   #copyright

Prague

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 50°05′N 14°26′E

                                   CAPTION: Prague (Praha), Czech Republic

                                         Prague coat-of-arms
                             Capital city Czech Republic (Česká republika)
                               Population        1,183,729 (31 March 2006)
                                     Area                          496 km²
                              Coordinates                50°05′ N 14°26′ E
                                Elevation                   177-399 m AMSL
                                  Founded                      9th century
                                  Website                   prague-city.cz
                                         Prague location map

   Prague ( Czech: Praha ( IPA: [ˈpraɦa]), see also other names) is the
   capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated on the Vltava
   river in central Bohemia, it is home to approximately 1.2 million
   people. (It can be derived from jobs statistics, however, that an
   additional 300,000 work there without having registered as residents.)

   Nicknames for Prague have included "city of a hundred spires" and "the
   golden city". Since 1992, the historic centre of Prague has been
   included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. According to
   Guinness World Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in
   the world.

History

   The land where Prague was to be built has been settled since the
   Paleolithic Age. Several thousands of years ago, there were trade
   routes connecting southern parts of Europe to northern Europe which
   passed through this area, following the course of the river. From
   around 500 BC the Celt tribe known as the Boii, were the first known
   inhabitants of this region known by name. The Boii named the region
   Bohemia and the river Vltava. In between the 6th and the 9th AD the
   Germanic tribe Marcomanni migrated to Bohemia and other Germanic tribes
   followed during the 5th century AD, but in the 6th century their elites
   and majority of inhabitants moved to the Danubian area which enabled a
   Slavic tribe invading from the West, to settle this area. The Czech
   Slavic tribe came to Bohemia in the 6th century and Forefather Czech
   became the founder of the Czech nation.
   Týn Church - a view from east of Prague.
   Enlarge
   Týn Church - a view from east of Prague.

   According to legend, Princess Libuše, the sovereign of the Czech tribe,
   married a humble plowman by the name of Přemysl and founded the dynasty
   carrying the same name. The legendary Princess saw many prophecies from
   her castle Libusin, which was located in central Bohemia.
   (Archaeological finds dating back to the seventh century support this
   theory). In one prophecy, it is told, she foresaw the glory of Prague.
   One day she had a vision: "I see a vast city, whose glory will touch
   the stars! I see a place in the middle of a forest where a steep cliff
   rises above the Vltava River. There is a man, who is chiseling the
   threshold (prah) for the house. A castle named Prague (Praha) will be
   build there. Just as the princes and the dukes stoop in front of a
   threshold, they will bow to the castle and to the city around it. It
   will be honored, renowned of great repute, and praise will be bestowed
   upon it by the entire world."

   From around 936, the Czech rulers got most of Bohemia under their
   control. The first Bohemian ruler acknowledged by the historians was
   Czech Prince Borivoj Premyslovec, who ruled in the second half of the
   9th century. He and his wife Ludmila (who became a patron saint of
   Bohemia after her death) were baptized by Metodej, who (together with
   his brother Cyril) brought Christianity to Moravia in 863. Borivoj
   moved his seat from the fortified settlement Levý Hradec to a place
   called Prague (Praha). It was also called the Prague castle grounds or
   shortly Prague Castle. Since Borivoj's reign, it became the seat of the
   Czech rulers. (Prague Castle became the largest inhabited fortress in
   the world, and is the seat of the Czech president today).

   Borivoj's grandson, Prince Wenceslas, initiated friendly relations with
   the Saxon dynasty. Wenceslas wanted Bohemia to become an equal partner
   in a bigger empire. (Just as Bohemia had belonged to Great Moravia in
   the 9th century and to Samo's empire in the 7th century; both of these
   empires had been founded to resist the attacks of the Avars).
   Orientation towards the Saxons was not favored by his brother Boleslav,
   and it was the main reason why Prince Wenceslas was assassinated on
   September 28, 929. He was buried at St. Vitus' Rotunda, the church
   which he founded. (It stood on the ground where St. Wenceslas' Chapel
   in St. Vitus' Cathedral now is). A few years later Wenceslas was
   canonized and he became Bohemia's most beloved patron saint. He is "
   Good King Wenceslas" from the Christmas carol. In 962, Boleslav changed
   his mind and Bohemia became part of the newly instituted Roman Empire
   when Otto I the Great from the Saxon dynasty became the emperor. (It
   was the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, the exact term being
   adapted in the 12th century).

   By the early 10th century, the area around and below Prague Castle had
   developed into an important seat for trading, where merchants coming
   from all over Europe gathered. In 965, a Jewish merchant and traveler,
   called Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub wrote: "Prague is built from stone and lime,
   and it has the biggest trade centre. Slavs are on the whole courageous
   and brave... They occupy the lands which are the most fertile and
   abundant with all the food supply."

   In 973, a bishopric was founded in Bohemia with the bishop's palace
   located on the Prague castle grounds. The first Czech bishop was
   Adalbert who became a Czech, Polish and Hungarian patron saint after he
   was canonized in 999.

   Next to the Romanesque fortified settlement of Prague, another
   Romanesque fortified settlement was built across the river Vltava at
   Vysehrad in the 11th century. During the reign of Prince Vratislav II,
   who rose to the title of King of Bohemia Vratislav I in 1085, Vysehrad
   became the temporary seat of Czech rulers.
   Bridges of Prague.
   Enlarge
   Bridges of Prague.
   Prague Castle at night.
   Enlarge
   Prague Castle at night.
   Charles Bridge.
   Enlarge
   Charles Bridge.
   St. Vitus Cathedral.
   Enlarge
   St. Vitus Cathedral.
   The Astronomical Clock
   Enlarge
   The Astronomical Clock

   Prince Vladislav II rose to the title of King of Bohemia Vladislav I in
   1158. Many monasteries and many churches were built under the rule of
   Vladislav I. The Strahov Monastery, built after the Romanesque style,
   was founded in 1142. The first bridge over the river Vltava — the
   Judith Bridge — was build in 1170. (It crumbled in 1342 and a new
   bridge, later called the Charles Bridge was built in its place in
   1357).

   In 1212, Bohemia became a kingdom when Prince Premysl Otakar I rose to
   the title of King by inheritance from Frederick II (Emperor from 1215),
   which was legalized in the document called the "Golden Bull of Sicily".
   The king's daughter became another Bohemian saint. Agnes preferred to
   enter the convent than to marry Emperor Frederick II.

   In the 13th century, the towns started to rise. Three settlements
   around the Prague castle grounds gained the privilege of a town. The
   settlement below Prague Castle became New Town of Prague in 1257 under
   King Otakar II, and it was later renamed Little Quarter of Prague Malá
   Strana. The town of Hradčany which was built around its square, just
   outside of the Prague's castle grounds, dates to 1320. Across the river
   Vltava, the Old Town of Prague Staré Město had already gained the
   privilege of a town in 1230.

   In the 13th century, King Premysl Otakar II was the most powerful king
   of the Holy Roman Empire during his reign, known as the King of Iron
   and Gold. He ruled in seven other countries, and his reign stretched
   from Silesia to the Adriatic coast.

   The Premyslovec dynasty ruled until 1306 when the male line died out.
   The inheriting dynasty was the Luxembourg dynasty when Eliska, sister
   of the last Premyslovec ruler, married John of Luxembourg.

   The city flourished during the 14th century during the reign of Charles
   IV, of the Luxembourg dynasty. Charles was the oldest son of Czech
   Princess Eliska Premyslovna and John of Luxembourg. He was born in
   Prague in 1316 and he became the King of Bohemia upon the death of his
   father in 1346. Due to Charles' efforts, the bishopric of Prague was
   raised to an archbishopric in 1344. On April 7, 1348 he founded the
   first university in central, northern and eastern Europe, which is
   today called the Charles University, which is the oldest Czech
   university and was the first German university . At the same year he
   also founded New Town (Nové Město) adjacent to Old Town. Charles
   rebuilt the Prague Castle and Vysehrad, and a new bridge was erected,
   now called the Charles Bridge. The construction of St. Vitus' Cathedral
   had also begun. Many new churches were founded. In 1355, Charles was
   crowned the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in Rome. Prague became the
   capital of Holy Roman Empire. Charles wanted Prague to become one of
   the most beautiful cities in the world. He wanted Prague to be the
   dominant city in the whole empire, the Prague Castle the dominant site
   in the city and the stately Gothic Cathedral to be more dominant than
   Prague Castle. Everything was built in a grandiose Gothic style and
   decorated with an independent art style, called the Bohemian school.
   During the reign of Emperor Charles IV, the Czech Lands were among the
   most powerful in Europe.

   All that changed during the reign of weak King Wenceslas IV, son of
   Charles IV. During the reign of King Wenceslas IV — Václav IV —
   (1378–1419), Master Jan Hus, a preacher and the university's rector,
   held his sermons in Prague in the Bethlehem Chapel, speaking in Czech
   to enlarge as much as possible the diffusion of his ideas about the
   reformation of the church. His execution in 1415 in Constance (of
   accused heresy) led four years later to the Hussite wars (following the
   defenestration, when the people rebelled under the command of the
   Prague priest Jan Želivský and threw the city's counselors from the New
   Town Hall). King Wenceslas IV died 16 days later. His younger
   stepbrother Sigismund was the legitimate one to inherit the crown. But
   the Hussites opposed Sigismund and so he came to Prague with an army of
   30,000 crusaders. He planned to get capitulation of Prague and the
   crown. (It was Sigismund, who invited Jan Hus to Constance to defend
   himself from heresy and he promised him immunity, but he didn't keep
   his word). In 1420, peasant rebels, led by the famous general Jan
   Žižka, along with Hussite troops, defeated Sigismund (Zikmund, son of
   Charles IV) in the Battle of Vítkov Mountain. There were more crusades,
   all of which ended in failure. But after Zizka died, the Hussite were
   not united anymore. Eventually they split. The most radical Hussites
   were finally defeated at the battle of Lipany in 1434 when the moderate
   Hussites got together with the Czech Catholics. Sigismund became King
   of Bohemia.

   In 1437, Sigismund died. The male line of Luxembourg dynasty died out.
   Husband of Sigismund's daughter Elizabeth, Duke of Austria Albert II,
   became the Bohemian king for two years (until his death). Then, the
   next in line for Bohemian crown was grandson of Sigismund, born after
   his father's death, and thus called Ladislaw Posthumous. When he died
   17 years old, nobleman George of Podebrady, former advisor of
   Ladislaus, was chosen as the Bohemian king both by the Catholics and by
   the Ultraquist Hussites. He was called the Hussite king. During his
   reign, the pope called for the crusade against the Czech heretics. The
   crusade was lead by King of Hungary Matthius Corvinus who, after the
   crusade, became also King of Bohemia. George did not abdicate. Bohemia
   had two kings. George, before his death, made an arrangement with
   Polish King Casimir IV that the next Bohemian king will come from the
   Jagellon dynasty. (The wife of King Casimir IV was the sister of late
   Ladislaus Posthumous and so her son Vladislav was related to the
   Luxembourg dynasty and also to the original Bohemian Premyslovec
   dynasty). The Jagellon dynasty ruled only until 1526 when the Jagellon
   dynasty died out with Ludwig Jagellon, son of Vladislav Jagellon.

   The next Bohemian king became Ferdinand Habsburg, husband of Ann
   Jagellon, who was sister of Ludwig Jagellon. It was the beginning of
   the Habsburg dynasty. After Ferdinand's brother Charles V resigned in
   1556 as Emperor, Ferdinand was elected Emperor in 1558. After he died,
   his son Maximilian II inherited all his titles and then upon his death,
   his son Rudolf II inherited all the titles. It was during the reign of
   Emperor Rudolf II, when there was another glorious time for Prague.
   Prague became the cultural centre of Holy Roman Empire again. Rudolf
   was related to the Jagellon dynasty, to the Luxemburg dynasty and to
   the Premyslovec dynasty. But he was also related to Spanish Joan the
   Mad (the daughter of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of
   Aragon); Joan was the mother of Rudolf's grandfather. Although Rudolf
   II was very talented, he was eccentric and he suffered from depression.
   Emperor Rudolf II lived in Prague Castle, where he held his bizarre
   courts of the astrologers, the magicians and other strange figures. But
   it was a prosperous period for the city; famous people living there
   included the astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johann Kepler, the painters
   Giuseppe Arcimboldo, B. Spranger, Hans von Aachen, J. Heintz and
   others. In 1609, under the influence of the Protestant estates, Rudolf
   II (a devout Catholic), issued "Imperial Charter of Emperor" in which
   he legalized extensive religious freedom unparalled in Europe of that
   period. Many German Protestants (both Lutherans and Calvinists)
   immigrated to Bohemia. (One of them was Count J.M. Thurn, a German
   Lutheran; under his leadership the Third Defenestration of Prague
   happened in 1618 and it led to the Thirty Years War).

   Next in line for Bohemian crown was Rudolf's brother Matthias, but
   since Matthias was childless, his cousin, the archduke Ferdinand of
   Styria, was preliminary accepted by the Bohemian Diet as the future
   Bohemian king when Matthias became ill. The Protestant estates of
   Bohemia didn't like this decision. Tension between the Protestants and
   the Catholics (who were pro-Habsburgs) led to the Third Defenestration
   of Prague when the Catholic governors were thrown from the windows at
   Prague Castle on May 23, 1618. They survived, but the Protestants
   replaced the Catholic governors. This incident led to the Thirty Years
   War. When Matthias died, Ferdinand of Styria was elected Emperor as
   Emperor Ferdinand II, but was not accepted as King of Bohemia by the
   Protestant directors. Calvinist Frederick V of Pfalz was elected King
   of Bohemia. The Battle on the White Mountain followed on November 8,
   1620. Emperor Ferdinand II was helped by not only Catholic Spain,
   Catholic Poland, and Catholic Bavaria, but also by Lutheran Saxon (who
   disliked the Calvinists). The Protestant army, lead by the warior Count
   J.M. Thurn, was formed from the Protestant armies, mostly Lutheran
   Silesia, Lusatias, and Moravia. It was mainly the battle between the
   Protestants and the Catholics. The Catholics won and Emperor Ferdinand
   II became King of Bohemia. He proclaimed the re-Catholicization of the
   Czech Lands. Twenty seven Protestant leaders were executed in Old Town
   Square in Prague on June 21, 1621. (Executed were three noblemen, seven
   knights and seventeen burghers, including Dr. Jan Jesenius, the rector
   of Prague university). Most Protestant leaders fled, including Count
   J.M. Thurn; those who had stayed didn't expect such a harsh punishment.
   The Protestants had to return all the Catholic seized property to the
   Church. No faith other than Catholic was permitted. The upper classes
   were given the option either to emigrate or to convert to Catholicism.
   The German language was given equal rights with the Czech language.
   After the Peace of Westphalia, Ferdinand II moved the court to Vienna,
   and Prague began a steady decline which reduced the population from the
   60,000 it had had in the years before the war to 20,000.

The Jewish Quarter of Prague

   Jewish Cemetery and surrounding buildings
   Enlarge
   Jewish Cemetery and surrounding buildings

   The 17th century is considered the Golden Age of Jewish Prague. The
   Jewish community of Prague numbered some 15,000 people (approx. 30 per
   cent of the entire population), making it the largest Ashkenazic
   community in the world and the second largest community in Europe after
   Thessaloniki. In the years 1597 to 1609, the Maharal ( Judah Loew ben
   Bezalel) served as Prague's chief rabbi. He is considered the greatest
   of Jewish scholars in Prague's history, his tomb at the Old Jewish
   Cemetery eventually becoming a pilgrimage site. The expulsion of Jews
   from Prague by Maria Theresa of Austria in 1745 based on their alleged
   collaboration with the Prussian army was a severe blow to the
   flourishing Jewish community. The queen allowed the Jews to return to
   the city in 1748. In 1848 the gates of the Prague ghetto were opened.
   The former Jewish quarter, renamed Josefov in 1850, was demolished
   during the "ghetto clearance" (Czech: Asanace) on the turn of the 19th
   to the 20th century.

Great fire in 1689

   In 1689 a great fire devastated Prague, but this spurred a renovation
   and a rebuilding of the city. The economic rise continued through the
   following century, and the city in 1771 had 80,000 inhabitants. Many of
   these were rich merchants who, together with noblemen, enriched the
   city with a host of palaces, churches and gardens, creating a Baroque
   style renowned throughout the world. In 1784, under Joseph II, the four
   municipalities of Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město and Hradčany
   were merged into a single entity. The Jewish district, called Josefov,
   was included only in 1850. The Industrial Revolution had a strong
   effect in Prague, as factories could take advantage of the coal mines
   and ironworks of the nearby region. A first suburb, Karlín, was created
   in 1817, and twenty years later the population exceeded 100,000. The
   first railway connection was built in 1842.

19th century

   In 1806, Holy Roman Empire ended when Napoleon dictated its
   dissolution. Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated his title. He
   became Emperor of Austria Francis I.

   The revolutions that shocked all Europe around 1848 touched Prague too,
   but they were fiercely suppressed. In the following years the Czech
   nationalist movement (opposed to another nationalist party, the German
   one) began its rise, until it gained the majority in the Town Council
   in 1861.

   In 1867, Emperor Francis Joseph I established the Austro-Hungarian Dual
   Monarchy of the Austrian Empire and Kingdom of Hungary.

20th century

   The next in succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne became Francis
   Ferdinand d'Este after Crown Prince Rudolf (son of the emperor Francis
   Joseph I) had committed suicide and after the Emperor's brother
   (Ferdinand's father) had died. Ferdinand was married to Sophie von
   Chotek from a Czech aristocratic family. They lived in Bohemia at the
   Konopiste Castle, not far from Prague. He was in favour of Triple
   Monarchy, expanding an Austro-Hungary Dualism into Austro-Hungary-Czech
   Triple Monarchy, but on June 28, 1914 he and his wife were assassinated
   at Sarajevo. This assassination led to World War I.

   World War I ended with the defeat of Austro-Hungarian Empire and the
   creation of Czechoslovakia. Prague was chosen as its capital. At this
   time Prague was a true European capital with a very developed
   industrial base. In 1930 the population had risen to a startling
   850,000.

   For most of its history Prague had been a multiethnic city with
   important Czech, German, and Jewish populations. From 1939, when the
   country was occupied by Nazi Germany, and during World War II, most
   Jews either fled the city or were killed in the Holocaust. Most of the
   Jews living in Prague after the war emigrated in the years of
   Communism, particularly after the communist coup, the establishment of
   Israel in 1948, and the Soviet invasion in 1968. In the early 1990s,
   the Jewish Community in Prague numbered only 800 people compared to
   nearly 50,000 before the World War II. In 2006, some 1,600 people were
   registered in the Jewish Community.

   During the war, Prague itself was one of few european cities that were
   not damaged by bombardment, the citizens of Prague were however widely
   oppressed and persecuted by the Nazis. Politicians (e.g. prime minister
   Alois Eliáš), university profesors and students and many others were
   murdered or imprisoned with assistance of Germans or Czech informers.
   Prague uprising started on May 5, 1945 when Prague's Czech people,
   assisted by a revolting Russian division formerly in service of the
   Waffen SS, had revolted against the Nazi German occupants. That same
   day, the General Patton's American Third Army (with 150 thousand
   soldiers) was in Pilsen (only a few hours away from Prague) while
   Marshal Konev's Soviet Army was on the borders of Moravia. General
   Patton was in favour of liberating Prague, but he had to comply with
   the instructions from General D. Eisenhower. General Eisenhower
   requested the Soviet Chief of Staff to permit them to press forward,
   but was informed that American help is not needed (a prior agreement
   from the Yalta Conference was that Bohemia would be liberated by the
   Red Army). Finally, on May 9, 1945 (the day after Germany officially
   capitulated) the Soviet tanks got to Prague. It was not until May 12,
   1945 when the fight was completely over in the Czech Lands.

   The ethnic German population, which had formed the majority of the
   city's inhabitants until the late 19th century, either fled or was
   expelled in the months after May, 1945. During the gathering and
   transfer of Germans limited local massacres happened with today unknown
   number of victims.

   The Czechs genuinely felt gratitude towards the Soviet soldiers. People
   did not know that they became the victims in rival politics. The Soviet
   victory was both military and political. (Bismarck once declared: "He,
   who is master of Bohemia, is master of Europe...") Prague was
   henceforth the capital of a republic under the military and political
   control of the Soviet Union, and in 1955 it entered the Warsaw Pact.

   The always lively intellectual world of Prague, however, suffered under
   the totalitarian regime, in spite of the rather careful program of
   rebuilding of and caring for the damaged monuments after World War II.
   At the 4th Czechoslovakian Writers' Congress held in the city in 1967 a
   strong position against the regime was taken. This spurred the new
   secretary of Communist Party, Alexander Dubček to proclaim a new deal
   in his city's and country's life, starting the short-lived season of
   the "socialism with a human face". It was the Prague Spring, which
   aimed at democratic reform of institutions. The Soviet Union and the
   rest of the Warsaw Pact reacted, occupying Czechoslovakia and the
   capital in August 1968, suppressing under tanks' tracks any attempt of
   renovation.

   In 1989, after the Berlin Wall had fallen, and the Velvet Revolution
   crowded the streets of Prague, Czechoslovakia finally freed itself from
   communism and Soviet influence, and Prague benefited deeply from the
   new mood. In 1993, after the split of Czechoslovakia, Prague became
   capital city of the new Czech Republic. Prague is capital of two
   administrative units of Czech Republic - Prague region ( Czech: Pražský
   kraj) and Central Bohemian Region ( Czech: Středočeský kraj). As Prague
   is not geographically part of Central Bohemian Region it is a capital
   outside of territory it serves.

Timeline of most important moments of Prague history

     * 870    Prague Castle founded
     * 1085 Prague became the seat of kings - 1st king Vratislaus II.
     * 1344 the Prague Bishopric became an Archdiocese
     * 1346 the rule of Charles IV. - Prague capital of Holy Roman Empire
     * 1348 University of Prague ( Charles University) founded
     * 1415 in Konstanz, Jan Hus is burned at the stake as a heretic
     * 1419 1st Prague defenestration
     * 1420 battle on Vítkov Mountain - Hussites win over crusaders
     * 1583 rule of Rudolf II - city for the 2nd time the capital of Holy
       Roman Empire and cultural centre of Europe
     * 1618 3rd Prague defenestration sparked off the Thirty Years' War
     * 1621 execution of 27 Czech nobles on the Old Town Square as a
       consequence of the Battle of White Mountain
     * 1648 west bank of Prague (including the Prague Castle) occupied and
       looted by Swedish armies
     * 1741 occupation by French-Bavarian armies
     * 1744 occupation by Prussian armies
     * 1848 revolutionary uprising crushed by imperial army
     * 1890 big flood caused extreme damage
     * 1918 after World War I Prague became the capital of Czechoslovakia
     * 1922 Great Prague created by uniting Prague with its suburbs and
       neighbouring towns
     * 1938 after political betrayal of allies (France and Britain at
       Munich) Germany occupied Sudetenland and in 1939 the whole country
     * 1942 Czechoslovak paratroopers kill Reinhard Heydrich, Nazis
       respond with wave of terror
     * 1945 U.S. Air Force conducts bombing of Prague in World War II,
       killing hundreds of Praguers by mistake. (Target was Dresden,
       134 km away).
     * 1945 Prague uprising against the Nazi German occupants during the
       last days of World War II, ended with the arrival of the Red Army –
       followed by an expulsion of German citizens
     * 1948 communist takeover of power
     * 1968 Soviet army invasion to repress the Prague Spring
     * 1989 Prague is the main centre of Velvet Revolution (the fall of
       communist regime)
     * 2000 Anti-globalization Protests in Prague (some 15,000 protesters)
       turned violent during the IMF and World Bank summits
     * 2002 Prague suffers from flooding, parts of the city evacuated but
       no major landmarks destroyed

   The four independent boroughs that had formerly constituted Prague were
   eventually proclaimed a single city in 1784. Those four cities were
   Hradčany (the Castle District, west and north of the Castle), Little
   Quarter (Malá Strana, south of the Castle), Old Town (Staré Město, on
   the east bank opposite the Castle) and New Town (Nové Město, further
   south and east). The city underwent further expansion with the
   annexation of Josefov in 1850 and Vyšehrad in 1883, and at the
   beginning of 1922, another 37 municipalities were incorporated, raising
   the city's population to 676,000. In 1938 population reached 1,000,000.

Sights

   Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe's
   (and the world's) most popular tourist destinations. It is the sixth
   most visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and
   Berlin. Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II
   than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its
   historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the
   world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art
   Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and
   ultra-modern. Some of the most known sights are:
   Packed with tourists on a busy summer day in Malá Strana (Lesser
   Quarter), Prague
   Enlarge
   Packed with tourists on a busy summer day in Malá Strana (Lesser
   Quarter), Prague
     * Old Town (Staré Město) with its Old Town Square
     * The Astronomical Clock
     * The picturesque Charles Bridge
     * New Town (Nové město) with its busy and historic Wenceslas Square
     * Malá Strana (Lesser Quarter)
     * Prague Castle (the largest castle in the world) with its St. Vitus
       Cathedral
     * Josefov (the old Jewish quarter) with Old Jewish Cemetery and Old
       New Synagogue
     * The Lennon Wall
     * Vinohrady
     * The museum of Heydrich assassination in the crypt of the Church of
       Saints Cyril and Methodius
     * National Museum
     * Vyšehrad castle
     * Petřínská rozhledna, an observation tower on Petřín hill, which is
       nearly a 1:5 copy of the Eiffel Tower
     * Anděl (City part) which is probably the busiest part of the city
       with a super modern shopping mall and architecture
     * Žižkov Television Tower with observation deck
     * The New Jewish Cemetery in Olšany, location of Franz Kafka's grave
     * The Metronome, a giant, functional metronome that looms over the
       city
     * The Dancing House (Fred and Ginger Building)
     * The Mucha Museum, showcasing the Art Nouveau works of Alfons Mucha
     * Places connected to writers living in the city, such as Franz
       Kafka.

   A postcard image of Prague from the top of the Petřínská rozhledna.
   Enlarge
   A postcard image of Prague from the top of the Petřínská rozhledna.
   Milunić and Gehry's Dancing House
   Enlarge
   Milunić and Gehry's Dancing House

Culture

   Prague is a traditional cultural centre of Europe, hosting many
   cultural events.

   Significant cultural institutions:
     * National Theatre
     * The Rudolfinum (home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra)
     * State Opera
     * National Museum
     * Náprstek Museum
     * National Library
     * National Gallery

   There are hundreds of concert halls, galleries, cinemas and music clubs
   in the city. Prague also hosts Film Festivals, Music Festivals, a
   Writers Festival, hundreds of Vernissages and Fashion Shows.

   See also:
     * Prague Spring International Music Festival
     * Prague Autumn International Music Festival
     * Febiofest
     * One World Film Festival
     * Echoes of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
     * Barrandov Studios
     * Prague Writers Festival
     * Prague International Organ Festival
     * Prague Fringe Festival
     * World Roma Festival
     * Premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni

Economy

   The GDP per capita of Prague is more than double that of the Czech
   Republic as a whole, with a per-capita GDP (PPP) of EUR 32,357 in 2002,
   which is at 153% of the European Union average. The city is becoming a
   site of European headquarters of many international companies.

   Since the late 1990s, Prague has become a popular filming location for
   international productions and Hollywood motion pictures. Unlike many
   other European cities, Prague did not suffer great destruction during
   World War II, and the city is often used as a "stand in" for other
   pre-WW2 European cities, such as Amsterdam or London. A combination of
   architecture, low costs, tax breaks, and the existing motion picture
   infrastructure have proved attractive to international film production
   companies.

Colleges and universities

   Prague skyscraper.
   Enlarge
   Prague skyscraper.

   The city contains nine universities and colleges including the oldest
   university in Central and Eastern Europe:
     * Charles University (UK) founded in 1348
     * Czech Technical University (ČVUT) founded in 1707
     * Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) founded in 1800
     * Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (VŠUP) founded in 1885
     * Institute of Chemical Technology (VŠCHT) founded in 1920
     * Academy of Performing Arts (AMU) founded in 1945
     * Czech University of Agriculture (ČZU) founded in 1906/1952
     * University of Economics (VŠE) founded in 1953
     * University of New York Prague (UNYP)

Transport

Integrated transport system

   Public transport infrastructure consists of an integrated transport
   system of three metro lines (with 54 stations in total), trams, Prague
   Tram System (including the "nostalgic tram" no. 91), buses, a funicular
   to Petřín Hill and a chairlift at Prague Zoo. All services have a
   common ticketing system, and are run by Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy
   (The Capital City of Prague Transport Company).
   The "nostalgic tram" no. 91 runs through the city centre
   Enlarge
   The "nostalgic tram" no. 91 runs through the city centre

Rail

   The city forms the hub of the Czech railway system, with services to
   all parts of the Czech Republic and to neighbouring countries.

   Prague has two international railway stations, Hlavní nádraží
   (sometimes referred to as Wilsonovo nádraží) and Praha Holešovice.
   Intercity services also stop at the main stations Praha Smíchov and
   Masarykovo nádraží. In addition to these, there are a number of smaller
   suburban stations.

Air

   Prague is served by Ruzyně International Airport, which is the hub of
   the flag carrier, Czech Airlines. There are several cheap flights per
   day from the UK and from other countries. Ruzyně International Airport
   is considered as one of the most modern airports in Europe.

Taxis

   The Jerusalem Synagogue, built in 1906 to 1907 by Wilhelm Stiassny, of
   Bratislava, is the largest Jewish place of worship in Prague
   Enlarge
   The Jerusalem Synagogue, built in 1906 to 1907 by Wilhelm Stiassny, of
   Bratislava, is the largest Jewish place of worship in Prague

   The taxi service in Prague has had a somewhat checkered history. During
   the rule of Communist Party in Czechoslovakia (1948–1989), the taxi
   service was nationalised into one umbrella company, and, with a short
   exception during liberalization related to the Prague Spring, no
   independent taxi drivers were allowed. The quality and availability of
   the service was low. This caused many enterprising people to run
   illegal taxi services. Their earnings were far above income of typical
   citizens and became a source of envy. After the fall of the Communist
   regime, the service was liberalized and anyone could become a taxi
   driver. Unfortunately, the chaos of transition from planned to market
   economy did not leave any time to implement sufficient regulations. The
   lack of planning and controls has led to a number of serious taxi scams
   operating in the city; some of which have been linked with organised
   crime. Many of the victims of overpricing are tourists.

   Taxi services in Prague can currently be divided into three sectors.
   There are major taxicab companies, operating call-for-taxi services
   (radio-taxi) or from regulated taxi stands, where overpricing is rare
   and regulation mostly in place. There are independent drivers, who make
   pick-ups on the street; cheating is mostly associated with these cars.
   Lastly, there are fake taxi drivers, who operate as "contractual
   transport services" in order to avoid government regulation.

Sport

   Prague is the site of many sports events, national stadiums and teams
     * Prague International Marathon
     * Sparta Prague -> UEFA Champions League
     * Slavia Prague -> UEFA Cup
     * Sazka Arena -> 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and
       Euroleague Final Four 2006
     * Strahov Stadium — the largest stadium in the world
     * Mystic SK8 Cup — World cup of skateboarding
     * Prague open — prestige Floorball cup
     * and more

Prague as a venue

   Recent major events held in Prague:
     * NATO Summit 2002
     * International Monetary Fund and World Bank Summit 2000
     * International Olympic Committee Session 2004
     * International Astronomical Union General Assembly 2006

Famous people connected with Prague

   Being the cultural and economical centre of Bohemia, Prague has
   attracted many famous people. Some of the best known are:
     * Charles IV
     * Rudolf II
     * Jan Hus
     * Bohumil Hrabal
     * Franz Kafka - German Jewish writer
     * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Austrian German composer
     * Antonín Dvořák
     * Václav Havel
     * Albert Einstein - German Jewish scientist
     * Milan Kundera - Famous Writer
     * Jan Švankmajer - famed animator and surrealist

Historical population

   CAPTION: Demographic evolution of Prague between 1230 and 2004

   1230 1370 1600 1804 1837 1850 1880 1900 1925 1950 1980 1991 2004
   4,000 40,000 60,000 76,000 105,500 118,000 162,000 201,600 718,300
   931,500 1,182,800 1,214,174 1,170,571

     * The record of 1230 includes Staré Město only
     * The records of 1370 and 1600 includes Staré město, Nové město, Malá
       Strana and Hradčany quarters
     * Numbers beside other years denote the population of Prague within
       the administrative border of the city at that time (and population
       including present suburbs in parentheses).

   The Church of St. Nicolas.
   Enlarge
   The Church of St. Nicolas.

Twin cities

     * Germany Hamburg, Germany
     * Japan Kyoto, Japan
     * Turkey Istanbul, Turkey
     * United States Chicago, Illinois, United States
     * Cyprus Limassol, Cyprus
     * Israel Rosh HaAyin, Israel

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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