and Neo-Gothic completion of the St.Vitus Cathedral started.

After a formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 the Castle became a residence of the president of the Czechoslovak Republic. The first president was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the second one was Edward Beneš. The Nazi occupation in 1939-1945 forcibly interrupted Prague development and the whole Czechoslovak Republic. The May Uprising in 1945 returned to Prague a liberation and renewal of a capital city function of the indenpendent Czechoslovak Republic.

In February 1948 then in Prague and whole Czechoslovakia started an era of socialism building. In August 1968 Prague and whole Czechoslovakia was occupied by the armies of the Warsaw pact with an aim to suppress reviving process called „ the Prague Spring“. After the Velvet revolution in November 1989 Prague wake up from the twenty years long lasting lethargy called as the normalization.

In 1992 a historical core of city – Prague Monument Reservation – was inscribed on a list of the world heritage international organization called UNESCO and became a part of the most important cultural monuments, that is necessary to present, protect and to hand down to the future generations.

Guide Of Prague

History of Prague