Christian Street in Prachatice

Christian`s (Křišťanova) Street in Prachatice commemorates the birthplace of Christian of Prachatice (approx. 1360–1439), who was one of the most prominent scholars of the Middle Ages in the Bohemian lands. His works in the fields of astronomy and mathematics as well as medicine, botany, astrology and theology still accompany us today. The ceremonial act of renaming Church Street to Christian Street took place in 1947.

Christian of Prachatice was born in Prachatice around the year 1360. His later academic and professional life were mainly connected with Charles University in Prague. Here he became Master of the Liberal Arts in 1390, studied medicine and theology, and was repeatedly elected dean and rector between 1403 and 1437. For university purposes, Christian of Prachatice wrote his still famous works, published in Latin, On the Construction of the Astrolabe and On the Use of the Astrolabe in about 1407. His mathematical or medical writings, for example on the plague or bloodletting, are also remarkable. Another very interesting work in the field of natural sciences is Christian`s herbarium, which was written in Latin, but during his lifetime it was translated into Czech. It contained about 350 entries, which allegedly included the Czech names of plants.

Christian of Prachatice`s theological work in Prague is linked with the Church of St. Stephen in Prague`s New Town and also with the Old Town Church of St. Michael, which became a centre for the spread of moderate Hussite reform efforts under Christian`s leadership. Christian of Prachatice also worked as physician in Prague. His medical instructions for patients were reportedly inscribed on the house near St. Michael`s Church, where he lived. Christian of Prachatice died in 1439 of the disease which he studied intensively as a physician: plague 

Christian Street in Prachatice which was originally called Church Street (Kirchengasse in German) was named in Christian of Prachatice`s honour in 1947.

Čížek, K.: Křišťan z Prachatic a jeho dílo z hlediska botaniky. Sborník Západočeského muzea v Plzni. Příroda. Plzeň 1994.

Hadravová, A., Hadrava, P.: Křišťan z Prachatic: Stavba a užití astrolábu. Praha 2001, s. 13–43.

Pelikánová, P.: Uliční názvosloví města Prachatice. Bakalářská práce, pedagogická fakulta Jihočeské univerzity v Českých Budějovicích, 2016, s. 31.

Stehlíková, D.: Od anděliky po zimostráz. Latinský Herbář Křišťana z Prachatic a počátky staročeských herbářů. Brno 2017, s. 11–75.

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