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The Prague Cultural Center's history renews a charming and romantic tradition of over 107+ years of Exciting LIVE Music, Film & Dance in Prague.
Nestled in the heart of the theatre district and the very centre of beautiful Prague, it is being prepared for conservation, preservation and reconstruction and it is located in an historic Art Nouveau + 'classicism' building, right in the heart of Prague. Our new Prague Cultural Center brings back to life a 'tradition' in live music, film-music productions, and dance that extends back to the very earliest beginnings of the 20th Century. It was, without question, a difficult time for most people, but one which also inspired some of the world's greatest artists, writers, poets, and of course, composers and musicians, and newly successful business people, too.
In truth, the history of our beautiful building complex is all about its continuous use for culture and music for now over 107 Years(!), since its original dedication in 1903, and especially for Live Music, and then (later) for Film and Television Music, since 1943.
Long forgotten in the contemporary minds of today's Pragers and our visitors, at the start of the 21st Century, our beautiful facility is really composed of 5 interconnected buildings, 'pieces,' wings or sections.
All of this is focused around a spectacular and 'also long forgotten' garden now with huge, mature trees- and it is historically considered the original and realistically only 'Prague cultural center' that has ever existed or been built in the downtown/centre city since the beginning of the 20th Century - and now, that is nearly 110 years ago! (It includes an extremely rare (Centre City) early-19th Century 'Prague Garden House,' which is largely preserved [still, with its own garden], and which is maybe one of the last of its kind! It and its/'our' garden were clearly identified on the important and historic 'King's Map of Prague,' in the 1840s.)
- Interestingly, our historic and quietly elegant Ceremonial Rotunda, and the former music garden restaurant/'kavarna' and garden house, have the only access to this wonderful, forgotten and hidden garden (which clearly 'belonged' to the early 19th century Prague Garden House) - and all of this is literally a few steps from "The Horse" and its rider, the historic patron saint of the Czech Lands, Saint Wenceslas, at the top of Prague's beautiful and famous Wenceslas Square.
- Retired 'Pragers,' in their 70's+ have told us that, when they were small children, before World War II, our garden music restaurant and 'kavarna' were so popular, that there were lines of people waiting for a garden table - to hear the music, have a beverage+snack and enjoy the afternoon, and that the patient lines of Pragers and visitors who were waiting for a table, stretched as far as to the street, down through our Rotunda - and under the dramatic 1903 Skylight, on nice summer days! It must have been lovely! ...and... It will be, again ...for you!
- Perhaps surprisingly for us is the sheer scope of a community cultural facility that was planned in hand drawn and colored designs made in 1900. Happily for us, the original hand-drawn designs were personally signed and stamped by the famous Prague architect, Alfons Wertmuller as his personal designs (and were presumably drawn by him, as well as certain clearly 'minor' sections of the buildings which were drawn and signed also by members of his supporting local staff). In his plan for this 'new' Prague cultural center, Wertmuller had envisioned a successful and really large centre-city facility (even by today's standards) with live music, dancing and other recreational activities, including billiards - which were very popular in the new 'hot' Prague kavarnas / coffee houses of the period around 1900. They planned for a 100% privately financed and self financing, 'community cultural center' - and ultimately it was self sufficient and very successful until World War II, when the Nazis demanded that it be closed down as a 'security risk' to their largely unpopular regime in 'occupied' Czechoslovakia, under the so-called German 'protectorate.'
- Back in 1900, it is thought that Wertmüller, himself, by then 'partially retired,' had paid for a lot of construction and decorations of the cultural facility, himself, and it is especially noteworthy that he was both "architect and builder" - a exceedingly -rare- combination in those times, over a century ago. Included were a large Music Garden Restaurant and 'Music Kavarna,' and a separate and -featured- 'Beer and Wine Bar' at the street entrance. Amusingly, perhaps, they were 'fully prepared' for hot Prague summer days and lots of guests, as we would joke today, with 2 Big Ice Cellars, 2 Big Beer Cellars and a dedicated Wine Cellar for true connoisseurs! (...and all of this, in the 'old days,' and well over 1/2 a century before any restaurants had ice machines, obviously!) Much earlier in his career in 1888 - and before he had built 30 theatres around Central and Eastern Europe, Wurtmuller had been the supervising architect and chief construction engineer who built the famous Prague State Opera House, (former 'New German Theatre"), when he had worked with the achitectural firm of Fellner and Helmer of Viennna, and had built it in only 18 months - when heavy construction was still done largely by hand! Even decades later, during construction of our cultural center in 1900-1903, such heavy construction work was still largely 'hand work;' and it was usually done with construction workers' own shovels, hand trowels, and old tools, with their own brushes and spatulas, and with very tired hands, of course...
...So, 'WHY' was this early cultural center built in Prague?
Interestingly, it was our facility that was the unique, and purpose-built cultural center for the emerging 'new middle class' of local people who worked in shops, businesses and small family companies, then starting to grow in number at the turn of the 20th Century in Prague. In contrast, another so called 'cultural center,' -a misnomer, by today's standards- was really a pair of buildings reconstructed in the 1870's as the German Casino and German House. Rapidly, it a 'lightning rod' for protests against the historic Viennese occupation of the Czech lands, for many, it was a constant symbol of the Austrian Empire's occupation and control over the Czech cultural heritage and life, in general - as well as a reminder that the Austrians and Germans controlled most of the profitable businesses - much to the frustration and annoyance of the native Czechs, who themselves started a simmering protest movement against the Austrian occupation. Certainly, today, in the early 21st Century, we would not consider what was a private casino for rich Austrian and German businessmen as general cultural facility for 'typical' people. Truly, at the start of the 20th Century, the 'German Casino' was not politically popular and was at the center of a political movement to re-create a Czech cultural heritage facility in the Czech lands.
Hence it is all-the-more interesting that an Austrian group of what, in our time, we would call more 'civic minded' businessmen - in cooperation with a Prague (German-Czech) architect friend of theirs (who had spent much of his professional career working with some of them), would plan and build a classy facility for average, working class Pragers, directly next to Wenceslas Square - and hence, in one of the most prestigious locations in the country.
As most people know, Prague is famous for music. MOZART KNEW, too, about the fantastic musicians here in Prague! "Why do you think Mozart moved to Prague to work?" Yes, he came to compose his music and do concerts in Prague! At the beginning of the 20th Century, those local and regional businessmen agreed that there was a new public interest in dancing halls, and that building really opulent dance halls could be a good business case. Certainly there was never a shortage of wonderful musicians in Prague! Their analysis was being made years before cinemas became a viable business case, and people in the capital city of Prague wanted somewhere to go with their 'nearest and dearest" for a fun time. [The famous Paramount film studios, the 1st great studios, were not even launched in Hollywood until 1907.]
Some 49 years ago, it was decided to work to get the long forgotten and very European music center building ("someday"), which had been confiscated by the Nazis at the start of World War II, and reconstruct it and reopen it to the public as a truly European Music Center. The wait has been very long, and finally, almost 21 years after the 1989 Velvet Revolution which finally brought freedom to the former Czechoslovakia, the beautiful cultural and music center building was finally privatized in a final decision by the Czech court system. After numerous years of preparatory negotiations to buy it from the former state company which applied and finally has received it in 'restitution' (although it was only 'assigned to them' to use during Nazi occupation and later during socialism), the property is now being purchased to become the long planned European Music Center < EuropeanMusicCenter.com > It is anticipated to start its reopening process in the spring and summer of 2011, although the famous music recording studio for film and more recently for TV, CDs, DVDs etc., has been in continuous operation since 1943.
By 1900, Prague was vibrant, rich and growing as an economy; and had a significant number people in a growing, independent and relatively educated middle class 'now' had money to spend on free time activities. Small businesses were growing in number, rapidly, particularly small, family owned and operated ' atelier' type businesses started adn run by friends. This was their target market of potential customers for leisure time activities. Does this sound like a 'familiar business case' from another century, long ago?
Our cultural center was built as a contemporary and Luxurious Dance Hall, with all the modern decorations of the height of the Art Nouveau era of the beginning of the 20th Century. An eclectic piece of Art Nouveau and Classicism, our center was functional, successful, popular - hence "fun," and financially self-supporting - until it was closed down by the Nazis at the start of World War II. At the time of its construction, there was also a 'building boom' going on in the capital of high class buildings in the new style. Prague was rich and getting richer, at the turn of the 20th Century and over a decade before The Great War of 1914-1918.
...Were these 'cultural houses' basically the same, or were they unique?
They were very different from one another and reflected the two competing architectural and artistic thematic styles of the time. They were built on opposite sides of what was planned as a T-shaped city core of two wide streets (today, largely a wide pedestrian zone, still in the T form). It is about a 10 minute walk from one to the other.
Our Prague Cultural Center in its original form was truly elegant, more western, more Germanic, and had a magnificent Ceremonial Rotunda, with gorgeous modern' Czech chandeliers. There were luxurious red carpets everywhere and brass carpet rails along the magnificent 'Grand Staircase' 'to keep the carpets nice,' and a full balcony (the width of the building) looking over the entire dance hall and other dancers, for lovers with tired feet, etcetera. Tremendous mirrors were everywhere!
- Personally Designed + Built by the renowned (German Czech) Prague architect, Alfons Wertmuller, it was, perhaps, the 'signature piece' (1900-1903) of his own illustrious career during which he designed 30 other theatres that were built throughout the Czech lands. Much earlier, in 1888, Wurtmuller had been one of the 4 great architects who had built the famous Prague State Opera House, (former 'New GermanTheatre").
Our Ceremonial Rotunda, our magnificent staircases with their distinctive and elegant decorative railings, other gorgeous decorations, and many other lovely things are still here, and will be conserved and lovingly restored for your enjoyment, of course!
Both cultural centers had their own 'high class' cafe-restaurants to cater to lovers(!), and 'their' obvious need to have some 'private time,' sitting down and something nice to eat or drink together! This was a rather new, but well loved Prague 'tradition' emerging at the time, and it was considered a necessary 'must-have' for an elegant dance hall designed to get the creme de la creme of Praggers and international visitors in 1903!
...Where were they built?
Our Prague Cultural Center complex was built just off of Wenceslas Square, and just a few steps away, in fact.
The other cultural center, once known as The German Casino and German House, was built on the present day pedestrian zone, almost at the end of its street, and steps from where is now Municipal House, built five years after our cultural center building complex was inaugurated. The other cultural center has changed a lot, in recent years, having been reconstructed into a high-end mini shopping center with a cinema, nice restaurants and office spaces. Today, it's former garden is mostly functional concrete, has a summer cafe-bar and provides access to shops & offices in surrounding buildings.
...Who would build them at the start of the 20th Century?
Interestingly, both cultural centers were apparently privately built, without state or city money. When you will see The Prague Cultural Center after our conservation and reconstruction work, you will be able to imagine how wonderful this was at the time (some 5 years before the magnificent Municipal House was built with City of Prague public money). In parallel, you will be able to imagine that it cost tremendous money at the time to build the core design elements of our beautiful building complex- and all with private money, too! It was a huge financial risk, but a carefully calculated business risk at the turn of the 20th Century in Prague.
...What is our cultural centre used for now?
The largest space in our building complex is being used continuously for over 62 years as an International Film Music Recording Studio, itself known as the famous Smecky Studio. The music for many of your favorite blockbuster films is recorded here. Great HOLLYWOOD film studios like SONY, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm and many many others, as well as wonderful romantic BOLLYWOOD films, too, and also many French, UK and Chinese film production companies all record here for the films you love! We also do CDs and DVDs by the biggest labels in the classical and jazz music worlds, and we record the spectacular video game music many of you love for the biggest names in Video Games and for all the major producers of game consoles in the world.
...'When Can I See It,' you will ask?
While we are only just beginning, we will be re-opening the building in phases, so 'YES,' we will be doing Free Historic Tours of the property, as staff time permits.
...'Do you have any old photos of our center or old Wenceslas Square and its neighborhood, or of Slovanske dum?
Maybe it is just an old coffee house photo, and 'maybe from Prague or Vienna,' but you just don't know where it is from.
Can you scan them and email them to us please for our Prague Film Music Museum?
We are building documentation for our reconstruction and the museum, and we would love your help, please. Many Thanks! |
TM
