Přemysl Otakar II built the New Town of Prague in 1257 on the site of the original 9th century settlement. Later renamed Lesser Town in the 18th century, it was mainly inhabited by the German population.
The first settlement in this area dates back to Neolithic times and in 8th and 9th centuries, the surroundings of today’s Lesser Town Square was a marketplace surrounded by fortifi cations and a moat. Two important merchant routes crossed at this point followed by two Vltava fords where the Mánes Bridge and the Charles Bridge stand today. During the 12th century, the fortifi ed bishop’s court, known as johanites commendam, and the first stone bridge, called Judita Bridge, were built there. The entrance to the town was through four gates. During the Luxemburg dynasty, St. Tomáš’s church was built and Charles IV. let the town expand to the south, building what became known as the Hunger Wall and in 1357 he started the construction of a new stone bridge. The town was damaged by several fi res. The fi rst was in 1503 when the burnt out houses were replaced by renaissance palaces and burgher houses. The next fi re in 1541 destroyed more than half of the houses and damaged Prague Castle and the rebuilding took decades. The quarter was also ransacked by foreign armies several times, nevertheless, the building continued, but now in the Baroque style. The independence of the town was cancelled in 1784. After 1918, the city area became the seat of government offices.
Alice Braborcová
photo © editors
Nesouhlas se zpracováním Vašich osobních údajů byl zaznamenán.
Váš záznam bude z databáze Vydavatelstvím KAM po Česku s.r.o. vymazán neprodleně, nejpozději však v zákonné lhůtě.
