Page:Lutzow The Old Town Hall of Prague.pdf/8

 secure greater independance to the citizens. The mayor of the united community was an official appointed by the government. It is only since 1848 that the citizens possess the right of electing their mayor.

As the want of space in the town hall became more and more serious, it was at last decided to enlarge the building by the purchase of four adjoining houses. This was done in 1832, but the system adapted for the reconstruction of the town hall caused great dissatisfaction and it is now contemplated to rebuilt it entirely with considerable enlargements. This has become even more necessary since the new districts of Vyšehrad, Holešovice-Bubny, and Libeň have also been placed under the central municipality of Prague.

One of the most interesting facts that in Bohemia, and specially in Prague mark the period of peace at the beginning of the 19$th$ century is the REVIVAL of the NATIONAL FEELING and LANGUAGE. It is not my purpose to analyse here the tangled involved causes whichresultedwhich resulted [sic], in the great fact that a buried nationality burst its graveclothes and reappeared radiant in the world. It is sufficient to state that the greatest part of Bohemia, formerly almost Germanised has now again become thoroughly Slavic. The national language for a time used almost only by the peasantry in outlying districts is now freely and generally used by the educated classes in most parts of the country. Prague itself that had for a time acquired almost the appearance of a German town, has now a thoroughly Slavic character.