Abstract
The book presents the urban and architectural fate of the historical centre of Prague during the period when it was changing from a picturesque historical suburb into an ambitious big city. The theme opens with the first romantic interventions that gave the city its waterfront and promenades. In a rather dramatic contrast, a period of radical redevelopment follows, which meant the demolition of entire neighbourhoods of houses and provoked an equally radical reaction from the defenders of 'old Prague'. The period of the remarkable interwar transformation of the city into the metropolis of the new state, as well as the dark Protectorate period of megalomaniacal urban planning, constitute a separate chapter. With the post-war euphoria came not only new ideas and dreams, but also the early onset of communist totalitarianism, whose urban visions seemed to be directly related to the Protectorate projects. The final part of the book is the period 1958-1970, which brought not only the return of modernism, but also a fundamental discussion of what role the historic centre should actually play in the organism of the modern city.
The overwhelming formation of the metropolis shook almost everything that the centuries-old city had represented until then. The work therefore traces not only the birth and promotion of new ideas, but also the increasingly strong awareness of the city's heritage value, culminating in its declaration as a Prague Conservation Area in 1971. Whenever possible, the text gives voice directly to the actors in the various debates and ideological struggles. It is through them that one can best understand not only the attitudes and dilemmas of the time, but also the deep internal continuity, which, with the passing of the years, proves to be much more significant than the clique-like alternation of architectural styles and political regimes might at first appear.