Náměstí Winstona Churchilla (Winston Churchill Square)

Winston Churchill Square

The next Žižkov square is called Náměstí Winstona Churchilla. Now we will learn about the important historical milestones that had strongly influenced the destiny of the whole square.

Origin of the name
You would not have come across such a square neither on the map or wandering through Žižkov between 1935 – 1955. In that period you would find it under the name „náměstí U Pensijního ústavu“ (At the Pension Institute Square). The name whad not been selected at random. It was derived from a significant funcionalist construction which was built on one side of the contemporary Žižkov gas works´ plot. It was the so-called General Pension Institute that we know today as a house Nr. 1800, 1839 and 1840, i.e. Dům odborových svazů (House of Trade Unions). The construction was carried out due to the architects Karel Honzík and Josef Havlíček. The first clerks sat down at their desks behind the walls of Všeobecný pensijní ústav for the first time on January 2nd, 1934.

The square had changed its name frequently
However, the name lasted only until 1955. With the new political system the contemporary names were changed, too. A good inspiration for such names were the names of the leading representatives of the regent team. Therefore between 1955-1977 thee square was called Gustav Kliment Square – according to a Czech communist politician, member of Národní shromáždění (National Assembly) and man who was Minister of Industry between 1948–1952.

Yet the name has not survived and in 1990 the square was called after Antonín Zápotocký, the former president of the republic. The statue of Zápotocký was consequently placed in the centre of the square. The last change happened a few years later when the square was called according to a significant world´s politician, the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. A memorial to this genius was festively revealed in the square on November 17th, 1999.

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Náměstí Winstona Churchilla (Winston Churchill Square)
There are several interesting buildings in the premises of the square. The square is not only located in the neighbourhood of Hlavního nádraží (Prague Main Railway Station), Vítkov Hill, but the tourists have there an opportunity to view a noted functionalist structure, Dům odborových svazů (House of Trade Unions). Besides, there is also the building of Vysoká škola ekonomická (University of Economics) in the east side which was built in 1935 under the direction of the architect Vratislav Lhota and engineer Mečislav Petrů.

Address:
Náměstí Winstona Churchilla
Praha 3 – Žižkov – 130 00

Connection:
Tram: 5, 9, 26, 55, 58 – Husinecká
Bus: 135 – Náměstí Winstona Churchilla
Metro C – Hlavní nádraží
Metro: B, C – Florenc

Transport connection:
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GPS: 50°5’5.388″N, 14°26’28.896″E

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