Mayor of Prague Ferdinand Vališ. The former brewer died prematurely 175 years ago
The eighteenth representative of the Royal Capital of Prague in the “Mother of Cities” directly born He came into the world August 12, 1843 in Nové Město. “He attended the evangelical school in Jirchářy, the Czech real school and then the Prague technical school,” says historian Táňa Jelínková in her study contained in the Prague Historical Collection 26 from 1993. During his technical studies, he became interested in chemistry so much so that he also completed its extension course and learned how to use it.
A brewer and a patriot
But not after the laboratories during the most varied experiments. Ferdinand Vališ thought practically and pragmatically, and he intended to use his knowledge accordingly. How? That the 19th century is called “the golden age of Czech brewing“, it’s not just like that.
“He trained in the brewing trade at the U Primasů brewery on Wenceslas Square. He gained further experience in Munich as in the Měšťanský pivovar in Pilsen,” we read from the website of the municipality of hl. m of Prague. “When he got married in 1867, he bought freight house U Bachorů in Štěpánská street with a brewery and an inn and as an orthodox citizen he devoted himself brewing business. He was found to be an educated and experienced entrepreneur as well as a passionate one a patriot.”
Ferdinand Vališ was briefly the mayor of the Royal Capital. Before that, he made a living as a brewery brewer.
Author: City Hall m of Prague
Dear politician
These were not the only prerequisites for Vališ’s future career. After all, as an innkeeper and brewer, he had the opportunity to welcome all kinds of guests in his business, to hear a lot from them, to agree with something, with something less. He had thanks to it overview about what is happening where, and according to his patriotic beliefs, he could follow what should happen where. It is therefore not surprising that her career eventually attracted politics.
“He worked in the council of municipal elders from 1872 and in the term of office 1882-1885 he became the deputy mayor of Prague JUDr. Tomáš Černý,” we read from the municipal records website. Because Černý had serious health problems, in 1885 to his post of mayor of Prague resigned and he could take his place New Town brewer Ferdinand Vališ. But not for long, because her “from this office called death,” Jelínková pretends.
Neo-Renaissance Prague
Fate gave Vališ only three years to make his mark in the history of the metropolis, which at that time was a sprawling metropolis. It consisted of Hradčany, Malé Strany, Starého AND New Town of Prague, Josefov, Vyšehrad, Holešovice AND Drums. If we were wondering how many people lived in Prague, the historian Josef Janáček in his book Little History of Prague leans roughly towards the number 314 thousand in 1880. If transferred to the time, even then Prague without all the other districts and city parts – Přední Kopaniny to Dolní Měcholupy and from Dolní Chaber to Zbraslav, would be the third largest city in our country right after Brno.
“It was Vališ a good connoisseur of the municipal economy and conscientiously took care of the increase of the municipal wealth,” evaluates Jelínková. And it wasn’t just fortune. The end of the 19th century was also in the spirit of the development of Czech culture. “During his tenure as mayor, it was started in 1885 building of the National Museum and the Museum of Arts and Crafts,” Táňa Jelínková explains the origin of two neo-Renaissance buildings in Prague.
For the construction of the National Museum, which was built according to the design of the architect Josef Schulz, the Society of the National Museum happily provided Prague with an abundance lucrative land. Why happily? In those places, in the past, the Prague one was leading fortifications, behind which Prague ended, while another city began – Vineyards. While back then one could talk about the fact that the museum has positioned itself on the peripherytoday it is part of the historic center itself.
Ferdinand Vališ was in charge of Prague for a short time. But, for example, he started the construction of the National Museum, for which Prague selected an extremely lucrative plot of land. (illustrative photo)
Author: David Malík
Just a little further, right next to the railway line and the main station – which was opened in 1871, the “neo-Renaissance building of the New German Theater (today’s State Opera House),” we learn on the website of the municipality. “The rebuilding of the restaurant building in Žofina also falls fully within the period of Vališ’s tenure as mayor (the city bought it together with the island in 1884) in a luxurious concert AND ball house.’ It was created in what style? Neo-Renaissance – of course.
Electrifying voltage
For many centuries, the people of Prague were used to the fact that when it got dark in the city, everything outside was governed by the motto: Let it be dark. It was not until 1847 that the first appeared on the streets gas lighting. But the 1880s already belonged to electricity – albeit in small and timid steps, which were mainly directed towards the buildings. Vališ’s predecessor already had electricity introduced to the Old Town Hall, and Vališ continued this trend, for example, at the Žofín Palace, which “equipped” František Křižík with electricity.
And it was not just electricity that the inhabitants of the metropolis were familiar with at that time. “On November 12, 1885, the new mayor started Regularly large operation of the modern Prague waterworks,” we will learn on the website of the municipality. “It was also created primarily thanks to his predecessor.” It was located in Vinohrady.
At the same time, it was built in Prague from the cooperation of Černý and Vališ hospital and almshouse of St. Bartholomew, which spread out in Nové Město between Vyšehradská, Botičská and Na Slupi streets – the well-preserved buildings are today used by the Ministry of Justice and the Botičská gymnasium. In its day it was a “the largest humanitarian institution in Prague, well and purposefully equipped for its time. 400 impoverished citizens of Prague found refuge in it.”
The biggest square
Many people from outside of Prague, but also from Prague, are surprised by the fact that Wenceslas Square is far from being the largest square in Prague. Not even in the republic. He “usurps” this primacy Charles’ Squarewhich is a thousand meters with an area of over 80 square meters, one of the largest squares in the whole world.
One of the world’s largest squares – Karlovo, was created based on the decision of Ferdinand Vališ. (illustrative photo)
Author: Tereza Holubová
Until the middle of the 19th century, it was more of a public space suitable for organizing markets and fairs – but also the original name of the square was Cattle market. It was not until the decision of Ferdinand Vališ that the square was transformed, public orchard park as we know it today. It happened “according to the design of garden architect F. Thomayera,” we read from the municipal website. František Thomayer was designated as a landscape architect, whose name we can recognize, for example, from Prague 8 according to Thomayer orchards, which he proposed. It is again named after his brother Josef in Prague Faculty Thomayer Hospital in Krč.
Plans that life took away
Great-loving, she was the one Vališ was standing in front of sanitation of the Old Town and Josefov, was already preparing. In general, he was very interested in the development of Prague, and therefore, in 1886, he “can be credited with enforcement and issuance of a new building code for Prague and surrounding municipalities,” states the municipal website, representing Prague’s mayors. The order became the basis for later urban planning. However, Vališ did not live to see the rehabilitation of the Old Town and Josefov, which represented a radical reconstruction of “outdated” neighborhoods in modern blocks of not only residential buildings, and which took place in the 1890s until the beginning of the 20th century. Not even her preparations.
Who knows if Prague would look different today. After all historically insensitive sanitation was already criticized in Prague during its implementation, as it meant “liquidation of Josefov and adjacent streets and old Podskalí,” as stated by Josef Janáček in Little History of Prague. “It was done many damages by greedy businessmenwho built and built regardless of historical and aesthetic values.”
Former brewer and brewer passed away September 19, 1887 135 years ago. “Ferdinand Vališ suffered heart disease,” explains Jelínková. He lived to be only 44 years old. To this day, he sleeps in eternal rest in Prague at the Olšan Cemetery.
We would look for the last resting place of Ferdinand Vališ at the Olšan Cemetery. (illustrative) Veronika Foltová
The town hall tower offers a breathtaking view of Prague’s rooftops during the day and at night.
Author: Tonda Tran, David Malík, Martin Sekanina, Prague City Tourism, HMP Archive