The banks along the Vltava River in what is now Prague were settled by Slavs in the 5th and 6th centuries. Borivoj, an early prince of the Slavs who identified themselves as Czechs, built what became Hradcany on the Vltava River between 870 and 880, and thus Prague itself dates from the 9th century. In the 10th century, another castle, Vysehrad, was built on the other side of the river by the leader of the Premyslid dynasty, which soon became powerful. Under the Premyslids, Bohemia expanded its territory and came under the protection of the German-based Holy Roman Empire.
Prague began to develop rapidly under the leadership of Charles IV, who became king of Bohemia in 1346 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1355. Charles began a massive building program in Prague to turn the city into his imperial capital. Under his leadership, the New Town developed. Charles also founded Charles University and ordered construction of the Charles Bridge. In the early 1400s Prague became the center of the religious reform movement led by John Huss, who was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1415. The Hussite movement and revolt that developed after his death damaged the city considerably.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Prague Information info
|
