40 years ago, the writing of the “Panelstory” of the South City began: Prague 11 will celebrate its round birthday
How did the whole “Panelstory” start?
People were increasingly craving enough greenery in their place of residence, so the area of today’s South City was a clear choice for the construction of the new housing estate. The cadastres of the villages of Háje and Chodov were still completely out of the metropolis in the 1960s, and therefore the plan to build thousands of flats in this place seemed ideal to engineers and architects. The first decision was made in 1964. Meanwhile, Háje and Chodov joined Prague, and after a several-year process of arguing over the settlement’s plans, the first cranes and excavators arrived on September 1, 1971, and the foundations of the Southern city dig.
A period photograph of the South City depicting work on the housing estate
Author: ČTK
Hundreds of workers began to build the first blocks of flats, paradoxically in the direction from Háje to the city center, not from Prague out closer to the greenery. And so the first inhabitants of today’s Mendelová and Plicková streets near the Háje metro station could move into the gray concrete boxes in five years.
A period photograph of the Jižní město housing estate depicting the migration of the first tenants
Author: ČTK
The emergence of the metro line C affects the quality of life of locals
The concrete boxes in the South Town grew rapidly, and new townships such as Litochleby, Opatov, Háje near the then-built D1 motorway with the capacity for up to 20 thousand people. Chodov later had to supplement these parts, as it was planned only as a supplementary project. And so at the end of this construction phase, a city with almost 80 thousand inhabitants. An important date in the development of the South City was the year 1980, when the first set of metro line C arrived at Háje, then to the Cosmonauts station. The team’s quality of life increased by several degrees. And there is a growing interest in living in the housing estate.
A period photograph of the Jižní město housing estate, which captures what it looked like in times past.
Author: ČTK
Churches, parks or shops, the South City is still growing today
The fact that the South City did not end its construction activity is evidenced by constantly emerging buildings, such as new churches, shops, sports grounds, but also parks. People no longer have to travel to the center of Prague for shopping, as was the case in the 1970s and 1980s. And so, in recent years, the attractiveness of this place for living has appeared and the “Southern” has become a popular place to live for Praguers.
View of the housing estate South City
Author: ČTK
Prague 11 will celebrate its logs during or at concerts
Although it may not seem so, this autumn, already a measure of human life, already reaches the age of middle age. But this part of the city is definitely not lacking in life energy. They will celebrate their logs in September as part of the Prague 11 Days. . There will also be an exhibition on the construction of the South City, theater performances and competitions for the youngest and adults. Even this year the whole event will take place in the park near the Chodov fortress, “Miroslav Dvořák, spokesman for Prague 11, told Blesk.
History of the Southern City in dates
1964 it was decided to build a housing estate in the fields between Chodov and Háje.
1971 cranes and excavators begin construction.
1976 the first tenants are moving.
1978 the construction of the Southern City II begins.
1980 the metro line C is introduced to the Háje station – formerly Kosmonautů.
Current view of the South City
Author: Prague 11 district