dům U Zlatého slona Tenement house

The Golden Elephant House, located on the corner of the Old Town Square, Long Classes and Týnská Street in Prague 1, is a Neo-Baroque building built in 1905. It is a protected cultural monument since 1958, which attracts attention to its eclectic architecture combining elements of Baroque and Renaissance styles. The house is important not only for its location in the center of the historic Old Town, but also for rich history dating back to the 14th century.

The history of the Golden Elephant House is a long series of property changes and architectural reconstructions. The first written owner was Franca Rokczaner around 1357, followed by Cuncz Long (Kunc Long), who chose his name by street. In 1428 the house is mentioned in the chronicle of Bartoška of Drahonice and a year later it becomes the place of a tragic event when Hussite's captain Hynek of Kolstejn was found dead after the villain Makowec killed him and thrown him out the window into the yard. This history suggests that the house has served as an inn since the Middle Ages.

In 1629 Kateřina Ludmila Dvoříková, a born Countess Šliková, bought the house and after that other owners took turns. Václav Josef Count Sugar of Tamfeld and his wife Maria Anna of Trauttmansdorffu-Weinsberg rebuilt the house in 1719 to a late Baroque style, which is evident in the facade and the statue of the Atlanta carrying an arch. After their death, the property was transferred to their son Jan Erasma Cukra of Tamfeld.

In the 19th century, the Jewish merchant Moses Koppelmann Latch lived in the house with his wife Barbora, who after their death without offspring transferred the property to the Jewish community. In 1902 the house was sold to the city of Prague and in 1904 it was demolished as part of the rendering of old Prague, when Gothic elements were discovered as stone ribs of vaults and painted beams of ceilings.

The new dům U Zlatého slona was built in 1905 according to the design of architect František Schlaffer. The three-storey building with the fourth floor in the Mansard roof is characterized by its eclectic architecture, which combines baroque and Renaissance elements. The facade to the Old Town Square is adapted to the neighboring house U black ball, while the main facade to the Long Class is decorated with two fields of wall paintings. One of them depicts Hussite's captain Hynek from Kolstejn in a duel with the attackers, the second coming of George of Podebrad to election king.

Since 1958, the house has been protected as a cultural monument. In the years 1958- 1993, parts of the premises and the court were used by the Funeral Institute of the City of Prague, where the restaurant of the lowest price group was located on the ground floor. After 1968, there were dissidents and other poor guests who called the inn "The coffins.".

Today dům U Zlatého slona is an important monument not only for its history, but also for architectural value. Its location on the corner of three streets makes it dominant in remote views from nearby streets. For tourists and locals, this is where history and modernity meet, making it worth visiting.

The Golden Elephant House represents not only architectural value, but also a rich history of changes and owners. Its existence is a testament to the development of modern Prague and the rendering of old parts of the city. For visitors it offers an opportunity to explore the history of Old Town from the perspective of one of its most characteristic monuments.