Prague Metro Stations as a Crash Course in History

Prague metro is more than just a means of public transport. It is also a crash course in history. Most of the station names refer to the streets above the stations: Národní třída, Náměstí republiky or Lazarská. All stations names ending in ‘nádraží’ are also train stations. Metro stations containing ‘sidliste’ such as sídliště Modřany or sídliště Ďáblice are the last stations on the line in the outer suburbs. The names refer to a residential area with many uniform apartment buildings.
You may wonder why the metro network is so deep underground or who of what is Želivského a metro station on line A or if I.P. Pavlova station refers to the Russian ballet dancer. This is where your crash course starts.

Crash Course in History

1. Reasons for deep underground metro network
2. Metro system as a nuclear bunker
3. Můstek metro station
4. Karlovo náměstí metro station
5. Želivského metro station
6. Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station
7. I.P. Pavlova metro station
8. Křižíkova metro station
9. Kolbenova  metro station
10. Pražského povstání metro station
11. Bratří Synků metro station

1. Metro deep underground

Prague metro which opened in 1974, lies deep underground because, in those days, the communists feared that Prague would be the target of a nuclear attack by the West. Other reasons were that the metro passes under the Vltava River, and that some parts of Prague are located on hills. Since a train cannot negotiate a sharp gradient, the tracks remains at the same level. The result is that the escalators to street level are often very long. There are only three transfer stations where the lines cross above each other. That is why the namesti Miru station on line A is so deep underground. Lines B and C pass overhead. Namesti Miru metro station has the longest and fastest escalators of the entire Prague metro network. More about fast moving metro escalators 

2. Metro as a nuclear air raid shelter

These deep-lying stations double as air raid shelters and can be recognized by their rounded walls. All stations on Line A have this type of walls. Should the city be hit by a nuclear bomb, sturdy explosion-resisting doors close, and the area is turned into a large air-raid shelter with room for 300,000 people.

3. Můstek metro station

Můstek (small bridge) is a transfer station and connects lines A and B. It is probably the busiest metro station in Prague because of its central location, below Wenceslas Square. In 1976, during archaeological research prior to the construction of metro line A, remains of a medieval bridge were discovered. This bridge spanned a moat (příkop) that separated the old town from the horse market, today’s Wenceslas Square. This moat was filled in during the 1760s, after which it became the arterial road. Today it is pedestrian-only shopping street known as ‘Na příkopě’. Embedded in a wall of the vestibule of Můstek metro station at the north entrance on Wenceslas Square, you can see remnants of this medieval bridge after which this metro station was named.

4. Karlovo náměstí metro station

Karlovo náměstí (Charles Square) metro station on metro line B, is one of many references in Prague to Emperor Charles IV who reigned from 1346 to 1378. He founded Charles University, had the Charles Bridge built, and planned and built what is now the Nové Město district, the new city. On street level is Charles Square, in the fourteenth century the city’s largest and most important square. The wooden chapel (now St Ignatius Church) was a place of pilgrimage where, on the first Friday after Easter, a nail and splinter of the Holy Cross, part of the Crown of Thorns and the Holy Lance were exhibited. This veneration of relics was also an occasion for festivities and trade. Charles Square offered more than enough space for a large crowd.
Today, the square has lost its status as the main square of Prague. Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square attract more visitors. Read more about what to see on Charles Square here.

5. Želivského metro station

Želivského metro station is located on line A and is named after Jan Želivsky (1380-1422) who began his career as a Hussite preacher and was highly regarded by the people of Prague. On 30 June 1419, he was the leader of the First Defenestration of Prague (action of throwing someone out of the window, in other words committing a murder) in the New Town Hall. He used his prominent position, in a rather unscrupulous way, to eliminate his rivals. When his power became too mighty, people began to protest. He was eventually arrested and ended up on the scaffold.

6. Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station

Metro station Jiřího z Poděbrad on line A, is named after King George (Jiří) of Bohemia who reigned from 1458 to 1471 and was leader of the Hussites. He was an early proponent of a united Europe and drafted a federation plan with common goals to bring stability and peace. Rome was not pleased and Pope Paul II declared Poděbrad a heretic, excommunicated him and demanded that he be deposed as king of Bohemia.
On street level is a large square, namesti Jiřího z Poděbrad and the Sacred Heart Church built in 1928. The eye-catcher on the facade is a clock with a diameter of 7.5 meters. Near the square is the Žižkov television tower. Jiřího z Poděbrad Square hosts the Jirak farmers’ market from Wednesdays to Saturdays. Read more about the Zizkov television tower

7. I.P. Pavlova metro station

I. P. Pavlova metro station is on line C and named after the Nobel Laureate Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936), a Russian physiologist known for his study of brain function. His discovery is known as the Pavlov reaction, a type of conditioned learning which occurs on instinctive responses, as opposed to operant conditioning, which occurs on willful actions. He tried this out by giving dogs a certain stimulus, they then believed they would be fed. This principle is still applied in psychological therapy. In 1904, Pavlov was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his research.
This is one of the metro stations that has kept a name referring to Communist days. Other stations have been renamed like Leninova (Lenin’s station) now Dejvicka, Švermova (named after important communist personality) now Jinonice, Gottwaldova (Gottwald’s station) now Vyšehrad and several more.

8. Křižíkova metro station

Křižíkova on line B is named after František Křižík (1847-1941), inventor, engineer and entrepreneur. We owe street lighting, electric trams and track security to him, but he is probably best known for the Křižík fountain at Vysaviste in Prague: a singing fountain whose water changes colour and dances to the melody of ‘Ma Vlast’ by the composer Smetana. Křižík designed the fountain for the 1891 Jubilee Exhibition. Many cities in Europe imitated his example. More about František Křižík and the fountain.

9. Kolbenova metro station

Kolbenova metro station on line B is named after Emil Kolben (1862-1943), engineer and entrepreneur and founder of the engineering firm ČKD (Českomoravská-Kolben-Daněk). The company produced electrical installations such as hydroelectric power stations, locomotives and machinery using advanced technology. Shortly after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Nazis in 1939, Kolben was removed from office. Production of CKD continued, but now they mainly produced weapons and tanks for the German Wehrmacht. Kolben, of Jewish descent, died in Theresienstadt concentration camp.

10. Pražského povstání metro station

Metro station Pražského povstání (Prague Uprising) is located on metro line C and refers to the events of May 1945. The Prague Uprising started on May 5 and ended on May 8 with an armistice and the withdrawal of the Nazis from Prague. A day later, the Red Army marched in.

11. Bratří Synků metro station

Bratri Synků is not yet a metro station but will be once it is built. It is one of the stations on the new line D, which is under construction and scheduled to open in 2029.
Bratri Synků refers to two brothers, Otto and Viktor Synek. Otto was a Czechoslovak politician who joined the resistance during World War II. Together with his brother, he was executed in 1941 by the Nazis in Prague-Kobylisy.
At street level is Bratří Synků Square, a tram transport hub. Originally, the square was named náměstí Metoděj (Methodius Square). After the war it was renamed to náměstí Bratří Synků. Read more about metro line D 

Prague metro stations are not only a crash course in history they are also a tourist attraction.
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