Hotel 16
U sv. Kateřiny Praha

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PRAGUE

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Prague History

Historical settlements developed in Prague more than 1,100 years ago. However, archeological findings prove that the first settlers came to the Prague area already in the Early Stone age.
In 973, the first monastery in Bohemia was founded at the castle and the Prague diocese was established. In late 10th century another princely castle was built – Vyšehrad. The settlements was developed between those two castles and the most important settlements by the market (the today’s Old Tow Square) became after 1231 the first town of Prague protected with stone fortifications, later called the Old Town (Staré Město).

In 1257, was founded the today’s Lesser Town below the Prague Castle. These two parts of the city was connected by the stone Judith’s Bridge from 1172. In that time Prague was already an important European trade and craft centre with many stone houses, churches, and other buildings.
As the Slavic king dynasty (Premyslid family) died out in 1306, the Luxembourgs assumed power. The town of Hradčany was founded at the foregrounds of the Prague Castle in 1320.

The first Luwembourg John did not stay in Prague often and did not do much for the development of the castle or the town. The situation changed when his son Charles IV came to the throne. Elected the Roman king and emperor, he chose Prague as his residence. His reign (1346 – 79) is considered to be the greatest period in the town`s history. Charles enlarged it massively by founding the New Town. Rebuild the Prague Castle and builded the new stone Charles Bridge. He also made Prague an important cultural centre by establishing a university. At the end of his reign, Prague was one of the biggest towns in Europe.

Weak rule of his son Wenceslas IV, who was not able to solve social and religious problems, resulted in the Hussite movement. Hussites conquered Prague, refused to give up the new king Zikmund and brought with him a long war. In 1420 their army defeated the Crusaders in the battles Vítkov and Vysehrad.
Exhaustive struggle was ended by defeat of the Hussites` radical wing at the Battle of Lipan the in 1434.
Nevertheless, Prague stayed largely Utraquist for two centuries. Under the Hussite king George of Poděvrady, the town as the whole country suffered from isolation imposed by the Catholic Europe and the Pope.

The next king Ladislaus Jagellion tried to reduce the power and wealth of the Prague towns and he rebuilded the Prague Castle. When elected the king of Hungary in 1490, he moved his residence to Buda and Prague lost the importance to him. In 1526, the Habsburgs came to the Czech throne. Ferdinand I improved the castle, founding the Royal Garden with the Royal Belvedere. Unfortunately, a disastrous fire of the Lesser Town, the Prague Castle and Hradčany in 1541 stopped the town’s development for long time. Splendid aristocratic places and residences were later built instead of burnt houses.
Prague then joined the Anti- Habsburg uprising in 1547. Its defeat resulted in a loss of almost all privileges and property. The glory of Prague returned only with the emperor Rudolf II when it was centre of most famous diplomats, generals, artists and scientists. After king`s death the country fell into war. Starting with the so-called 2nd Prague defenestration in 1618, it grew in a European conflict – the 30 Years’War. When Catholic Habsburgs defeated the uprising of the Czech Estates in the year 1620, they imposed the hard  repression on the country for 3 centuries. Also The 30 Years’War caused much damage to Prague because the leaving Swedish soldiers took a lot of valuable art works from the Prague Castle and tens of aristocratic palaces as their prize.

Since the mid-17th century Prague became rather a provincial town, however, experienced the unique construction boom. Owners of the buildings were new, predominantly Catholic aristocracy, who acquired a large property and influence in the Thirty Years War. Strong Germanization of Vienna resulted in intensive development of the national revival, which sought to promote the Czech language, culture and art. This resulted in the publication of the independent Czechoslovak Republic on 28 October 1918. Prague became the capital and seat of the President and all the central authorities.

During the Second World War, Prague and the Czech Republic was occupied by the Germany. However, domestic and foreign resistance was active and organized the assassination of the Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich. As revenge for his death was only in Prague executed 442 people in the so-called Heydrichiade. Uprising against German began at the end of the war 5th May 1945 and caused large damage.

After a short period of post-war democratic development in 1948 the Communists took power. In August 1968, Prague was a whole country occupied by Warsaw Pact troops.

The „Velvet Revolution“ of 1989 removed the Communist regime and turned history back of freedom and democracy.
In 1992 the historical centre of the town was entered in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.