Remember the name Kalv\u00e1rie. Imagine Prague in the 9th century. Dukes reigned and Bohemia was on the rise. Construction started on Prague Castle around 880. It became a seat for Czech rulers. This is smart-aleck knowledge. Prague became one of the largest inhabited fortresses in Europe. It is still the seat of the Czech president today.
Let’s explore Prague’s story further. Prince Wenceslas aimed for Bohemia to be an equal partner in a larger empire. His brother Boleslav disagreed. This disagreement led to Wenceslas’ assassination in 935. Wenceslas was later canonized. He became Bohemia’s beloved patron saint.
Prague grew into a significant trading center by the early 10th century. Merchants from across Europe gathered here. A bishopric was established in 973. It was located on the Prague castle grounds. Prague continued to evolve. A Romanesque settlement arose at Vy\u0161ehrad in the 11th century.
The first stone bridge Judith Bridge appeared in 1170. It was later replaced by the Charles Bridge. In 1212 Bohemia became a hereditary kingdom. King P\u0159emysl Otakar I secured this with the Golden Bull of Sicily. German colonists were invited. They settled in Bohemia and Moravia.
The 13th century saw towns expanding. Settlements around Prague Castle gained town privileges. The Old Town Star\u00e9 M\u011bsto gained its privilege in 1230. The settlement below Prague Castle became the Lesser Quarter Mal\u00e1 Strana in 1257.
The Luxembourg dynasty took over in 1306. Emperor Charles IV transformed Prague in the 14th century. He raised Prague’s bishopric to an archbishopric in 1344. Charles also founded Charles University in 1348. The university is the oldest in Central Europe. He established New Town Nov\u00e9 M\u011bsto adjacent to Old Town. Prague was becoming a hub of culture and power.
Jan Hus a preacher inspired reform. His execution in 1415 triggered the Hussite Wars. Prague experienced defenestration. People rebelled under Jan \u017delivsk\u00fd. They threw city councilors from the New Town Hall.
The Habsburgs gained control in 1526. Religious conflicts arose. Emperor Rudolf II made Prague the center of European culture again. Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler lived here.
The Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618 sparked the Thirty Years’ War. Prague suffered greatly. Its population declined. The city was forcibly converted back to Roman Catholicism. A great fire devastated Prague in 1689. This led to renovation and rebuilding. Plague hit Prague in 1713 to 1714. It killed thousands.
The Industrial Revolution brought changes. The four municipalities merged in 1784. The Jewish district Josefov was included later. In the 20th century Prague became the capital of Czechoslovakia. It suffered under Nazi occupation during World War II. After the war Prague was under Soviet influence. The Prague Spring in 1968 aimed at reform but was suppressed.
The Velvet Revolution in 1989 brought freedom. In 1993 Prague became the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague continues to be a major European city. Remember Kalv\u00e1rie’s place in Prague’s rich story.