Prague Powder Tower
The Prague Powder Tower ( Czech: Prašná brána ) is a 65-meter-high gate tower on Republic Square in Prague . It was built as part of the fortifications of the former royal court in the 15th century. It represents a decorative work of the late Gothic in Bohemia and has a monumental, historically significant entrance gate into Prague's old town . The tower got its name when gunpowder was stored inside until the end of the 17th century . The Zeltnergasse ( Celetná ) begins at the tower and forms the first part of the historical Royal Route from the former royal court to Prague Castle. Just north adjacent to the Powder Tower is the 1906-12 instead of the royal court built community center .
history
Originally at this point, at the exit of the old town, in the extension of Zeltnergasse ( Celetná ), the St. Ambrosius Gate rose as part of the city fortifications. It was later replaced by the Horská Gate (towards Kutná Hora ). After the fortification of the old town lost its meaning with the construction of the new town , the gate fell into disrepair, so it was called the “ragged gate” ( Odraná brána ). The gate right next to the royal court was increasingly perceived as an eyesore, so from 1475 a representative tower, initially called "New Tower" ( Nová věž ), was built under Vladislav II Jagiello east of the old gate by Matěj Rejsek . In 1484 the work was interrupted because King Vladislav II (Bohemia and Hungary) moved his seat of government from the royal court to the Prague Castle on the Hradschin . Construction was stopped and only a temporary roof was added. It was given the name Powder Tower due to its use as a powder magazine at the end of the 17th century. The tower was badly damaged during the Prussian siege in the Seven Years' War in 1757 and gradually fell into disrepair; the remains of the ornamentation were removed in 1799.
Josef Mocker restored it from 1875 to 1886 in the neo-Gothic style based on the model of the Old Town Bridge Tower , where he largely added the furnishings completely freely. The upper gallery, the hipped roof, the net vaults of the passage and most of the architectural decorations, including the sculptures of the Bohemian kings Ottokar II (1253–1278) on the left and Charles IV (1345–1378) on the right on the west side, date from this period and Georg von Podiebrad (1458–1471) and Vladislav II Jagiello (1471–1516) on the east side. From 1905 to 1911, in the Art Nouveau style, the Obecní dům parish hall was added to the powder tower in place of the former royal court .
literature
- Karel Plicka, Emanuel Poche: Prague. A picture guide, Panorama Prague. German translation: Günther Janosch, Prague 1982. Translation: Günther Janosch, Berlin 1982, p. 148, passage 352
Web links
- Prague Powder Tower English
Individual evidence
- ^ Thomas Rygl, Prague, ISBN 80-86893-51-0
- ↑ Strojny A., Przewodnik Praga - Złoty hrad nad Wełtawą , Bezdroża, Kraków, 2007 pages 102-103, ISBN 978-83-60506-57-8
Coordinates: 50 ° 5 ′ 13.8 ″ N , 14 ° 25 ′ 40 ″ E