Old Town Square

By Megan Turner

On a chilly day in February, light snow creates a magical scene in Old Town Square, the center of Prague since the Middle Ages when it served as a crossroads market for European merchants and vendors. Through the years, it has been the object of many invasions and rebellions. Each new ruler left evidence of a lasting impression, which tourists, like me, are there to see. The charming architecture and imperfect details of the square hold the secrets of ghosts and hidden passageways built by the wealthy. The quirky symbols above doorways serve as protectors of the square, and remnants of a Nazi invasion peek through the cobblestones near a clock tower that masks the tale of the horrific reward for the man who built it.

Daylight illuminates the quaint square as vendors set up for the day, mixing a batch of traditional spiced hot wine and heating sweet rolls that I and other tourists will soon devour. Tour guides are bundled up with their florescent umbrellas popped open eagerly waiting to begin their walking tours. The pastel colored boutique shops and art galleries open their doors to welcome customers. With each minute that passes, the town square comes to life. As the snow floats down blanketing red rooftops, the perfect place to absorb the atmosphere and history of the Old Town Square is at a cozy café across from the Clock Tower, sipping a steaming cappuccino before venturing into the cold winds.

If you snuggle into a window seat in the café, you have an ideal view of the famous Clock Tower, and your mind can delve into the stories it houses. At first glance, it is impossible to miss the façade that displays the enormous Astronomical Clock, Orloj. Its gold tones illuminate the neo-gothic style architecture of the tower. The delicate dials of the clock are framed by sturdy, ornate wood carvings, detailed miniature sculptures of the 12 apostles (who rest behind mini blue doors waiting for the right time to appear) and four figures that represent vanity, misery, death and the Piper. The Clock Tower, part of Old Town City Hall, dates back to the early 15th century and displays this unique clock.

The king commissioned Master Hanus, an astronomical genius and artist, to construct the best clock in the world. Upon Hanus completing his masterpiece, which accurately displayed important astronomical events, the seasons, the zodiacs and Old Czech time, the king was impressed and invited Hanus over to thank him. In a horrific turn of events, the king had his councilors gauge out Master Hanus’ eyes, so he could never create a clock as beautiful again. Angered by the betrayal, Hanus found his way into the tower and tried to tamper with the clock so it would never work again. The myth says that Hanus imposed a curse on the clock and anyone who tried to fix it. For many years the clock stood still, but eventually it was repaired. Today the dials are replicas since the originals were damaged in the Nazi invasion. The restored original dials rest in a nearby museum. Nevertheless, the Orloj still strikes on the hour and the apostles peek out of their doors to greet the citizens of Prague.

Across the geometrically designed black and white cobblestone square is a panoramic view of the famous Church of Our Lady Before Tyn. The church was built in a dark Romanesque style, which creates a very ominous and eerie sensation. Its two sharp steeple towers loom over the square and dominate the skyline of Prague. If you look closely at the towers, a slight imperfection becomes apparent. The tower on the right is wider than the tower on the left. The common tale is that the broader tower suggests a solid and dominant force that is meant to represent men, yet many claim the plans were muddled during construction and the builders determined it was such a slight difference people would not notice. Many don’t, unless it is pointed out to them.

If you lower your eyes to the left of the church, the classes of the Czech social system are cemented into the architecture. After the church was completed, wealthy residents of Old Town did not want to associate with commoners in prayer and worship. To avoid such contact, they built second story walkways from their homes to the church. One walkway still remains and enters the left tower from a residency off the square. This gave the elite the ability to walk directly from their homes through seemingly secret passages into a private section in the balcony of the church.

Throughout the square, hidden gems rest in the cobblestones, which once stood as the stage for demonstrating students in the Velvet Revolution against the Soviets. In front of Old Town City Hall, generations of rebellion and invaders have left their mark. Burrowed in the cobblestone are 27 white crosses. The crosses memorialize the execution of 27 leaders who rebelled against the emperor in the 17th century. Their heads were displayed for the public to see on sticks lining Charles Bridge. Legend has it that every June 21, the date of execution, the ghosts haunt the square.

In the center of the square a shimmer of light radiates off the worn cobblestone. This sliver of light is a reflection of the gold inlay in the middle of the square that symbolizes the Prague meridian. It indicates the point where the former Marian column, which was destroyed in the WWII, cast its shadow at noon. As with many of Prague’s secrets, a myth accompanies the inlay. It is said that if one holds his or her breath and jumps across the line while making a wish, it is destined to come true. So do not be disturbed if you notice numerous tourists hopping around the square. They are simply testing the legend.

Just behind the crosses is a seemingly off-putting building, bright pink and crumbled in half, exposing its foundation and cement walls. This documents the remains of the first City Hall, bombed by the Nazis in WWII, and serves as a reminder to the city of its WWII history.

Speaking of invasion, Old Town is a great place to experience the quiet rebellion of the Czech nation. Not ones for fighting, the citizens of Prague were able to build their city in a unique and disorientating fashion as a defense mechanism to invaders. Circling the square are uneven Baroque and Renaissance buildings that lean against each other like soldiers creating a barrier. The homes and streets adjoining the square, until recently, had no addresses, so invaders would have a terrible time trying to find their way around. If you glance up at homes and buildings in the square, you can see the symbols above their doors that served as coded addresses for Prague natives. For example, the building next to city hall has an embossed ceramic sculpture of a white swan above the doorway. To a local, this is referred to as the home of the white swan rather than having a numerical street address. If you take the opportunity to stroll the streets of Prague, you will come across some that are very charming, my favorites are green lobster and blue stallion.

As the Orloj strikes noon and the apostles come out to greet people in the square and shops slowly start to close. Vendors try to sell off the rest of their sweet rolls and the square begins to clear out as everyone ducks inside to enjoy a traditional Czech lunch in the restaurants of Old Town. Tourists follow the lead of the natives into cafés to warm their insides with a bowl of spicy goulash and a side of dumplings. Meanwhile outside, the wind whips through the square where ghosts wait for the next batch of tourists to arrive.

Megan Turner, a University of Kansas journalism student, studied in the CIMBA undergraduate program in spring, 2009.