The square got its current name in 1848 at the request of Karel Havlíček Borovský, before that it bore the name “Horse market.” Alongside the “Cattle” and “Hay” markets, it was designed on demand of Charles IV.
After the year 1884, the first tram went through the Wencelas Square, being still horse-drawn at the time. The first electric tram went along the tracks in 1900. Trams were passing through the square until the year 1980, the last one went through on the 13th of December. It was the so-called “dva-a-dvacítka” – meaning it had the number 22. After the tracks were removed, many ornamental shrubs, grasses and flowers have been planted and in the 80s, in the lower part of the square, a large pedestrian zone was created. Now the city wants to return the trams and has even erected poles for the trolley tracks.
Wenceslas square
The Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) is one of the main squares in Prague’s New Town. It has been a witness to many historical events and it’s a traditional place for celebrations, demonstrations and other mass gatherings. The square is considered as one of the symbols of Czech statehood.
Aside from being a busy gathering spot, the square also holds many types of establishments, ranging from cinemas to theatres, restaurants, or different kinds of shops. It is one of the areas with the highest concentration of these places.
In the upper part of the square is the statue of Saint Wencelas (socha svatého Václava). This statue made by Josef Václav Myslbek is accompanied by his other statues of saints – Saint Ludmila, Saint Procopius (svatý Prokop), or Saint Adalbert (svatý Vojtěch). These sculptures were finished after Myslbek’s death in 1913.
In 1918, Alois Jirásek read the document, that proclaimed the establishment of Czechoslovakia and that is why the date 28.10. 1918 is engraved in front of the sculpture. In 1969, the student Jan Palach burnt himself to death here as a form of protest against the communists. It has also witnessed a part of the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
The square got its current name in 1848 at the request of Karel Havlíček Borovský, before that it bore the name “Horse market.” Alongside the “Cattle” and “Hay” markets, it was designed on demand of Charles IV.
After the year 1884, the first tram went through the Wencelas Square, being still horse-drawn at the time. The first electric tram went along the tracks in 1900. Trams were passing through the square until the year 1980, the last one went through on the 13th of December. It was the so-called “dva-a-dvacítka” – meaning it had the number 22. After the tracks were removed, many ornamental shrubs, grasses and flowers have been planted and in the 80s, in the lower part of the square, a large pedestrian zone was created. Now the city wants to return the trams and has even erected poles for the trolley tracks.