When Greater Prague was founded: The Žižkovás refused to call themselves Praguers, Košíře was a dormitory in Smíchov
At the turn of 1921 and 1922, Greater Prague was established. A number of towns, cities, municipalities and villages became part of the capital of Czechoslovakia, which increased the population to 677 thousand. Prague suddenly rose to 11th place among European cities. The Royal Capital of Prague, which included the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, Hradčany, Josefov, Vyšehrad, Holešovice, Bubny and Libeň, was joined by a number of now inseparable parts of the metropolis. Miroslav Honzík’s period publication “Prague 1921” was suspended for individual districts.
Karlín (originally German Karolinenthal) originated on the plain between the Vltava and Vítkov in 1817 on the former “Hospital Field”. She stood here in the Middle Ages settlement Těšnov, which was later called Špitálsko and Zábransko. At the beginning of the 18th century, the famous Invalides was established here, “A small patch for thousands of invalids from the wars for the greater glory of the Habsburg House,” as stated in the periodical publication.
Factories were established in Karlín and industry began more significantly. The former Theater of Diversity, also called the Variety, has stood here since the 1980s. Today we know it under the name Hudební divadlo Karlín. “Since 1904, Karlín has been the town and seat of the district. In 1921 it had over 25,000 inhabitants, but it was still the smallest of the Prague suburbs, “ describes the book “Prague 1921”.

New engineering buildings in Karlín, year 1932.
Author: ČTK
The charismatic Prague district has always been known as the center of Prague viticulture. Later, farmsteads or gardens and summer houses of Prague citizens were built here, which included Smetanka, Štikovna, Kravín, Zvonařka or Channel. Before entering Greater Prague, this locality was found for the Prague excursion and recreation area. “A summer theater arena was even opened in the Ostrich Garden and the New Town Theater in Smetana,” notes the periodical publication.
In 1875, Žižkov separated from Vinohrady. The remaining part was given the city emblem and the name Královské Vinohrady. At the time of the merger with Prague, with 84,000 inhabitants, it was the most populous suburb of the capital. “It is worth mentioning that Královské Vinohrady was at that time the third largest city in the Czech Republic after Prague and Pilsen,” adds the historical source.

Slezská street in Vinohrady, year 1934.
Author: ČTK
Zizkov was established at the foot of Vítkova hora, which was originally called Šibeniční vrch. In the Middle Ages, Prague winemakers cultivated the place. During the wars in the 17th and 18th centuries, this locality was devastated, and instead of vineyards, fields and gardens appeared here. The names Pražačka, Vápenka, Parukářka or Bezovka have been preserved from the names of individual homesteads.
After the then Prague – then still without Žižkov and other places – banned the burial of the dead in the middle of the city, the first cemeteries that have taken on today’s proportions. The village began to grow and after secession from Vinohrady was promoted to a town in 1881. “It soon became one of the largest in the Czech Republic. And also perhaps the most peculiar. Its inhabitants have long been united by the Žižkovás, not by the Praguers. “ describes the publication.

Prokop Square in Zizkov, year 1902.
Author: ČTK
Smíchov originated on the site of a village Újezd, about which the Zbraslav Chronicle already writes. From today’s point of view, people can hardly imagine that there used to be vineyards and hop gardens. Here, too, things began to change over time homesteads and summer houses, which includes, for example, the well – known Bertramka.
The first factories in Smíchov began to appear at the beginning of the 19th century. Among them was the famous Ringhoffer engineering plant. In the local cartoons (textile factory – editor’s note) occurred in 1844 to the very first “Prague” strike of workers. The development of this locality was aided by the then branched railway network.

Historic Smíchov as an industrial area of Prague.
Author: TSK Prague
“Cultural life was also lively. […] Since 1881, Smíchov has had its own theater – Švandovo – and a summer theater by the railway bridge, the site of the demolished Arena, ”reveals the book“ Prague 1921 ”.
Košíře they were a small town, which the periodical publication refers to for the Smíchov dormitory and the labor supply for its industry. In Košíře itself, the factories grew only sporadically. “Quite incomprehensibly, they became a city at the end of the 19th century,” the book adds.
Břevnov originated from a settlement that is one of the oldest in today’s Prague. It originally belonged to the ancient Břevnov monastery, which was established in the 10th century during its destruction during the Hussite wars. Later, this tabernacle was restored. In the middle of the 19th century, 5,000 people lived here. “Because there were no industrial plants in the village, it was relatively slow and at the time of the merger with Prague, less than 13,000 people lived in Břevnov.” states a periodical publication.

Břevnov, year 1947.
Author: ČTK
The village that was originally called Front Ovenec, was located near the Royal Game Reserve. This place was during the wars in the 17th and 18th centuries now completely destroyed. “But where people settle once, not even the rage of war will drive them out. And so Ovenec survived all the blows of fate, it changed through the German pronunciation of the original name in Bubeneč – a lively industrial town in the 19th century, ”explains the historical source.
It functioned in the imperial mill at the beginning of Bubeneč paper mill, dyehouse AND printer. Other industrial plants were established after the opening of the so-called Podmokelská railway. In 1904, the village became a city that had 17,000 inhabitants before unification with Prague.

Bubenec, year 1942.
Author: ČTK
Nusle were the largest of the cities connected to Greater Prague. In 1921 he lived here 35 thousand inhabitants. The village arose from settlements and solitudes that were scattered from the Botič valley to Pankrác. Neighboring Vršovice passed from church ownership to the property of wealthy Prague burghers during the Hussite wars, and later became part of the Nusle estate. According to a period publication, there was even a chateau in Bratří Synků Square.
“The peaceful life of the suburban village was not interrupted until the end of the 19th century by industrialization,” describes a historical source. People in Nusle worked, for example, in the linen factory or in the Kohinoor textile factory and a number of other industrial plants.

Chapel in Nusle, year 1940.
Author: ČTK
Location Vysočan even before joining Prague, it was one of the most industrial. A sugar factory was established here in 1850, and soon after the agricultural area with several hundred inhabitants began to become an industrial center. Kolben’s former factory took care of this development to a large extent.

Incinerator in Vysočany, year 1933.
Author: ČTK
In addition to the described localities, on January 1, 1922, many other localities outside Prague became part of Greater Prague. It was also a town and village that did not have a well-developed industry. There were limestones, brickyards, agricultural areas and small factories, in which a maximum of dozens of people worked.
“Their population fluctuated from the largest, such as tens of thousands Dejvice and Michle, down to the smallest Střížkov, Malou Chuchla and Motol with several hundred inhabitants, ”adds a periodical publication, according to which farmers and gardeners, who found convenient outlets on the Prague markets in the center, succeeded in these localities in particular.

Dejvická Hanspaulka in 1937.
Author: ČTK
In addition to the municipalities described above, they became part of Greater Prague on the same day Bohnice, Kobylisy, Prosek, Hloubětín, Hrdlořezy, Malešice, Krč, Hodkovičky, Podolí, Hlubočepy, Radlice, Jinonice, Střešovice, Dolní Liboc, Sedlec, Veleslavín AND Vokovice.
Historic Smíchov as an industrial area of Prague.
Author: TSK Prague