Venue
Address
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
House for Professed
Lesser Town square 25, Prague 1
in Czech: Malostranské náměstí 25, Praha 1
Directions
Map
Some notes on the House for Professed
Back to top Jitka Zichová, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University PragueThe building is situated in the centre of Lesser Town, a historic quarter under the Prague Castle, the seat of the sovereigns of the Czech State for one thousand years. In 1556, the Society of Jesus came to Prague. Their college Klementinum was included in the University existing since 1348. The Jesuits built in the 17th century in the main square of Lesser Town so called House for Professed, the seat of the most important representatives of the Order. The plans of the building elaborated by Italian architects are now preserved in the National Library in Paris.
A gem of Prague baroque, St Nicholas Church, was adjoined to the House for Professed in the 18th century by father and son Dienzenhofer, the leading personalities of Czech baroque architecture. After the death of W. A. Mozart, a Requiem was performed there. Thousands of people came to say the last goodbye to the composer who felt deep love to Prague and met with understanding here. The music has always been present in the church, recently in various concerts.
Mathematics returned to Lesser Town square several times in the past. Jan Šindel, a mathematician and astronomer, who had taught at a school in this place in the 15th century, became later rector of the University of Prague. He is known as the constructor of the famous astronomical clock on the façade of the Old Town Hall, which is one of the most attractive sights of the city.
In the 18th century, a large library with thousands of books including a lot of mathematical ones created an important part of the House for Professed. Some Fathers Jesuits were professors of this branch at the University. They founded a mathematical museum in the Klementinum college, the first museum open to the public in the Czech Lands. We can say that the Jesuits were the only scientists interested in mathematics at that time.
After the suppression of the Jesuite Order in 1773, the House for Professed had become property of the Habsburg Monarchy, which located the Provincial Court there. After establishing the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, the basement of the building was housing the golden treasure of the new state. In the years of the 2nd world war, the house was used by German army. Later on, its rooms passed on the University. The section Informatics of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics resides here now.
After the year 2000, the building underwent a costly renovation. The Conference and Social Centre „House for Professed“ including a charming restaurant in the basement of the building was opened in 2006. The following inauguration of the reconstructed refectory adorned with splendid ceiling paintings and adapted for concerts, conferences and graduation ceremonies can be considered as the accomplishment of this restoration process which renewed the original beauty of the building.
