Page:Lutzow The Old Town Hall of Prague.pdf/5

 rague situated in the centre of Bohemia, and vastly superior in population to all other cities of the country has always held a very prominent place in the annals of our land. Our ancient chronicles often refer to Prague as the mother and head of all Bohemian cities; similarly the STAROMĚSTSKÁ RADNICE, town hall of the old city may be considered as the centre of the historical interest of Prague.

As Prague is a very ancient city, the town or rather towns of Prague enjoyed municipal privileges at a very early date a town hall was undoubtedly one of the earliest buildings, and it occupied part of the site of the present building. The chapel is now the only remaining part of this earliest building and it dates from the year 1338; the other buildings then erected at that spot were destroyed by fire in 1399.

The following century, the fifteenth, is notable for the condemnation of HUS—to which I shall again allude–and for the HUSSITE WARS. In these wars the city of Prague took a prominent part. The battles of the Žižkov and the Vyšehrad were fought either within the boundaries of the present town or in its close neighbourhood.

I may perhaps be allowed to quote here a few words from my own writings: »One of the most important results of the battles of the Žižkov and the Vyšehrad was the temporary supremacy over Bohemia, or at least the greatest part of the country which the city of Prague obtained. The mother and head of the Bohemian cities which had gloriously