“What secrets do these silent giants hold?” I ask you here at the Památník trolejbusové dopravy na Hanspaulce. This isn’t just metal and wire. It is a monument to Prague’s innovative spirit.
We stand before a unique tribute. The Památník trolejbusové dopravy na Hanspaulce commemorates the city’s first trolleybus line. Imagine Prague in 1936. The first trolleybus line began right here in Šárecká Street. It connected Střešovice with the charming Hanspaulka. The route climbed the area’s steep hills.
This line marked a new era. The city celebrated the quiet and odorless trolleybuses. Hundreds of people greeted the first trolleybuses. They linked Dejvice to the greater city. The initial fleet included three borrowed trolleybuses. Škoda ČKD and Tatra each supplied one.
Look closely at these authentic trolleybus poles. They stand as silent witnesses. The city decided to preserve the memory of the trolleybus era in Prague 6. Rather than scrap the old trolleybus pole the city repurposed it. With recycled tram materials the city created this unique memorial. Notice the trolleybus insulators and short lengths of trolley wire. Informational plaques adorn the poles. They tell the story of this pioneering route.
The original line started on August 29 1936. It was known as Line K. Later it became Line 51. The trolleybuses proved their worth on steep inclines. More lines quickly followed.
In the late 1950s plans arose to extend the line. It was to run from Matěj through Bubeneč and the Letná Tunnel. The line would have stretched into central Prague. However only a short link to the Dejvice depot was built. This extension was never actually used.
Instead of expansion came a setback. The trolleybus line closed on July 1 1959. Buses replaced the trolleybuses. Prague 6 built this memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of that event.
Prague relentlessly eliminated trolleybuses between 1959 and 1972. Yet some silent relics of the trolleybus era remain even today. Many trolleybus substations still operate. Hrebenka and Podolí feed power to the trams.
“Trolleybus archaeologists” can identify former trolleybus poles. They also know where to find the rosettes that once held trolley wires. Sadly these remnants keep disappearing.
Today the Památník trolejbusové dopravy na Hanspaulce stands as a reminder. It recalls an innovative chapter in Prague’s transport history.