History of Prague through the Centuries



9th century

- The Prague Castle is founded around 880 by prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid dynasty.

- Prague is established.

- Some members of the Premyslid dynasty embrace Christianity brought to the Czech lands by Cyril

- and Methodius, the "apostles of the Slavs". 10th century

- Foundations are laid to St. Vitus Rotunda and the Vyšehrad Castle.

- The Prague bishopric is founded in 973. 11th century

- Vratislav II becomes the first Czech king in 1085 but remains subordinate to the Holy Roman Empire

- and the German king. 12th century

- The first stone bridge over the Vltava, Judith Bridge, is built in 1172. 13th century

- The Old Town (Staré město) is founded in 1231.

- The Lesser Town (Malá Strana) is founded in 1257. 14th century - Prague's Golden Age

- John of Luxembourg rules the country (1310-1346).

- The Prague Castle Area (Hradčany) is founded around 1320.

- The Old Town Hall is founded in 1338.

- Judith Bridge collapses in a flood in 1342.

- Charles IV rules the country (1346-1378) and will be remembered as the most beloved Czech king.

- Prague becomes one of the most prosperous cities in Europe and the cultural capital of Central

- Europe.

- The Prague bishopric is upgraded to an archbishopric.

- Construction of St. Vitus cathedral begins.

- The New Town (Nové město) is founded in 1348.

- Charles University is established in 1348 and becomes the first university in Central Europe.

- Charles IV elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355; Prague becomes the capital of the Holy Roman

- Empire.

- Construction of Charles Bridge begins in 1357. 15th century

- The Hussite wars are sweeping the country from 1419 to 1437 as a result of the religious conflicts

- between the Hussites and the Roman Catholic Church. Many historical artifacts are destroyed and

- the Prague Castle deteriorates. 16th century and Prague's Second Golden Age

- The reign of the Habsburg dynasty begins in 1526 and the seat of power moves to Vienna.

- Prague Castle is reconstructed in the Renaissance style and a number of recreational sites are added

- (the Royal Garden, the Belvedere, the Ballgame Hall, etc.)

- Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned the Czech king in 1575 and moves his court back to

- Prague in 1583. Prague becomes the center of science and alchemy and earns the nickname "Magic

- Prague". Many famous scientists are attracted to Prague, such as astronomers Tycho de Brahe and

- Johannes Kepler. 17th century

- The Protestant uprising begins in 1618.

- Protestants are severely defeated in the Battle of the White Mountain (bitva na Bílé hoře) in 1620.

- The Dark Age of the Czech history (doba temna) begins.

- Prague loses importance and the Prague Castle deteriorates. 18th century

- The four independent urban areas of Prague (Old Town, Malá Strana, Hradčany, New Town) are

- united by Joseph II in 1784.

- A Czech nationalist movement called the National Revival (národní obrození) begins in 1784.

- The Czech language, culture and national identity are being brought back to life.

- Joseph II issues the Edict of Tolerance in 1781, granting political and religious rights to religious

- minorities. 19th century

- The Industrial Revolution begins.

- A railway between Vienna and Prague opens in 1845.

- The growing industry results in an increase of Prague's Czech population as people move to the city

- from the countryside.

- Josefov is added to Prague's historical center in 1850.

- The National Revival continues. Czech institutions are established to celebrate the Czech history

- and culture: the National Theater opens in 1868, the National Museum opens in 1890. 20th century

- The Austro-Hungarian empire falls in 1918 and Prague becomes the capital of independent

- Czechoslovakia.

- Prague Castle becomes the seat of the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

- Prague becomes close with Paris between WWI and WWII.

- Prague and the rest of the country are occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II (1939-1945).

- The Prague Uprising and liberation by the Soviet Red Army end World War II in 1945.

- The Communist Party seizes power after the February 25, 1948 coup d'etat.

- Alexander Dubček, secretary of the Communist Party, attempts to create "socialism with a human

- face", culminating in the spring of 1968 ("Prague Spring").

- "Prague Spring" fails and five Warsaw Pact member countries invade Czechoslovakia on August 21,

- 1968.

- The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague on November 17, 1989 and brings an end to communism.

- Czechoslovakia becomes a democratic country.

- Václav Havel, former dissident, is elected president in the country's first democratic elections

- in January 1990.

- Czechoslovakia splits into two independent countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1,

- 1993. Prague becomes the capital of the Czech Republic.

- Václav Havel is elected first president of the Czech Republic in January 1993.

- The Czech Republic joins NATO in 1999.

- In 2002, the Czech Republic is approved to become a member of the European Union.

- The Czech Republic is accepted into the European Union on May 1, 2004.

Related books on Amazon.com: - Legends of Prague

- Rudolf II and Prague: The Court and the City

- The School of Prague: Painting at the Court of Rudolf II

- Magic Prague

- The Prague Spring and its Aftermath : Czechoslovak Politics, 1968-1970

- Prague: A Cultural and Literary History (Cities of the Imagination) top