Dům U dvou kamenných stolů House

Braun's house, also known as the house At two stone tables or Salmov Palace, there is a significant corner building on Charles Square in Prague's New Town. This two-storey Classicist building with a history dating back to the 14th century constitutes a significant urban dominance opposite the New Town Hall tower. Since 1964, the building has been a protected cultural monument. Its value consists of a unique combination of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical building elements.

The history of the settlement of this plot dates back to 1377, when there were probably two Gothic houses. These objects or parts of them were part of the fortification of the New Town of Prague at the time. From the oldest building phase, cellars and some inner parts of the ground floor have been preserved until today. A fundamental transformation into a large Renaissance object occurred in 1585, which is evidenced by the year on the preserved entrance portal. We attribute this reconstruction to architect Oldřich Aostalis and its tracks are still visible especially in excellent wings.

The most famous period of the house is associated with the name of Baroque sculptor Matyas Bernard Braun. He purchased the building in 1714 for 2915 gold pieces and lived in it with an art workshop until his death in 1738. It is from this time that the name is U of two stone tables. In the 1860s, the artist's daughter Marie initiated a late Baroque reconstruction. The author was either Antonín Schmidt or Jan Josef Wirch. That's when the house acquired its palate character and its attics, according to period images, decorated a number of sculptures, but they were not preserved.

The architectural form of the palace is the result of a classic design from 1820. The main nine-axis facade to Charles Square is divided by pilasters of the high order and decorated by belt rustics on the ground floor. An important element is the asymmetrically located portal in the sixth axis, which carries Renaissance and baroque curds. The crown ledge passes over him into a triangular shield. The side facade in Řeznická Street has a corner part identical to the main facade, while the following eight-axis section is easier on the floors. The interior is particularly valuable with preserved beam painted ceilings on the ground floor of the front wing and an inner courtyard with open deck on the first floor, which is carried by volute consoles.

The property's history reflects social changes in Prague. After the Braun house in 1796, the princes of Hohenlohe- Kirchberg bought it. Subsequently, it was acquired by the Salm-Reifferscheid family, which initiated a classical reconstruction. From 1867 until the end of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, the palace was owned by the Earl of Thun-Hohenstein. In addition to noble residences, the house served charitable purposes. In the years 1786 to 1831, a newly founded Institute for Deaf-mute worked here in the rented premises of the second floor.

In the 20th century, the house was used for flats and shops, which led to insensitive interventions such as the penetration of the ground floor window cabinets. These modifications were removed by workers during a major reconstruction between 1989 and 1991. After privatisation, the building acquired its present form. At that time they cancelled the parking in the yard and adapted the premises for the needs of the law firm and social events. Today two halls and a courtyard serve for conferences and seminars.

Braun's house is an extraordinary proof of the building development of Prague's urban and noble architecture. His visit offers the opportunity to see where he formed one of the most important sculptors of the European Baroque and to appreciate the sensitive synthesis of historical styles in the context of New Town.