Humlův dům House

Welcome to Kampa, one of the most poetic corners of Prague's Little Party. You're standing in front of a building called Humlův dům, although many of you may know it under the name of Trnka's house. Stop for a moment, take a breath and feel the atmosphere of this place where the silent flow of the Devil meets the history of the old town. In front of you, you see a structure that fits perfectly into the historical core of this neighborhood and tells the story of changes in time, style and people who have found their home here.

Now let's go back in time to understand how this house came into being. More than two styles ago, this parcel, a piece of land you're standing on, was unbuilt. In the year of the six ministers of the twenty-ninth, this space was sold as a building plot, but the house was not standing right away. The first real impulse to build came only in the year of tyre seven hundred sixty-one, when a man named Matyah Hummel bought the construction site. He was the one who decided that there would be a building on the side of the Devil's Bank that would stand here for centuries. The construction itself took place in the years of seven hundred sixty-nine to seven hundred seventy-four. The first mention of the house as Hummle's property dates back to the year of the seven hundred and seventy-four, which means the completion of this ambitious project.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself. If you look at the front of the house, pay attention to its balance. Although the particular names of architects remained in oblivion, the result of their work is very interesting. The building represents a fascinating transition between two great styles. Notice the elements of the late Baroque, which is so typical of Prague by its dynamics and certain sense of grandeur, but at the same time you can see here the first signs of classicism. Classicism has brought with it more serenity, cleanliness and a stricter line. This transition from one style to another makes the house an architecturally remarkable object. Look at the facade line and see the older, richer expression intertwined here with a newer, more moderate approach. It's like watching a moment change in the course of history, written right in stone and plaster.

Now that you know the look of the house, let's explore who lived and formed in these walls. This house was not just an ordinary residence, it became a home for people who left a deep trail of culture and art in Prague. One of them was the famous actor Pavel Švanda ze Semčic. In a thousand and eight hundred and sixty-five, the house was specially adapted to suit its needs. Imagine how the voice of one of the most important theatrical subjects of his time sounded in these spaces, how discussions about art took place and how the atmosphere of Prague's cultural life was formed here.

But time went on and the house welcomed another important person. In the year nine hundred fifty-nine the artist Jiří Trnka purchased the building. For many of you, this connection with Trnka is the most important aspect of this place. Imagine the quiet peace of the studio, the focus of the creator and the magic of the puppets that were created here. The fact that such respected artists were based here gives the house special energy. It's not just a building made of stone and bricks, it's a place where creativity and talent have been humanized.

You might find one interesting thing that makes this house special. It's the combination of location and fate. Standing by the banks of the Devil, in the heart of Campa, means being in a place that has always been perceived as a little mysterious and turned away from the main urban rush. It was probably this calm that attracted those people who needed space for their creation and thought. It is fascinating to think that one and the mesma building could serve as a representative residence in the Baroque era, as a home for a theatre star in the deviant century, and finally as a refuge for a master of puppetry in the modern age.

Now, if you look at the house as a whole again, remember that you see the mirror of Prague history. From the original empty parcel to Matthias Hummle to Jiří Trnka. Each layer of time left its mark. Although the house does not act monumentally as a Prague castle, its value lies in this human dimension and in the stories of the people who inhabited it.

Now you can say goodbye to him and slowly move on to the back alleys of Little Party. I suggest you take a walk along the banks of the Chertovas and try to imagine what this place looked like when it was just beginning its Jiří Trnka or when Pavel Švanda ze Semčic went through it. Let the sounds of the river and the noise of the leaves guide you and discover other hidden corners of this beautiful city. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a wonderful rest of the trip to Prague.