Dům U Hybernů Theatre building

Welcome to the heart of our historic metropolis. Right now, listening to these words, you're standing in a place where the past meets the present and where every brick and every line of the building tells the story of human needs and urban life. Look around you at the surrounding streets and feel the strange atmosphere of Prague's first district, which is so close to the square of the Republic. In front of you is a building that looks very noble and peaceful, but its true nature is much more dynamic than it might seem. It's a place that constantly changes its face to match the time it's in.

Let's go back deep into the past together to understand where this house comes from. Its roots are not only perceptible as an ordinary building, but as a place of deep spiritual significance. It all began in six hundred and fifty-two, when a baroque building intended for divine service was built here. Specifically, the Church of Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This space was home to Irish Franciscan back then. These scholars and monks brought their own culture and tradition to Prague, which later significantly influenced the name of this place. Those Irish brothers are the key to understanding the identity of this house.

At a time when Prague grew and changed its political and religious tensions, the monastery had undergone great changes. In the year seven hundred and eighty-five a decision was made, which had to be difficult for the local community at that time - the monastery of Irish Franciscan was abolished. With this end of the old order came the need to find a whole new direction for the building. The building was no longer just a place of prayer, but it became part of the civilian life of the city.

Now pay attention to the very form of the building you are currently observing. If you look at her facade, you'll see a trail of an entirely different era. Although the Baroque church originally stood here, what you see now is the result of a large and strong reconstruction that took place in the early nineteenth century. Between eight hundred eleven and eight hundred thirteen, there was a real architectural revolution. The building was transformed into a style called Empire, which brought to Prague a new measure of elegance, order and tranquility.

This new look is not a work of chance but a result of the work of very competent architects. At that time, Josef Zobel and Georg Fischer joined this project, working with a Vienna master named Louis Montoyer. Their task was to create a space that was modern for its time and dignified at the same time. Thanks to their work, the building has acquired the current, balanced look you perceive in it. Looking at the walls and the line of the building you can see the effort for purity of shapes and harmony that is so typical of this style. It is an architecture that does not act loudly, but rather emits certainty and stability.

But the history of this place is full of unexpected twists. After the monastic life disappeared, the building served completely different purposes that the monks of the seventeenth century might not have expected. For some time there was a customs office, a place where taxes and goods were dealt with within the city. Later, space transformed into an exhibition hall where people came to watch new things and cultural trends. So we saw how the sacred place became both administrative and commercial.

In these events, the names of the important figures that relate to Prague and its history are constantly moving. Although this particular house was built much later than the time of the great king Charles the fourth, this whole neighborhood is deeply rooted in the history that he has laid. Over the centuries, people who formed Prague society have moved around here, and even though their lives have intertwined with the different functions of this house, they were all part of the same great story fabric of the city.

You may now be interested in one interesting thing that links the name of this place to its ancient past. Why is it called Dům U Hybernů? The answer lies in those Irish Franciscan. The word hyberne is an old mark for Ireland. It is precisely because the Irish brothers lived here that this place was written in the people's memory by that name. It is a beautiful example of how the religious identity of one group of people can turn into a permanent name for a place that can survive even their very presence.

So how did this house become what it is today? After years of service as customs and exhibition space, there was another big change. In the year two thousand and six, space reopened to the general public, but this time in a completely different form. Today it is a modern musical theatre that brings music, dance and emotion to this historic part of town. It's fascinating how the roles of the church, monastery, customs and theatre can alternate in one building. Each era has left an invisible mark in the atmosphere you're feeling.

Now that you know the secret of this place, I suggest you look at its walls again, this time with a new consciousness. Feel the interplay between Empire elegance and the historical depth you find here. Let yourself be carried away by the feeling that you are standing in a place that never stops growing and changing.

Thank you for spending this moment with us and discovering the secrets of the House of Hyberns. We hope that this view of the past has helped you better understand the beauty of our Prague. We wish you a pleasant continued walk through the city full of other constant surprises. Goodbye.