Langweil's model of Prague

In Prague, you will find something unique that no other city in the world has, not even those that are much larger, more famous, or wealthier. Prague has a gateway to its past. It is called Langweil's Model, and it takes us into its streets, squares, nooks, and gardens from two hundred years ago. A city comes to life before our eyes in a three-dimensional, realistic, and colourful form, complete with houses that have not existed for a century or more. The paper model is the work of a diligent library clerk, Antonín Langweil (1791–1837), who thus fulfilled his dream of artistic self-realisation. In the mid-20th century, the work became part of the collections of the City of Prague Museum, where it remains a star exhibit. The book Langweil's Model of Prague / A Walk Through Prague Two Hundred Years Ago guides you through the individual parts of the city from the Old Town Square and other places in the Old Town, across the Lesser Town to Prague Castle and Hradčany. The commentary focuses on architecturally valuable structures, demolished buildings, the circumstances of urban transformation, and other interesting facts from two hundred years ago. This intimate encounter with the past offers not only an extraordinary experience but also a better understanding of the city's current form.

KATEŘINA BEČKOVÁ is a long-standing employee of the City of Prague Museum, curator of the historical photography collection and of Langweil's Model of Prague. After the book The Testimony of Langweil's Model of Prague (1996), which focused on interpreting the results of research into the life of Antonín Langweil, she now returns to the topic with a more detailed assessment of the topographical testimony of Langweil's work. JAN VRABEC works at the City of Prague Museum as a photographer and head of the digitisation department. In connection with the National Recovery Plan and the digitisation of cultural heritage, he also provides project management.