History of Prague
By Old Prague Hostel – Lejla and Prague Central Hostels
First mentions about initial inhabitants of Vltava valley goes to very deep history, when Celtic tribe come in 500 BC.
The history of the city goes back to the foundation of Prague Castle by Borivoj in 870 AD. After 894 it became the main seat of the oldest ruling dynasty of the state Bohemia, the Premyslid princes (Premyslovci). The first to leave a written record of the existence of a busy commercial centre and settlement below Prague Castle was the Arab-Jewish merchant Ibrahim Jakub, who visited Prague in 965 or 966 and described it as a town “built of stone and mortar”.
Charles IV and his Golden Age
During the epoch of the Czech king and emperor Charles IV(1346 – 1378) Prague had flourished. Charles IV was very intelligent and educated, therefore lead the Czech land to the top of economic and cultural bloom. Prague was promoted to emperor residence, and political centre of Europe. In the start of his reign, in 1348, founded High school – The Charles university, where came youth of all Europe. He also founded first Student College – Carolinum (1366). Charles IV established the New Town. He appointed Matyas from Arras to conduct the built of cathedral of Saint Vitus in the style of top Gothic, which was finished by Petr Parler. Petr Parler conduct other magnifies buildings such as are Bridge Tower, Tyn church, church of All Saints.
Charles was initiator of building of the Charles Bridge, which replaced Judith bridges (swept away by the flood) The Charles bridge had no sculptures in the time of its building and is work of builder Petr Parler.
Charles IV founded castle Carlstejn, which is near Prague upon river Berounka.
Ferdinand the Roman Catholic Habsburg was elected King of Bohemia (1526) and the Kingdom of Bohemia became part of the Habsburg monarchy and after the defeat of the first anti-Habsburg uprising of the Bohemian Estates (1547) the Prague Towns people lost a large part of their property and political privileges. But it was a period when culture flourished thanks to the personality and court of the art-loving Emperor Rudolph II. (1576-1612) who moved his seat to Prague in 1583 and endowed Prague’s galleries with the best Mannerist art in Europe and invited the respected astrologist Tycho de Brahe and Johannes Kepler and other famous scientists.
. In that time Rudolph II founded his famous collection of Arts. There were created buildings and monuments. The Royal Garden-the garden was built in 1534 and embellished during the time of Rudolf II and Ball Hall is its part.
Golden Lane – Little houses from the 16th century, behind the St. George’s Basilica, where used to live emperor’s alchemists. Rabbi Jehuda Löw ben Becael was said that invented an artificial man – called Golem, who is still hidden on the field on the Old –New Synagogue, by the legend. Rudolph was more interested in science and arts then in politics so it led to revolts and his brother Matthias took the reign. Rudolph II issued Majestat in 1609 – free faith of Czech non-Catholic walks. Rudolph II is buried in a tomb in the St. Vitus Cathedral.
Prague 1918-1989
• After the independence and foundation of the Czechoslovac Republic, Dr. Tomas Garrique Masaryk becomes the first Czech President.
• 1920 The National Assembly carried the first Constitution
• 1938 Mnichov agreement – Czech had to renounce Soudets
• 1939 Started II.World war, Prague – capital of Nazi Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia
• 1945 liberation by the American and Soviet army, Dr. Edvard Benes – president
• 1948 the February putsch seizure power of KSC
• 1960 foundation of the Czechoslovak socialistic republic
• 1968 Prague Spring – an attempt to reform socialism, intervention of 5 states of the Warsaw Pact
• 1989 Velvet revolution, formation of the government of national tolerance, Vaclav Havel elected the president
Tags: czech republic, history, prague, travel
