The history of four government buildings in Prague is mapped out in a new book

Prague - The history of four government buildings in Prague is documented in a new book titled "Straka Academy, Kramář Villa, Liechtenstein Palace, Hrzán Palace," which was launched today in Kramář Villa by Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek. This is the first comprehensive publication about the four palaces that currently serve the needs of the government office, said its authors - photographer Herbert Slavík and art historian Filip Wittlich. The publication is released to mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia this year.
According to Topolánek, the book represents a unique opportunity to get acquainted with places where the history of Czech statehood has unfolded. The historical palaces, which had long remained without investment, have undergone extensive renovations in recent years. Since 2006, the government has been trying to gradually make them accessible to the public, hosting various excursions and exhibitions. This is also related to the initiative to publish a book about government buildings.
The publication contains over 300 color and black-and-white photographs, which photographer Slavík collected over six months. He took the majority of them himself; the rest comes from various archives. "Some of the photos had to be preserved and rescued, as they were damaged in the flood in 2002," he stated. One of them is reportedly a rare photograph from 1896, which captures the then-under-construction Straka Academy. The book also shows how the inscription on the back of the photograph soaked into the image during the flood five years ago.
The photographs are accompanied by expert commentary on the history of the buildings, authored by Wittlich. Each chapter in Czech is supplemented with an English translation. According to Wittlich, the current government buildings are very valuable historical objects. For example, on the site of Hrzán Palace, there stood the residence of Peter Parléř in the 14th century - the builder of St. Vitus Cathedral. As per Wittlich, the Liechtenstein Palace from the 17th century and the Neo-Baroque building of Straka Academy also have fascinating histories.
The youngest government building that the book addresses is Kramář Villa. It was commissioned in 1914 by Karel Kramář, the later first Czechoslovak Prime Minister. Since December 18, 1998, it has served as the official residence of Czech prime ministers. In the 700-square-meter villa, Kramář had 56 rooms built. The complex also includes two smaller houses for staff. The garden is designed in the style of a French park. The villa was lavishly furnished from the outset. For instance, Karel Kramář's study had a ceiling height of 7.5 meters and a desk covered in buffalo leather.