Prague/Chapter 3
When throwing a stone through a window in Prague,
you throw with it a morsel of history. (Count Lützow.)
HISTORY OF PRAGUE.
The Story of Prague is to a great extent the history of the Bohemian nation and of the Bohemian State.
History of Prague blends into the legendary: Libuša, a semimythical princess, is said to have founded the Castle of Prague, under which protection the surrounding towns rose and flourished. The castle was for many centuries the seat of the Přemyslide dynasty, extinct in 1306.
A time of great prosperity for Prague was the glorious reign of Charles the Fourth, of the Lucemburg dynasty (1346 till 1378), who made Prague the Capital of the Holy Roman Empire, founded there the famous University, the New Town, many churches and monasteries, built the Charles Bridge etc., so that the City had a foremost position among other seats of culture and civilisation in Europe.
Queen Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II., who reposes in the Westmister Abbey, was daughter of Charles IV.
The Hussite wars are the period of Prague greatness and it is also the period in which the links between England and Bohemia are frequent and strong: “Wycliffe’s importance was indeed greater in Bohemia than even in his own country“ says Count Lützow.
Wycliffe’s doctrines were preached by John Hus; Jerome of Prague was an Oxford student and in “A forgotten great Englishman“ Mr. James Baker has rescued from oblivion the memory of Peter Payne, a learned Hussite dialectic champion.
Anxious and troublous times for Prague began, when the luckless “Winterking“ Frederick, husband of Elizabeth, daughter of James II., and father of the dashing cavalry leader of the Civil war Prince Rupert of the Rhine, was defeated in the disastrous battle of the White Mountain (Bílá Hora) in 1620.
This defeat and the executions of the Bohemian leaders (1621) mark a tragic epoch in the history of Bohemia. The ancient constitution, which was in many respects not unlike that of England at the same period, was suppressed and foreigners took the places of the Bohemian nobles.
Eminent Bohemians like the teacher Comenius (native name: Komenský) and the artist-engraver Hollar found refuge in England.
The political and religious liberties of Bohemia were annihilated and the national language began to decay.
In 1757. Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, laid siege to the city, that caused great damage to many beautiful and ancient buildings of Prague
New period began in Prague with the national revival at the beginning of the 19th Century. The first mere literary movement followed soon a political revival.
Palacký was the author of the great national history and his monumental work taught the Bohemians to remember their historic past.
Rieger, a famous politician and statesman, was the leader of the Bohemians in their great struggle for the old constitution.
Bráf taught his countrymen, how to develop their industry and induced them to pay attention to the social reforms.
Prague was occupied by the Prussians in 1866. Here was signed the convention, which put an end to the hostilities between Austria and Prussia.