Prague City Council Main Building
The imposing headquarters of the Greater Prague Municipality...
The municipal building dates back to the early 20th century. Its design and imposing architecture show just how much the city of Prague wanted to make a name for itself at the time. Although located in the heart of the historic center, the building is rather isolated from its surroundings. To build it, dozens of old buildings had to be demolished, including houses with Romanesque frescoes and magnificent Renaissance ornamentation.
The sculptures that adorn the Municipality building bear witness to the fact that it stands on a rich historical site. These include, for example, a man in armor, evoking the armor-makers of yesteryear, and a statue of Rabbi Löw with a sombre look, a nostalgic reminder of the ghetto that was destroyed at the time. Both sculptures are the work of the renowned Viennese Secession sculptor Ladislav Šaloun, who also designed the monument to Jan Hus in Old Town Square. The bas-reliefs above the entrance to the Town Hall, reminding us of the city's importance and role, are the work of Stanislav Sucharda, a no less renowned artist who designed the monument to František Palacký in the square of the same name.
The monument's architecture elegantly combines neo-Baroque, Secession and early modern elements. Preserved as it was in its original state, with all its architectural and ornamental features, the Prague City Hall takes us back to the impressive early years of the twentieth century.
If you enter the building through the rear entrance, from Franz Kafka Square (náměstí Franze Kafky), you will be confronted by a preserved paternoster lift, the slow, continuously moving lift with open cabins into which you get on or off while they are in motion. Do not hesitate to try it!
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