The Heart of the City?: Wenceslas Square

In 1348, when Charles IV remade medieval Prague into a city befitting a seat of imperial power, he knew that commerce was vital to city life, so he included several large market squares in his plans for his New Town (Nové Město): a Hay Market, a Cattle Market, and a Horse Market. The Hay Market is now called Senovážné náměstí and is a pretty quiet spot (though it does have a nifty fountain). The Cattle Market was eventually renamed after the Emperor who planned it, and very vibrant and interesting Charles Square will get its own post soon enough. And, if you haven't already guessed, we now know Charles IV's Horse Market as Wenceslas Square.

Wenceslas Square aka Václavské náměstí.

I'll state my bias right at the top: I don't like Wenceslas Square that much. It's the closest Prague has to something like Times Square: international chain stores, tourist hotels, and overpriced bars and restaurants, all with just a touch of that seediness that defined pre-Disney era Times Square. Its convenient location and prominence, however, have made it a sort of national town square-cum-crossroads, and it's definitely worth a (brief) visit.

The Horse Market was renamed Wenceslas Square in the mid-1800s as part of the Czech Revivalist movement (which I'll get to eventually). It's visually dominated by the equestrian statue of St. Wenceslas and the massive National Museum at the top of the hill; both were added starting in the late 1800s.

The National Museum's current 7-year long (yes, SEVEN) closure for renovation is scheduled to end in October. 

The Square is now often the site for political rallies and demonstrations, which seems to date back to October 28, 1918, when the declaration creating a new, independent nation of Czechoslovakia was read in front of the statute of St. Wenceslas.

That tram ain't going anywhere.

Since then, the square has seen numerous protests and political moments. In January 1969, a 21-year-old Charles University student named Jan Palach immolated himself in front of the National Museum as a protest against the recent Soviet-led invasion and occupation that crushed the brief period of reform in 1968 known as the Prague Spring. A month later, in February, an 18-year-old high school student named Jan Zajíc did the same. A memorial in front of the National Museum honors their memories.

Palach and Zajíc.

The memorial.

In March of the same year, two Czech victories over the Soviet hockey team at the World Championships led to mass celebrations at the Square, with perhaps 150,000 people in attendance. At some one's instigation--either angry Czechs or government plants--some damage was done to the office of the Soviet airline, Aeroflot. Along with other events, this was used as a pretext by the new, Soviet-installed leaders to engage in a course of "normalization," which is a hell of a euphemism for what was, in essence, a reassertion of Soviet domination.

Twenty years later, in 1989, Wenceslas Square was one of the homes of the Velvet Revolution. After seeing the Berlin Wall come down and their neighbors throwing off Soviet domination, the Czech and Slovak people felt empowered to stand up and demand change. While the first "official" protest of the revolution was in Bratislava (Slovakia) on 16th November, by November 21st, Wenceslas Square was seeing thousands of protesters every day.

November 27, 1989. The banner reads "Free Elections."

The square is still where large demonstrations gather, but generally, it's home to harried locals who make the occasional trip for practical reasons (all three metro lines are accessible, as well as any number of trams) and tourists following their guidebooks. However, when possible, locals avoid Wenceslas Square, a habit I picked up within a few months of moving here. As a city, Prague is old-world, charming, quaint, green, etc.--Wenceslas Square isn't really any of those. There are always plans to improve, renovate, do *something*--but only time will tell what, if anything, actually happens to take this historic space and make it live again.


Become a Patron!