Page 76 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Architecture
After the dreadful fire of
1541, many areas of Malá Strana and
Hradcany, as well as parts of Prague
Castle, had been destroyed, and the new
rulerquicklysettoworktorebuildmost
of these areas in the Renaissance style
Finance
that Prague is so famous for today.

Prague experienced a boom in its
economy during the latter half of
What was it like? the 16th century. While Rudolf II
was very much a hands-off leader
when it came to the nitty gritty
PRAGUE, 1576 that Prague flourished culturally
elements of ruling, he made sure
– superficially the town was
incredibly prosperous, with new
buildings, new art and an emerging
With an illustrious history tainted interest in sciences.

by war, Prague in 1576 was a
Prague O
CZECH
cultural hub, attracting the most
REPUBLIC
famousartistsandscientists

rom being the largest town for trading Upon the death of Charles IV, however,
in Europe to a stint as the capital of the Prague began to crumble. The throne was
Holy Roman Empire, Prague’s history has passed from royal to royal while the Hussite
certainly been an illustrious one – but by wars plagued the town. After more than a
Fno means has it always been peaceful. century of strife, the Kingdom of Bohemia was
Brutally murdered in 1306, King Wenceslaus absorbed by the Habsburg dynasty in 1526, and
II had no male heir, and the throne was passed in 1576 Rudolf II was made king. An ardent
onto the House of Luxembourg, eventually lover of art who suffered from bouts of insanity,
reaching Charles IV – who also became the Holy Rudolf sated his desire for beauty by rebuilding
Roman Emperor in 1355. Charles IV ushered much of Prague into the emerging Renaissance
in the golden age of Prague, founding the style. It was this liberal attitude that
oldest Central European university (Charles re-established Prague as a cultural hub once
University), ordering the creation of a cathedral, more, and by 1576 the town was affectionately
and building up the town in a high-Gothic style. known as Magic Prague.
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