History Of Prague

Early history

Prague has been the site for different settlements since prehistoric times. The very first hunting party arrived in the city over one million years ago and the first long-term settlement arrived around 5500 BC. During the 6th century AD, the Slavs moved into Prague and began building a network of colonies. The city began to expand and a large marketplace developed, which is today’s Old Square.

The 15th to 17th centuries

Throughout the early part of the 15th century, Jan Hus, one of the most famous medieval anarchists, began to spread his reform-centred teachings. These led to the Hussite Wars, which began in 1419 with the New Town Revolution. Later, Emperor Rudolph II set up home in Prague Castle in 1583 and made Prague the centre of European art, politics and science, and the new city flourished with Renaissance culture.

Rudolph II died in 1612 and this marked the end of Prague’s prominence in world culture. A revolt of the nobility ended with the Battle of White Hill in 1620, which was then followed by the Thirty Years War. The Saxons ransacked the city in 1631, which was already destroyed after the Battle of White Hill, and then in 1648, the Swedes did the same. The city was reduced to a provincial town, which prompted a collapse in economics and a huge fall in Prague’s population.

After the Thirty Years War, Prague went through a very unsettled period. The city was rebuilt in the Baroque style, with many important walls and other defences being constructed. French troops occupied Prague throughout 1741 and 1742, and in 1744, the city was occupied by Prussian troops. In 1784, under Emperor Joseph II, the four independent towns of Prague (Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town and Hradcany) were joined to form one single city.

The 19th century to the present day

Throughout the 19th century, Prague was hidden behind its own city walls and missed the onset of surrounding industrial revolutions. Towards the end of the century, Prague demolished many of these walls, between the Old and New towns, and built an embankment along the river. By 1874, most of the Baroque-style buildings were destroyed, making way for a new neo-Renaissance style

At the beginning of the 20th century, Prague began to transform into a modern European city. This was speeded up by the Czech, German and Jewish cultures working together. The development was postponed with the onset of WWI, but continued throughout the 1920s, when many other countries were facing financial crisis. By March 1939, the Germans had occupied the whole of Czechoslovakia and Hitler arrived in Prague. The Jewish community of the city was decimated, with estimates of 40,000 people being murdered.

Following the Communist revolution of 1948, the arrival of people to Prague rose dramatically. New housing areas were built on the outskirts of the city and the population grew at an amazing rate. The new buildings were built very fast and cheaply. They were dull in appearance and of a much lower quality than the buildings of the previous century. Communism took hold in 1968 and all building and creativity in the city stopped. It was not until the return of the city’s freedom in 1989 that the inhabitants of Prague could once again express themselves freely.

Prague is just starting to regain its unique character and beauty, leading the way once again for culture in Eastern Europe. With the split from Slovakia and the joining of the EU in 2004, Prague is now making its mark in Europe. It has become an extremely popular holiday destination for thousands of tourists.