Jan Neruda

Jan Neruda (1834–1891) was a Czech poet, writer and journalist, the author of the modern Czech feuilleton.^[1] Nerudova Street in the Lesser Town is named after him.^[2]*

Lesser Town

Neruda lived in the Lesser Town until the age of thirty-six and then moved to the inner city.^[1] With his family he lived in the house At the Two Suns, No. 233, in today's Nerudova Street.^[3] The Heritage Catalogue of the National Heritage Institute dates his stay in the house to 1845–1857.^[4] He attended the Lesser Town grammar school.^[1] He also studied at the academic grammar school in the Clementinum.^[5] He described the Lesser Town in his Tales of the Lesser Quarter.^[1]

Commemoration

In 1895, four years after Neruda's death, a memorial plaque was placed on the house At the Two Suns.^[3] It was designed by Viktor Oliva, sculpted by Vincenc Rupert Smolík and hammered by František Houdek, and it was installed by the Society of the Lesser Town of Prague.^[4][1] The inscription reads: Jan Neruda lived here and began his literary work.^[1] In the same year, 1895, the street, previously known among other names by the German name Sparrengasse, was named after Neruda.^[2][1] The street lies on the Royal Route.^[1]

Sources

1. Městská část Praha 1
2. Magistrát hl. m. Prahy (Praha virtuální)
3. Český rozhlas Praha
4. Národní památkový ústav (Památkový katalog)
5. Národní památkový ústav (Památkový katalog)