Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) travel guide

Old Town Square is second only to Prague castle in its significance in the history of Prague

The 9000sq m/2.2ac square, with the monumental memorial to reformer Jan Hus in the centre, began in the 11th and 12th centuries as a central marketplace for merchants. Over the centuries the square has witnessed historic moments, both tragic and glorious. It was one of the stop-off points for the traditional Bohemian kings’ coronation procession, from Vyšehradto Prague castle , but it was also a place of execution.In 1621 the leaders of the Estates’ revolt were executed on Old Town Square; a bronze plaque on the Old Town Hall records the names of the 27 put to death. In more recent history, the citizens of Prague demonstrated here for an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, and in 1945 an exultant crowd welcomed the victorious Red Army. Old Town Square was also the scene of the violent end of the Prague Spring in 1968, when Warsaw Pact troops marched in. In 1988, on the 20th anniversary of the Prague Spring, thousands took part in a protest march through Staré Město, demonstrating against the continuing Soviet occupation and the suppression of the reform movement, and in favour of liberty and civil rights.

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) travel guide last edited by lobo8 edit this text

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