Here it is a rather unremarkable name Peklov for such an interesting area. Peklov is a small hamlet. It is located near Prague. Many of Prague’s historical events shaped Peklov. Let’s explore the story of Prague to understand Peklov better.
Around 500 BC, the Celtic Boii tribe settled the region. They named it Bohemia. Prague’s history began long before it was Prague. The Slavs became the dominant people in the 6th century. They established settlements near Germanic settlements. Prague gets its name from the Slavic word “práh”. It means “ford”. This refers to Prague’s location as a Vltava River crossing. Some say “práh” means “threshold”. This refers to Prague’s low-lying areas as a threshold. The mighty Prague Castle overlooks the city.
Prague Castle’s foundation occurred around 880. It became one of Europe’s largest inhabited fortresses. Prague became the seat of Czech rulers. The area around Prague Castle became a trading center by the 10th century. Merchants from all over Europe gathered there.
Prague experienced growth in the 13th century. German town law and German immigration drove this growth. Settlements around Prague Castle gained town privileges. The Old Town of Prague gained town status in 1230. The settlement below Prague Castle became the New Town of Prague in 1257. It was later renamed Lesser Town.
The city flourished under Charles IV in the 14th century. He was of the Luxembourg dynasty. Charles raised Prague’s bishopric to an archbishopric in 1344. He founded Charles University in 1348. It was the first university in Central Europe. Charles also founded the New Town. He rebuilt Prague Castle. A new bridge was erected. It is now called Charles Bridge. Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Charles wanted Prague to become one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
Jan Hus preached in Prague during the reign of Wenceslas IV. He sought church reformation. His execution in 1415 led to the Hussite Wars. Peasant rebels defeated Sigismund in 1420. The Hussites eventually lost focus.
The Habsburg dynasty ascended to the Bohemian throne in 1526. Rudolf II chose Prague as his home in 1576. Prague became the cultural center of the Holy Roman Empire again. Prague’s famous residents included Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler.
The Second Defenestration of Prague in 1618 triggered the Thirty Years’ War. The Protestant army was defeated in 1620. Twenty-seven Protestant leaders were executed in 1621. Protestants had to return seized Catholic property.
Prague’s population declined during the war. It went from 60000 to 20000. A great fire devastated Prague in 1689. A plague outbreak killed thousands in 1713-14.
The four municipalities of Prague united in 1784. The Industrial Revolution strongly affected Prague. The first suburb Karlín appeared in 1817.
The revolutions of 1848 were suppressed. The Czech National Revival began. Prague had a German-speaking near-majority in 1848. But by 1910, it decreased to 5.97 percent.
Czechoslovakia gained independence after World War I. Prague became its capital. The population rose to 850000 by 1930.
Nazi Germany occupied Prague in 1939. Most Jews were killed in the Holocaust. The Prague uprising occurred in May 1945. Soviet tanks reached Prague on May 9 1945.
After the war, Prague was again the capital of Czechoslovakia. The country remained under Soviet influence. Prague became the center of a communist coup in 1948.
The Prague Spring occurred in 1968. The Soviet Union occupied Czechoslovakia.
The Velvet Revolution crowded Prague’s streets in 1989. Czechoslovakia freed itself from communism. Prague became the capital of the Czech Republic in 1993.
Prague suffered from floods in 2002. They damaged buildings and the transport system.
Today, Prague is a major European city. Peklov near Prague has seen much history. It continues to be a part of Prague’s ongoing story. The small hamlet of Peklov near Prague serves as a witness to centuries of historical events. Its location has seen the rise and fall of empires. It has also seen cultural and societal changes. Today Peklov remains a reminder of the past while embracing the future.