Karlova Avenue (today’s Seifertova) and Sladkovského náměstí

One of Žižkov’s two main streets was called after Charles IV in 1875.  The new name replaced the natural identification of the “Olšany road”, or “Death Road” due to its direction to the cemeteries. The road runs up from the U Bulhara junction via Sladkovského Square on towards Olšany. After the perpendicular Lipanská Street, its name changes to Táboritská. The present name commemorates the childhood and youth of an important writer, Jaroslav Seifert, spent in Žižkov and reflected in his memoirs, All the Beauties of the World, with colourful depictions of the lives of many Žižkov citizens.

The relatively cramped space of the Square boasts two significant buildings – the Neo-Renaissance building of the original lyceum, the first secondary school in Žižkov in 1898–1899 built to the design by architect Jindřich Motejl, and Žižkov’s largest church, the triple-nave Neo-Gothic St. Procopius Temple by architects Josef Mocker and Fran­tišek Mikš. It was completed in 1903 and has been a dominant for the wide surrounding area. However, the hidden space between the church and the school evokes memories largely unconnected to spiritual refinement – for Žižkov old-timers, “Come behind the church” was a cue for youths ready and willing to fight.  It was allegedly quite common during the dance classes traditionally held in the nearby Hotel Tichý dance hall.