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Prague Streets – Elisky Krasnohorske

Prague Streets – Elisky Krasnohorske


A road typical for the area, Elisky Krasnohorske street is largely residential with a commercial ground floor. It takes it’s name from a famous Czech woman who opened the first state grammar school (high school) in Central Europe for girls on September 15th 1890 and who fought for women’s emancipation. But there’s more going on here historically than meets the eye. The road links Široka with what used to be called Marie Curie Square but which has recently been renamed to Milos Forman Square.

elisky krasnohorske street sign in prague
Elisky Krasnohorske – Old Town Side

Going Way Back

Going all the way back to the 1437 original designation of this area as part of what would become the Jewish Ghetto, there was no street name. Instead any buildings in this area were simply known as “Podžidi” which translates as “Under the Jews”. This can be interpreted in two ways 1) because of it’s riverside location at the edge of the ghetto or 2) as it marked the boundary where the Ashkenazi part of the Jewish Quarter ended and a Christian area began.


The Gypsy Connection?

first girls high school opened in central europe
First girls high-school in central Europe opened September 15th 1890

For a short time part of the street at the Široka end was called Zeikerlova but most maps will show it’s post 17th Century name Cikanska. By the 19th Century, German maps of the city show this as Ziegener Strasse and on it’s junction with Bilkova stood the Ziegener Synagogue. This is often referred to as the Gypsy Synagogue because Ziegener means Gypsy (in German). Now you have to understand that Ziegener was just the translation of the original Czech name Cikanska where Cikan means Gypsy (in Czech). But there is no Gypsy connection here as the street took its name from Solomon Cikan (an important Jewish merchant who lived in the street).

The Demolition of the Jewish Ghetto in this area took place around 1910 and it was from this date that the new city street plan was applied along with the new street name Elisky Krasnohorske.

statue of elisky krasnohorske in prague charles square
Statue of Elisky Krasnohorske in Charles Square (entry to metro)

One unusual thing in the street is that the majority of Elisky Krasnohorske is in the Jewish district called Josefov but the part that goes from Bilkova towards the river is in the Old Town. The reason for this was because when Emperor Franz Josef defined the current fifth district of Josefov in 1850 the border ended at the riverside. After riverside land was reclaimed anything built after 1850 on this reclaimed land was outside the Josefov border and therefore has to be the Old Town.


Weird Trivia

Krasnohorska was not her real surname. It was a pseudonym based on her father’s belief that their family came originally from “Krasna Hora” (meaning Beautiful Mountains). In fact her real surname was Pechova.

Franz Kafka had his Barmitzvah at the Ziegener Synagogue.


Something Related or a Few Minutes Away

Streets – November 17th Street

Streets – Jan Palach Square

Jewish Prague – Old/New Synagogue

Jewish Prague – Spanish Synagogue

Jewish Prague – Destruction of the Jewish Ghetto

Services – Bloomest Laundrette

Districts – Josefov

Parks and Gardens – Charles Square

Famous Czechs – Franz Kafka

Famous Czechs – Milos Forman