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Lesnicka street – Albert Einstein

Where: This bust is located on Lesnicka street number 7 in Prague 5 . This street is between the Jiraskuv and Palackeho bridges . GPS: 50.073837, 14.408589

What: It is a bust of the famous scientist Albert Einstein. The text below the bust reads “Here lived and worked in 1911-1912 Albert Einstein” The bust was unveiled on the 13th of March 1979.

Who: Albert Einstein (14th of March 1879 – 18th of April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is most famous for developing the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. Already the author of this Theory, Einstein moved in April of 1911 to Prague where he was appointed as the professor of theoretical physics at Prague’s Charles University. He worked and lived in Prague only for 16 months. In July of 1912 he accepted the chair of theoretical physics at the Polytechnical Institute of Zurich in Switzerland. This ended his stay in Prague.

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J. Plachty street – Memorial plaque Frantisek and Milka

Where: Jindřicha Plachty street, in Prague 5 on building number 3. Close to Smíchovská náplavka. GPS: 50.070823, 14.409652

What: On the plaque is written: “Here lived and were arrested František Pecháček wonderful Sokol worker, commander of the resistance organisation “Jindra” and his wife Milka Pecháčková. They were tortured to death in concentration camp Mauthausen, They sacrificed there lives for the freedom of the nation.”

Who: František Pecháček was a Czech gymnast who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1920 Summer Olympics. During Wold War II František and his wife Milka were members the resistance organisation called “Jindra”. Illegal meetings were held in their apartment including meetings with the paratroopers responsible for the assassination of SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich in 1942.

As a retaliation for the successful assassination, the Nazis arrested large numbers of people who were interrogated, tortured and sent to concentration camps. František and Milka were among them. Both were arrested by the Gestapo and interrogated. Milka was later released, to hopefully lead the Gestapo to other members of the group. After she did not, she was arrested again.

The couple never met again. Both were sent to the concentration camp Mauthausen in Austria, though at different times. Milka was killed in the gas chamber on the 26th of January 1943 and František was executed om the 3rd of February 1944.

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Arbesovo Namesti: Jakub Arbes

Where: On Arbesovo Namesti, which is in Prague 5, Smichov. GPS 50.076497, 14.405200. This is also walking distance from the bust of Frantisek Langer

What: It is a statue of Jakub Arbes. It is bronze and made by Jan Černý. The ceremonial unveiling of the statue took place on the 8th of April 1964 which was exactly 50 years after his death.

Who: Jakub Arbes (12th of June 1840 – 8th of April 1914). He was a Czech writer, journalist and intellectual and is best known for the creation of the literary genre called romanetto. In this genre stories included something which would look paranormal but which would be afterwards explained by logical reasoning. One of his most influential romanetto’s was Newtonův mozek (Newton’s Brain 1877). Besides romanetto’s he wrote several novels.

Preslova street and namestí 14. rijna: Frantisek Langer

Where: On the corner of Preslova street and Náměstí 14. října (14th of October square) in Smichov, Prague 5. GPS 50.073166, 14.408125

What: It is a bust of Frantisek Langer with the text “In this house lived from 1945 to 1965 František Langer, writer”. The bust was created by Kurt Gebauer and was unveiled on the 2nd of August 1995.

Who: Frantisek Langer (3rd of March 1888 – 2nd of August 1965) was a physician and writer, and considered one of the best Czech dramatists of the interwar period.

As a physician Langer served in the Czechoslovak Legions in Russia during World War I. After the war, he served in the medical corps of the Czech army and continued his literary career. His most notable works are: Velbloud uchem jehly (1923; The Camel Through the Needle’s Eye), a comedy about lower-class life. Periferie (1925; “The Outskirts”), a psychological drama and Jízdní hlídka (1935; “The Cavalry Watch”) which was based upon his experiences with the legion.

In 1939 Langer went to England and spent World War II as a member of the Czechoslovakian army abroad (brigade general). He only returned to his home after World War II. The postwar Communist government did not allow him to publish new work until the late 1950s.

Janackove Nabrezi – Zdenek Nejedly plaque

Where: At Janáčkově nábřeží 33, near the Vlatva river, close to Jiráskův bridge on the side of Smichov. GPS: 50.077748, 14.408048

What: There is a plaque with the text “Zdenek Nejedly lived in this house from May 1945 until his death in march 1962”.

Who: Zdenek Nejedly was the first Minister of Culture and Education in the early years of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, after 1948. His ideas have dominated the cultural life of the Czech Republic for most of the twentieth century. He is buried at Vyšehrad cemetery.