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{{short description|City square in Prague, Czechia}}
{{for|the 1988 play|Wenceslas Square (play)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox urban feature
| name = Wenceslas Square
| image_place = Prague Praha 2014 Holmstad Vaclavplassen i nybyen Nove Mesto flott.jpg
| image_caption = View of Wenceslas Square
| place_type = [[Public square]]
| features = {{hlist
| [[Statue of Saint Wenceslas, Wenceslas Square|Statue of Saint Wenceslas]]
| [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]]
| pedestrian zone
| shops
| markets
| hotels
}}
| surface =
| address2 = [[Prague]], Czech Republic
| owner =
| coordinates = {{coord|50|04|53|N|14|25|39|E|type:landmark_region:CZ|display=inline,title}}
| construction =
| open =
| height =
| maint =
| designer =
| area =
}}

'''Wenceslas Square''' ({{langx|cs|Václavské náměstí}}, {{IPA|cs|ˈvaːtslafskɛː ˈnaːmɲɛstiː|pron|cs-Vaclavske namesti Vaclavak.ogg}}, colloquially {{lang|cs|Václavák}}, {{IPA|cs|ˈvaːtslavaːk|pron}}; {{langx|de|Wenzelsplatz}}) is one of the main [[city square]]s and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the [[New Town, Prague|New Town]] of [[Prague]], Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]], celebrations, and other public gatherings. It is also the place with the busiest pedestrian traffic in the whole country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/pesi-doprava-v-praze-pruzkum-vaclavske-namesti-namesti-republiky_1908110939_kro|title=Tepnou pěší dopravy v Praze je horní část Václavského náměstí. Za hodinu tam projde přes 4 tisíce lidí|website=iROZHLAS|date=11 August 2019 |language=cs|access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref> The square is named after [[Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia|Saint Wenceslas]], the [[patron saint]] of [[Bohemia]]. It is part of the historic centre of Prague, a World Heritage Site.<ref name="worldheritagesite">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/prague.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040115085200/http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/prague.html |archive-date=15 January 2004 |url-status=dead |title=Historic Centre of Prague - World Heritage Site - Pictures, info and travel reports |access-date=30 April 2016 }}</ref>

Formerly known as Koňský trh or Rossmarkt<ref>[https://www.abebooks.com/art-prints/Teilansicht-Rossmarkt-Rossmarkt-Prag-Praha/31796267919/bd Teilansicht, Rossmarkt, "Der Rossmarkt". Prag (Praha)], abebooks.com</ref> (''Horse Market''), for its periodic accommodation of horse markets during the [[Middle Ages]], it was renamed Svatováclavské náměstí (English: ''Saint Wenceslas square'') in 1848 on the proposal of [[Karel Havlíček Borovský]].

==Features==
[[File:Praha Vánoce 2018 6.jpg|thumb|Wenceslas Square during Christmas]]
[[File:Wenceslas Square end of 19th century.jpg|right|thumb|Tram line at Wenceslas Square in the 19th century]]
[[File:Václavské náměstí 38-46.JPG|thumb|Central part of Wenceslas Square with [[Rokoko Palace]] built in 1916]]
[[File:1989 November Prague Velvet Revolution Wenceslas Square night time protest.jpg|thumb|Protest rally at Wenceslas Square during the [[Velvet Revolution]] in 1989]]

Less a [[city square|square]] than a [[boulevard]], Wenceslas Square has the shape of a very long (750 m, total area 45,000 m<sup>2</sup>) [[rectangle]], in a [[Ordinal directions|northwest]]–[[Ordinal directions|southeast]] direction. The street slopes upward to the southeast side. At that end, the street is dominated by the grand [[neoclassicism|neoclassical]] Czech [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]]. The northwest end runs up against the border between the [[New Town, Prague|New Town]] and the [[Old Town, Prague|Old Town]].

==History==
In 1348, [[Bohemia]]n King [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] founded the [[New Town, Prague|New Town]] of Prague. The plan included several open areas for markets, of which the second largest was the ''Koňský trh'', or Horse Market (the largest was the [[Charles Square]]). At the southeastern end of the market was the Horse Gate, one of the gates in the walls of the New Town.

The [[Statue of Saint Wenceslas (Bendl)|Statue of Saint Wenceslas]] formerly stood in the middle of Wenceslas Square, near Grandhotel Evropa, it was moved to [[Vyšehrad]] in 1879. During the [[Czech National Revival]] movement in the [[Czech lands]] of [[Austria-Hungary]] in the 19th century, a more noble name for the street was requested. At this time the square was renamed and new [[Statue of Saint Wenceslas, Wenceslas Square|Statue of Saint Wenceslas]] was built in 1912.

On 28 October 1918, [[Alois Jirasek|Alois Jirásek]] read the [[Czechoslovak declaration of independence]] in front of the Saint Wenceslas statue.

During the 1938 [[May Crisis]], the square was the site of massive demonstrations against [[Nazi Germany]]'s demands for the [[Sudetenland]] and the [[appeasement]] policies of the [[First Czechoslovak Republic]]'s allies the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]].<ref>Bouverie, Tim (2019). ''Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War'' (1 ed.). New York: [[Tim Duggan Books]]. p. 256. {{ISBN|978-0-451-49984-4}}. {{OCLC|1042099346}}</ref> Under the [[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia]], the [[Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Nazi occupation force]] used the street for mass demonstrations. During the [[Prague Uprising]] in 1945, a few buildings near the [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]] were destroyed. They were later replaced by department stores.

On 16 January 1969, student [[Jan Palach]] set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square to protest the [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]] in 1968.

On 28 March 1969, the [[Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team|Czechoslovak national ice hockey team]] defeated the [[Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team|USSR team]] for the second time in that year's [[Ice Hockey World Championships]]. As the [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]] was still under Soviet occupation, the victory induced great celebrations. An estimated 150,000 people gathered on Wenceslas Square, and skirmishes with police developed. A [[Czechoslovak Hockey Riots|group of provocateurs]] then attacked the Prague office of the Soviet airline [[Aeroflot]], located on the street. The vandalism served as a pretext for reprisals and the period of so-called [[normalization (Czechoslovakia)|normalization]].

In 1989, during the [[Velvet Revolution]], large demonstrations (with hundreds of thousands of people or more) were held here.

Wenceslas Square is lined by hotels, offices, retail stores, currency exchange booths and [[fast food|fast-food]] joints. Many [[strip club]]s also operate around Wenceslas Square. Wenceslas Square is also a popular place to spend the [[New Year]]'s celebrations, another popular option are terraces near the river. The [[Christmas market]]s (''Vánoční trhy'') are held here every year from early December to the first week of January.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:2022-10-15 Václavské náměstí 1.jpg|thumb|Reconstruction of the lower part of Wenceslas Square confirmed the already existing pedestrian zone, uniting the surfaces and adding new alleys]]
A reconstruction of the Wenceslas Square has been underway since 2020. The lower part was completed in 2023. Construction of the new upper part (from [[Vodičkova]] street) is to begin in June 2024. It will include wider sidewalks, tram tracks, bicycle paths, new alleys and reduction of the space dedicated to motor traffic. Full completion is scheduled for summer 2027.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rekonstrukce Václavského náměstí v Praze se prodraží až o 109 mil. Kč|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/rekonstrukce-vaclavskeho-namesti-v-praze-se-prodrazi-az-o-109-mil-kc/2037370|access-date=2021-05-15|website=ČeskéNoviny.cz|language=cs}}</ref> The expected cost is 1.24 billion [[Czech koruna|Czech crowns]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Stavba nové tramvajové trati na Václavském náměstí začne na konci června |url=https://www.prazskypatriot.cz/stavba-nove-tramvajove-trati-na-vaclavskem-namesti-zacne-na-konci-cervna/ |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=Pražský patriot |language=cs}}</ref>

==Art and architecture==
{{See also|Statue of Saint Wenceslas, Wenceslas Square}}

[[File:Prag Wenzelsplatz Wenzelsdenkmal Nationalmuseum bei Nacht.jpg|thumb|Wenceslas Monument and National Museum, at night]]
[[File:Prag - Grand Hotel Europa und Meran Hotel am Wenzelsplatz - Václavském náměstí - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Hotel Evropa (Prague)|Grand Hotel Evropa]] built in 1872]]
[[File:Warsaw Pact invasion in Prague Bild-11638-3.jpg|thumb|[[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]]]]
[[File:11-05-31-praha-tram-by-RalfR-49.jpg|thumb|Tram line and the northwest part of the square]]
[[File:Prag Koruna Palast 01.jpg|thumb|[[Koruna Palace]] built in 1912]]

The two obvious landmarks of Wenceslas Square are at the southeast, uphill end: the 1885–1891 [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum Building]], designed by Czech architect [[Josef Schulz (architect)|Josef Schulz]], and the [[Statue of Saint Wenceslas, Wenceslas Square|statue of Wenceslas]].

Other significant buildings on the square include:
* Antonin Pfeiffer and Matěj Blecha's "[[Koruna Palace|Palác Koruna]]" office building and shopping center, #1–2, 1912–1914, with architectural sculpture by [[Vojtěch Sucharda]]
* [[Ludvík Kysela]]'s "Lindt Building", No. 4, an early work of architectural constructivism
* the [[Bata Shoes|BAŤA]] shoe store, No. 6, 1929
* Matěj Blecha and [[Emil Králíček]]'s "Adam Pharmacy", No. 8, 1911–1913
* [[Jan Kotěra]]'s "Peterka Building", No. 12, 1899–1900
* [[Pavel Janák]]'s "[[Hotel Juliš]]", No. 22, 1926
* [[Alois Dryák]]'s "[[Hotel Evropa (Prague)|Hotel Evropa]]", #25–27, 1872, 1905 redesign, with architectural sculptor [[Ladislav Šaloun]]
* [[Antonin Wiehl]]'s "Wiehl House", No. 34, 1896
* the "[[Melantrich]] Building", No. 36, 1914, where [[Alexander Dubček]] and [[Václav Havel]] appeared together on its balcony in November 1989, a major event of the [[Velvet Revolution]]
* "Hotel Adria",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adria-hotel.cz/en/prague-center/hotel-history/|title=Hotel with rich history in Prague center|website=www.adria-hotel.cz}}</ref> No 26, reconstruction in 1912, in 1918 sold to František Tichý, [[:cs:Divadlo Vlasty Buriana|Burian's Theatre]] (1925–1928)

==Transport==
The [[Prague Metro]]'s [[Line A (Prague Metro)|line A]] runs underneath Wenceslas Square, and the Metro's two busiest stations, [[Muzeum (Prague Metro)|Muzeum]] (lines A and C) and [[Můstek]] (lines A and B), have entrances on the street. Currently [[Trams in Prague|trams]] only cut across the square. Tram tracks running the length of the square were removed in 1980; a proposal to reintroduce the tram line has been approved, with construction beginning in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Soukup |first1=Jaroslav |title=Návrat tramvají na Václavské náměstí se blíží. Dopravní podnik vypsal zakázku |url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/domaci-navrat-tramvaji-na-vaclavske-namesti-se-blizi-dopravni-podnik-vypsal-zakazku-40408443 |website=Novinky.cz |date=12 September 2022 |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> Most of the street is open to automobile traffic, but the northwestern end has been [[Pedestrian zone|pedestrianised]] since 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.praha.eu/jnp/cz/doprava/automobilova/nejen_pesi_zona_na_vaclavaku_se_rozsiri.html|title=Nejezděte na Václavák, je pěší zónou|website=Praha.eu|access-date=2020-02-23|archive-date=23 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223091003/http://www.praha.eu/jnp/cz/doprava/automobilova/nejen_pesi_zona_na_vaclavaku_se_rozsiri.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Literary references==
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2016}}
* A tavern in the square, ''the Golden Goose'', is mentioned in [[Franz Kafka|Franz Kafka's]] ''[[Amerika (novel)|Amerika]]'', as the place where the Manageress previously worked.
* ''Wenceslas Square'' is the name of a [[theatre|theatrical]] play by [[Larry Shue]], which is set in Prague.
* ''Wenceslas Square'' is the name of a story written by [[Arthur Phillips]], which takes place in the [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]] at the end of the [[Cold War]]. The story was published in the compendium ''Wild East: Stories from the Last Frontier'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vxUDAAAACAAJ&q=wild+east:+stories+from+the+last+frontier|title=Wild East: Stories from the Last Frontier|first=Boris|last=Fishman|date=21 February 2003|publisher=Justin, Charles & Co.|isbn=978-1-932112-15-3}}</ref> and featured in episode 337<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1199 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011210800/http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1199 |archive-date=11 October 2007 |title=This American Life}}</ref> of the [[WBEZ]] radio show ''[[This American Life]]''.
* "Wenceslas Square" featured in Marc Adnitt's short film "You Want Christmas?" in December 2008.

==See also==
*[[Franciscan Garden, Prague]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

* Lazarova, Daniela (27 November 2004). [https://www.radio.cz/en/article/60725 The Changing Face of Wenceslas Square] Radio Praha.
* Stankova, Jaroslava, et al. (1992) ''Prague: Eleven Centuries of Architecture.'' Prague: PAV. {{ISBN|80-900003-1-2}}.

==External links==
{{Sister project auto}}

* [https://www.visitczechrepublic.com/en-US/Things-to-Do/Places/Landmarks/Urban-architecture/c-prague-wenceslas-square Wenceslas Square] at Visit Czech Republic

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[[Category:Squares in Prague]]
[[Category:Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia]]

Wenceslas Square - Revision history

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