Kinský Palace (Prague)
Kinský Palace (Czech: Palác Kinských) is a former palace, now an art museum, located on Old Town Square in the Old Town area of Prague, Czech Republic. The palace's name refers to its former ownership by the Kinský noble family.
Kinský Palace | |
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Palác Kinských | |
Kinský Palace in 2006 | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Rococo |
Location | Prague, Czech Republic |
Current tenants | National Gallery in Prague |
Construction started | 1755 |
Completed | 1765 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer |
Website | |
ngprague.cz |
Early history
The palace was originally built for the Golz family between 1755 and 1765.[1][2] As a result, the palace is also known as Golz-Kinský Palace (Palác Golz-Kinských).
The building was designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer and is Rococo in style. The exterior is stucco and is painted in pink and white. There are statues by Ignaz Franz Platzer on the exterior, which are of the classical elements. In 1768, the Kinský family purchased the home from the Golz family.[2]
Franz Kafka's father, Hermann Kafka, was a haberdasher. He had his store at the palace, which was located on the ground floor. Franz Kafka attended secondary school at the palace, from 1893 until 1901.[1] In the interwar period, the palace housed the legation of the Republic of Poland (1922-1934).
Later history
The palace was used by Klement Gottwald in 1948 to address an audience from the palace's balcony. This took place in the final episode of the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état.[1][2]
Since 1949, the palace has been under the administration of the National Gallery, and the building is currently used as an art museum.[2]
See also
References
- Richard D. E. Burton (January 2003). Prague: A Cultural and Literary History. Signal Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-902669-63-2. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- Turp, Craig (2012). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Prague. London: DK Travel. ISBN 0756683998.
External links
Media related to Kinský Palace (Prague) at Wikimedia Commons - Official website