Prague Castle Research Articles

Tizian a Josefina. Českost, světovost a modernost Josefa Mánesa

The portrait of a young woman named Josefina is a paraphrase of a famous model in the work of Josef Mánes – Titian’s Toilette of a Young Woman from the collections of the Prague Castle Picture Gallery. In this context, it is possible to consider what models Mánes himself professed and why and how his work was influenced by the constant ideological-theoretical effort to define Czechness, but at the same time the worldliness of domestic painting. In this paper I deal with the development of the idea of such models (medieval and baroque) and the contemporary idea of their Czechness. In Mánes’ case, I focus on the connection between the idea of Czechness and the folk elements defined in 1848 thanks to Ludvík Rittersberg, but also with the valued examples of the anti-academic approach to colour as a key means of painting. Another tendency can be observed in the appreciation of Baroque artists and is also reflected in the selection of works for the very first major public exhibition of domestic art held in Kutná Hora in 1867. The aim of the paper is therefore to reflect on how the idea of defining Czechness and the worldliness of domestic painting changed in the third quarter of the 19th century and what role the work of Josef Mánes played in this. The second level is to ask which of these phenomena stood out as the current painting theme of his time and which of the idea of the Czechness, worldliness and modernity of Mánes’s work is a projection of later interpretations.

ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL AT PRAGUE CASTLE DURING THE PERIOD OF NORMALIZATION

This paper deals with the building modifications in the building of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas, St. Adalbert and St. Mary during the period of normalization - the 1970s and 1980s. This period has so far been neglected by researchers, although many articles and publications have been written about the history, development and artistic decoration of the cathedral. Normalization, like the entire period of communist rule in Czechoslovakia, meant the oppression of church leaders, the suppression of sacred themes in religious buildings and in everyday life. Nevertheless, the cathedral was the scene of necessary reconstruction works, as well as modifications aimed at improving the use of space and interventions based on the change of the Roman Catholic liturgy. St. Vitus Cathedral is the most important Catholic church in the Czech Republic, formerly in Czechoslovakia, and even earlier in the Czech Kingdom. Its construction, spanning almost 700 years, demonstrates the development in culture, technical possibilities, architectural and building art. The cathedral is an essential part of the Prague Castle complex and the Hradčany panorama. Prague Castle was and still is the center of secular and ecclesiastical power. This connection was symbolically fulfilled by the most important ruler ceremonies (coronations, funerals, marriages, christenings), which took place in the cathedral. One of the most beautiful and most photographed views of Hradčany is dominated by the silhouette of Prague Castle and especially the cathedral. The St. Vitus Cathedral rises from the base formed by the uniform design of the facades of Prague Castle, which was created during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa. For a long time the cathedral itself looked like a torso, as only the bell tower with a Renaissance and later Baroque helmet was built. The transept and the towers in the facade were not completed until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On the basis of archival research, interviews with witnesses and the study of specialist literature, the reader is introduced to the interventions in St. Vitus Cathedral and the associated change in the space for the celebration of the liturgy, as well as the space for ordinary visitors to this church during the period under study. Further attention is given to the unrealised designs and other sacred buildings in the grounds of the Castle.

Hydrochemie podzemní vody Pražského hradu a okolí

The study examines the groundwater around Prague Castle as an example of an extreme urban environment that has been influenced by human activity since the Neolithic period. The long-term human activity, including several still-functioning drainage adits, resulted in a number of aggradation and degradation processes that have significantly impacted the groundwater regime. Furthermore, building development, particularly large-scale concrete structures, has had a notable effect on groundwater chemistry. This paper presents results of available archival chemical analyses from the area of interest (Fig. 1), along with our own groundwater chemical analyses. The results of recovery test in the anthropogenic alluvium well underneath the courtyard III of Prague Castle (Weiss et al. 2024) indicate that the transmissivity of saturated alluvium is low (8–10 m2/day). However, it is reasonable to assume a higher transmissivity for the entire area. The clayey anthropogenic alluvium near the surface likely has a much lower permeability than the underlying fractured zone of the Letná Formation made of shales (Late Ordovician). Field reconnaissance in the drainage adits indicates that groundwater flows directly from the historic alluvium (presence of bones and other organic remains) into the Ordovician strata. The existence of a clay aquitard, as mentioned by some authors (e.g. Kos 1965), between the historical alluvium and the underlying Ordovician is thus unlikely. The analysed water samples from selected objects can be classified into three distinct groups based on their pH levels: slightly acidic (precipitation water, and the well in the St. George’s Convent – V4), neutral (majority of samples), and alkaline (the environment underneath the courtyard III of Prague Castle). Slightly acidic pH level only applies to samples from precipitation or probable seepage (V4). The concentration of Cl- in the majority of the analysed groundwater samples is higher than the natural background level of around 8–10 mg/l, which indicates an anthropogenic source. The major source of these ions in the area is likely the use of NaCl to salt roads and sidewalks during the winter months, which has been a common practice for decades. The overall analysis of the studied samples identified two main hydrochemical types of water: Type A and Type B. Type A is represented by moderately alkaline water that is rich in sulphate and calcium/magnesium. Type B, on the other hand, is represented by strongly alkaline water rich in hydrogencarbonate and calcium, found mainly under the courtyard III of Prague Castle, which stands on a concrete structure. Type A is the predominant type and is typical of water originating in the pyrite-bearing shales of the Letná Formation. The high sulphate content of these waters may cause “sulphate attack” of concrete, leading to its decomposition and thus affecting the durability of building structures. This study provides valuable insights into groundwater chemistry in urban environments that can be applied to other similar sites.

Migration of Water and Salt in Confined Archaeological Complexes: Comprehensive Investigation Below the Third Courtyard of the Prague Castle

ABSTRACT Archaeological complexes and open-air museums must navigate the delicate balance between their societal role and preserving the displayed heritage. Sheltering from atmospheric hazards is a common preservation strategy, yet it introduces new degradation challenges. This study focuses on the persistent material deterioration, heightened moisture content, and salt efflorescence observed in protected excavations beneath Prague Castle’s third courtyard. The objective is to identify and analyse primary sources and pathways of water infiltration, comprehend complex interactions with masonry, and propose conservation strategies to mitigate the degradation. Through detailed field observations, using various moisture sensors, hydrochemical and salt analyses, rainwater emerges as the primary source of damp masonry and the transporting agent of salt-forming ions. Two penetration mechanisms were observed: ingress through perimeter walls and capillary rise where groundwater is present. Evaluation of moisture measurement methods underscores the superiority of the microwave method for historic masonry and the uranine-probe method’s efficacy for capillary water detection. Addressing water infiltration and salt accumulation challenges, we recommend preventive measures: (i) prevent water infiltration, seepage, and ingress; (ii) reduce salt concentrations; and (iii) stabilise site climate to mitigate salt crystallisation transitions. These recommendations extend beyond the study site, offering valuable insights for similar confined archaeological complexes.

Založení nejstarších benediktinských klášterů v Čechách ve světle písemných pramenů (od šedesátých let 10. do šedesátých let 11. století)

The article is devoted to the establishment of the oldest monastic institutions in the Czech lands in the 10th and 11th century and the scriptural sources dealing with the circumstances of their establishment. It deals with the founding of the female monastery of St. George at Prague Castle and the male monasteries of Břevnov, Ostrov, and Sázava.

Macbeth by The Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Prague Castle (review)

Macbeth by The Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Prague Castle (review)

Czy to zawsze kwestia stylu? Problem właściwej terminologii architektonicznej w renowacjach zamków w Czechach i na Morawach od lat 90-tych XIX wieku do lat 20-tych XX wieku

This study addresses castle renovations from the turn of the twentieth century up until the present, focusing on their stylistic aspect. Although castles (both ruined and inhabited) have been considered prominent subjects of heritage conservation since the beginning of the conservation movement, they require architectural additions to further their integration into contemporary life, even if a strictly conservationist approach is applied. In contrast to nineteenth-century European attitude to conservation, the twentieth- and twenty-first-century conservation professionals mostly recommend that the new elements comply with the preserved composition or scale, leaving the question of their style (i.e. a coherent architectural vocabulary) open. The study examines selected Czech examples that feature a substantial newly-added layer (Gothic in Bouzov, the 1890s–1900s; Art Nouveau and Art Deco in Nové Město nad Metují, the 1910s–1920s; Classical in Prague Castle, the 1920s–1950s; Technocratic in Lipnice, the 1970s–1980s; Romantic in Častolovice, the 1990s; Minimalist in Helfštýn, the 2010s). Drawing on these examples, the analysis raises the following questions: how should new additions relate to the authenticity and integrity of the renovated monuments and what variables influence this relationship? Should conservation authorities regulate the vocabulary of modern interventions?

FUNCTIONAL USE OF THE AREA OF PRAGUE CASTLE WITH EMPHASIS ON THE NORMALIZATION PERIOD

This paper deals with individual typological types and units in the Prague Castle area. It also focuses on the urban and historical development, as it is significantly influenced by the situation in the period under study. It focuses more closely on the period of the second half of the 20th century, and especially the period of normalization - the 1970s and 1980s. Prague Castle was and still is the seat of the monarch, or today the President of the Czech Republic. The historical context has had a considerable influence on the shape of the Castle (the succession of ruling personalities from different dynasties, the transformation from the position of the seat of the Habsburg monarchy and therefore the most important center in Central Europe to the position of the summer residence of the ruling family, etc.). Also unprecedented is the concentration of the main buildings of secular and ecclesiastical power in one area. The castle is a huge complex, combining morphological assumptions with the result of the work of a huge number of people. A number of foreign artists worked here, reaching world-class standards and both understanding and supporting the local genius loci. There are also many contrasts - political and constructional. For example, the imprints of monarchy and republic, church and secular power, ancient and modernist architecture, contrasts between the smallest buildings of houses and the largest palaces. On the basis of archival research and the study of expert literature, the reader is introduced to the progressive changes in the layout of the Castle complex and the associated changes in the functional use of the buildings and spaces in the aforementioned complex.

Czech Literature at the Turn of the Epoch and its International Contexts

The contexts of Czech literature are related to the crisis and revolutionary situation which gradually built up towards the end of the 19th century and reached its peak in the years of World War I and during the attempts at the world revolution. This was manifested by a certain dichotomy of Czech literature after 1918 when Czechoslovakia came into existence as a relatively large state and a strong parliamentary democracy amidst more or less authoritarian countries, a state with the first-rate Czechoslovak legions tested in the battles of World War I, with strong industry and agriculture which had been the nucleus of Austria-Hungary in the past. On the one hand, there was a majority and influential left, on the other were conservative groups often connected with Catholic Church, and in the middle — liberal currents linked with the official policy of the so-called Prague Castle represented by the first president T. G. Masaryk (e g. Karel Čapek). Nevertheless, Czech literature as a whole helped create national and state consciousness, with the currents differing from each other only in their preference for traditions and political and economic systems. The problems of the new state were, of course, not only social, but also national, ethnic and religious and were also reflected in the international arena. Unlike in the other Central European countries, Czech literature exhibited radical leftist tendencies which were realised in the Czech modernist avant-garde, the apex of which was Czech poetism and surrealism (with the corresponding current in Slovakia) and their authors, such as Vítězslav Nezval, František Halas, Josef Hora, Jaroslav Seifert (1984 Nobel Prize winner), and Konstantin Biebl etc., but also the Catholic current which was very impressive from the artistic point of view (Jakub Deml, Jaroslav Durych, Jan Zahradníiek, Jan Čep and others). Both of these tendencies were surprisingly and paradoxically linked with each other, as were their representatives. The drama and the novel (the Brothers Čapek, and Vladislav Vaniura etc.) occupied a prominent place alongside poetry. What shows the mutual relationship between “the building of the state“ (the title of a very important book by the famous Czech journalist and politician Ferdinand Peroutka) and Czech literature is the fact that between 1918 and 1938 Czech literature reached a world level for the first time in modern history. The author defends the thesis that Czech literature connected with the rise of the independent Czechoslovak state regardless of all these problems and idealistic constructs (“Czechoslovakism”), created a specific, original model of the co-existence of various currents of thought and of the relationships between culture in its widest sense and practical politics. This enabled radical artistic innovations anticipating the evolutionary tendencies of world literature (surrealism, anti-utopia/dystopia, baroquizing prose, and experimental novel).

RADIOCARBON DATING OF MULTIPLE MATERIALS FOR CLARIFYING THE FORMATION OF THE MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF PRAGUE CASTLE (CZECH REPUBLIC)

ABSTRACT An archaeological excavation conducted on U Kasáren St. in the Prague Castle area (Czech Republic) in 2020 revealed the remains of a medieval settlement consisting of houses of different constructions (pit dwelling, masonry construction), pyrotechnical (possibly metallurgical) features and unspecified pits. The excavation also revealed evidence of fire events and traces of viniculture on the outskirts of the Prague Castle area. Archaeological data allowed only a rough dating of the investigated settlement in the 10th–13th centuries. This paper presents the results of the radiocarbon dating of various materials (animal bones, archaeobotanical samples) from the settlement features and the contribution of the results to the clarification of the chronology of the site.

Cathedral of Sts. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert—The Melting Pot of Czech Religious, National, and State Identity and Its Legal Status

The article first focuses on the significance of the Cathedral of Sts. Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert to the Czech religious, national, and state identity. The importance of the cathedral is given primarily by its location (Prague Castle), as well as by the thinking of its founder, Charles IV, about the foundations of Czech statehood. On the basis of these findings, the significance and symbolism of the cathedral for the present can be understood. Following this, the legal status of the cathedral, which was the subject of the so-called “cathedral dispute” in its modern history, is examined. The current legal status of the cathedral is the result of an amicable solution to this dispute and the subsequent application of the right of superficies in Czech private law.

The uncrowned “Bohemian king” and his “bible” castle. Blatná as commisioned by the highest burgrave of Prague castle, Zdeňek Lev of Rožmitál, around the years 1520–1530

This article presents a new interpretation of the ideological message of Blatná Castle after its expansion by Benedikt Ried, commissioned by Zdeňek Lev of Rožmitál around 1520-1530. The key to deciphering the biblical code of the residence of this powerful magnate is found in two columns standing in front of the castle façade, which have not been included in previous research. Their dilapidated state, as well as residually legible profile forms and ornaments, un equivocally point to their dating back to the time of Ried’s expansion. In the history of art, they are a well- known imitation of the bronze pillars of Jachin and Boaz, placed in front of the Old Testament Temple of Solomon. The expressive oriels of the part of the castle erected by Ried may be a reference to a diagram similar to a pentagram, often appearing on the pages of codices called the clavicula Salomonis. In the beginning, they contained the instructions of the great biblical king to his son Roboam. This is reflected in the family situation of the builder, as it is generally agreed that Blatná Castle was built by Zdeněk Lev in connection with the marriage of his son Adam. References to Solomon were quite common at the time, both at Prague Castle and at the residences of several Silesian dukes. They should not be surprising in the case of someone who, for more than 20 years (1507-1530), was the most important person in the state after the ruler (the highest burgrave of Prague Castle). Zdeněk Lev was a very active and influential politician with a Catholic orientation and nationalist, Bohemian disposition, who liked to moralize and judge and use biblical examples or episodes from Bohemian history.

Ubytovali jsme se u Turka. Amandus Polanus a jeho návštěva rudolfinské Prahy v létě 1591

Amandus Polanus from Opava, later professor of theology at the University of Basel, visited Prague several times. In his diary, preserved in the University Library in Basel, he describes his visit to Prague in August 1591 in considerable detail. The diary entry informs us that Polanus stayed at Prague Castle at the inn of Hans Turek. He had a thorough tour of the castle with all its buildings and gardens, and he even had the opportunity to see Emperor Rudolf II coming out of the cathedral. Polanus also paid attention to the two royal game reserves, Stromovka and Hvězda. His descriptions of the Imperial Mill, which was being built at the time, and its surroundings are very useful for art-history research.

“This is the Unique Capital of the Middle Ages... That Has Survived to Our Time in Comparative Integrity”: Historical Images of Prague Through the Eyes of Russian Émigrés in the 1920s and 1930s

In the interwar period of 1920—1930s Prague was a recognized intellectual center of the Russia Abroad. The article analyzes the place occupied by the images of Prague and its historical heritage in the minds of Russian émigrés, how they constructed this images, how it was reflected in memoirs, letters, diaries, periodicals, scientific literature and fiction. The space of Prague was a special cultural text, formed at the intersection of various ethnic, religious and linguistic boundaries. For Russians, it was not just an urban space, but an active participant and witness to the historical process. In this regard, according to émigrés, few European cities could compare with it. The Prague urban space was perceived by Russians as the center of cultural symbols, among which a special place was given to famous architectural monuments — Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and the Church of St. Vitus, medieval streets of Malá Strana, etc. A special place is given to the analysis of the image of the Charles Bridge, which took on various guises. The bridge became an active figure, a practically protagonist of both artistic and scientific reflections. The article analyzes the influence of Prague images on the work of Russian émigrés such as Marina Tsvetaeva, Gleb Struve, Igor Severyanin, Valentin Bulgakov, Antony Florovsky, Sergey Pushkarev, etc. At the same time, it is concluded that, despite the historical charm of Prague recognized by the majority of Russians, a considerable number of émigrés perceived it as a provincial city, inferior to Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is shown that in the émigré intellectual culture there was a contradictory perception of Prague. At the same time, they wrote about it both about the center of the Slavic world, with deep historical roots, and about the cultural province of Europe. Therefore, the image of Prague was complex and contradictory. There is no doubt that the historical images of the Czech capital left a noticeable mark on the intellectual culture of the Russian emigration.

Reliefs depicting the Virgin, founders and patrons from the convent of St. George at Prague Castle

Reliefs depicting the Virgin, founders and patrons from the convent of St. George at Prague Castle

Benedicamus Domino tropes in the monastery of Benedictine nuns at St George’s, Prague

Abstract Within the rich spectrum of musical documents from medieval Bohemia, the corpus of tropes that survives in manuscripts from St George’s convent at Prague Castle is perhaps the most important. Forty-two Benedicamus Domino tropes appear in manuscripts from the monastery—one of the richest and most important female foundations in Central Europe, with a small community of nuns from noble families—most of them compiled at the end of the 13th and the first decades of the 14th centuries. The collection includes Benedicamus tropes that were circulating in the wider Central European territory, tropes that had their origins in the west and for which Prague constituted one of the furthest destinations within their dissemination, and a significant number of chants survive only in manuscripts from St George’s and may have had their origins in this milieu. These Benedicamus tropes exhibit a striking variety of forms and richness in their melodic material: a number of polyphonic tropes employ a Stimmtausch technique, others are wholly structured as strophic songs with or without refrains. Many of the trope texts indicate that they were meant to be sung by both male and female communities at St George’s, and their appearance in books with private prayers suggests that they may also have served an educational purpose.

Radiocarbon dating of mortar charcoals from romanesque Southern Corridor, Prague Castle

Radiocarbon dating of mortar charcoals from romanesque Southern Corridor, Prague Castle

Fire gilding investigation on early medieval copper-based jewellery by focused ion beam (FIB) on FEG-SEM

The study of ancient gilding is often problematic, as the gilding layers are soft and prone to deformation during sample preparation. In this respect, focused ion beam (FIB) milling on a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) provides poorly invasive in situ sampling. The operating process is here detailed and applied on gilded medieval copper-based elite jewellery (10th century) from Prague Castle. Obtained cross-sections and slices of gilded samples were investigated up to nanometer scale without gilding layer deformation. By coupling structural observation with elemental X-ray analysis (EDS) and electron beam diffraction (EBSD), FIB FEG-SEM provided new data on the physical–chemical characteristics of the gilded layer. The gilding has a two-layer metallurgical structure containing a quaternary Au (Hg, Cu, Ag) alloy corresponding to the gold solid solution fcc phase, and a submicrometric inner sublayer formed by a Au-Cu phase, relative to the interdiffusion of copper from the substrate during the fire gilding process. The applied temperature for gilding can be estimated at c. 400 °C. Sintering of the mercury-gold amalgam globules during the fire heating is highlighted. The precise characterisation of the gilding layers provided useful comparative parameters for identifying fire gilding skill levels and assessing the overall quality of the archaeological pieces.

“What Blood Unites, the Sea Shall Not Divide”: Bohemian Day at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893

“What Blood Unites, the Sea Shall Not Divide”: Bohemian Day at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893

Hmotová rekonstrukce raně středověkého opevnění a jeho vývoje

Autoři představují rekonstrukční 3D model vývoje raně středověké fortifikace, zachycující postupné proměny opevnění centrální lokality od poslední třetiny 9. století do počátku 12. století. Východiskem rekonstrukce různých konstrukčních typů jsou relikty opevnění centrální části Pražského hradu, zachycené záchranným archeologickým výzkumem v 80.–90. letech 20. století na severní hraně hradčanského ostrohu. Na dvou místech se podařilo dokumentovat kontakt pozůstatků fortifikace s dochovanými dubovými konstrukcemi, z nichž bylo získáno několik dendrochronologických dat.