Modern Prague, 1911
Prague has all the qualities to charm not only as a mediaeval city but also as one of the most handsome and progressive modern towns of Europe.
From: 1911 C.E. To: 1911 C.E.
Location: Prague, Praha, Czechia
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Prague by Bohemian Union for Promoting Visits of Foreigners to the Kingdom of Bohemia, 1911.
Modern Prague
Prague has all the qualities to charm not only as a mediaeval city but also as one of the most handsome and progressive modern towns of Europe.
Many of the institutions founded in Prague in the course of the last Century, are certain to interest American and British traveller.
One of the most important modern buildings is the Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia on the upper area of the Václavské náḿěsti (St. Wenceslaus Square), not far from the modern hotels of "Archduke Stephen (Štĕpan)" and "Golden Goose" (Zlatá husa). The Museum contains many valuable relics of the past of Bohemia and constitutes the most important monuments of the resurrection of Bohemian nation in the 19th Century. The largest room, so called "Pantheon" is used for meetings of the Bohemian Academy of Letters, Science and Art.
The principal Art gallery and Concert Hall so called "Rudolphinum", on the banks of Vltava and near the ancient Jewish Cemetery, contains a valuable collection of old and modern Bohemian Masters.
Opposite the "Rudolphinum" is the Museum of Industrial Art. There is a splendid collection of arts and industry for which Bohemians have been famous, in porcelain, tiles, enamels, wood-carving etc., also a unique collection of Bohemian Glass.
In the Ethnographic Museum (Kinsky Garden) are collections of brilliant peasant costumes, laces, embroideries, enamelling, pottery, unrivalled for rarity, extent and value. There are specimens of furniture from houses in various parts of Bohemia, Moravia, and Northern Hungary and models of peasant dwellings etc.
Of special interest to visitors is the Náprstek's Bohemian Industrial Museum, founded by late Vojta Náprstek who has resided many years in the United States of America, and was one of the leaders of the national democratic movement in Bohemia. The Museum has largest English library in Middle Europe and there are here the rooms of the American Ladies Club.
Prague a Commercial City
With a population of circa 600.000 Prague is the second city in Austria and as a manufacturing center it is first in many lines. Prague is also the financial center of the Kingdom of Bohemia: two exchanges, fifteen great banks, branches of foreign banks, mutual credit banks, insurance companies have their seat here.
The municipality of Prague is constructing a modern system of sewerage which will drain the city and suburbs, and is building waterworks to supply pure drinking water for the inhabitants. The water will be brought a distance of about 18 miles. The 18,000,000 crowns, lock and dam improvement on the Vltava will soon be completed, so boats coming direct from Hamburg or taking merchandise there need not unload en route.
Prague has a fine system of municipal street railways which has been extended until the trackage comprise 52 miles roadway leading practically to every part of the City. In 1910 these lines carried 49,500,000 passengers.
The City operates the electric light, gas, has a savings bank and undertaking department for funerals.
Fairs and Exhibitions
Agricultural fairs and automobile exhibitions are held in May each year on the Prague Exhibition grounds.
Different Slav nations (Serbs, Bulgarians) are organising in Prague spe- cial Exhibitions of home industries etc. In 1914 a great Slav Exhibition is to be held in Prague, where all Slav nations will be represented.
Prague the City of Gardens
There are few cities in the world with so many beautiful gardens and parks as has the City of Prague. One of the most attractive is the Royal Garden close to the Royal Palace. Not far away is a spacious fine park called Královská Obora (Royal Forestpark) with a hunting castle and music pavilions. (Tramcar No. 3 from the Powder Tower.)
The Petřin (with a miniature Eifel Tower) and the Kinský Garden give a charming view of the City.
There are also pretty island parks on the Žofín (Sophia's Island) and on the Strĕlecký ostrov (Shooting Island) where daily good concerts are given.
Opposite the Francis Joseph Station is a fine city park : "Mĕstsky sad" and opposite the Town Hall of the New Town another charming park: the "Charles park".
The "Rudolph" quay, the "František" quay, the "Rieger" quay, the "Palacky" quay are used as promenades along the entire length of the river-above the embankment.
Most of the palaces on the left side of the river (Malá Strana) have most charming gardens f. i.: Waldstein palace, Prince Lobkovicz palace, Fürstenberg palace, Counts Schoenborn palace etc.
There are concerts in most of the public parks in the afternoons and evenings during the summer.
Entertainments
In music the Bohemians had achieved world-wide renown. The New Bohemian National Theatre (built 1883) produces dramas, operas and ballets of the principal Bohemian masters: Smetana, Dvořȧk, Fibich, Kovařovic, Káan.
It is worth a visit to Prague solely to hear the operas of great Bohemian composers Smetana, Dvořȧk, Fibich produced in the New Bohemian National Theatre.
The Prague conservatory of Music, the first academy of music established in Austria, celebrated this year a centenary of its foundation. The famous violin teacher Sevcik was one of the professors of this institute and Kubelik, Kocián, Fr. Ondříček, Mary Hall were educated here.
To see and watch young Bohemia at play the visitor should ascend to the Letná plain (tramcar No. 3 from Powder Tower and funicular railway close by the Elisabeth bridge.)
Here are tennis courts and football courts, baseball areas with school boys and older athletes engaged in keen earnest.
The great football matches between the British teams and Bohemians always attract enormous crowds of spectators; recently the Bohemian team won the European championship in France.
In 1912 the great Sokol (Bohemian Gymnasts) meeting and Olympic games will take place on the Letná plain. (VI. Všesokolský slet).
People and Language
The majority of inhabitants of Prague are Bohemians (Čechs) belonging to the great Slav race; only 7 per cent, are Germans.
The names of streets, the names on tramcars, are inscribed in Cech: námĕsti = square, ulice = street, třida = avenue, silnice = road, sady = park, zahrada = garden, nádraži = station, divadlo = theatre, radnice = Town Hall, kostel = church.
Prof. Monroe wrote in his: "Bohemia and the Čechs": "The striking vocal contrasts, which the Čech language presents to the foreigner, are aptly referred to by F. Marion Crawford as: "the undefinable character of the Bohemian language, in which tones often softer than those of the softest southern tongue alternate so oddly with rough gutturals and strident sibilants".
"Traveller will find no more difficulty with the language problem than in any other, countrys German, French and English are widely spoken. The Bohemians are natural linguists and courteous and attentive to strangers, and English folk seem to be particularly welcome".
The Bohemians are anxious to be known in other countries at first hand, and not, as at present is largely the case, through German spectacles.
The number of good English scholars among all classes is remarkable and there are numerous reading circles for English literature, while the Bohemian university has lately equipped an English seminary. Great interest is taken in English municipal and social institutions and English plays are translated and presented on the stage of Prague.
Prague. Bohemian Union for Promoting Visits of Foreigners to the Kingdom of Bohemia, 1911.
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