Zbraslav
Encyclopedia
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The southernmost district of Prague, it lies on the Vltava
Vltava
The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running north from its source in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník...
River in the national administrative district (správní obvod) of Prague 16
Prague 16
Prague 16 is a municipal district in Prague. It is located in the south-western part of the city. It is formed by one cadastre Radotín...
.
The former independent municipality of Zbraslav is now one of two cadastral areas in the Prague-Zbraslav Municipal District (Městská část Praha-Zbraslav). The other is Lahovice.
Zbraslav was founded in 1118. In 13th century, the Bohemian king Wenceslas II founded here a cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
of monks of the Cistercian Order. The medieval cloister of Aula regia became the burial place of Bohemian kings.
In 1935, V. F. Bulgakov founded an important Russian museum here with collections dedicated to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n emigrants, but the museum was closed and confiscated by the Communists before 1948.
Zbraslav was merged into Prague in 1974. Today, it is a residential community and the home of the Chinese
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
and Japanese
Japanese art
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper and more recently manga, cartoon, along with a myriad of other types of works of art...
collections of the Czech National Gallery.
Zbraslav was also the residence of songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Jaromír Vejvoda
Jaromír Vejvoda
Jaromír Vejvoda was a Czech composer and the author of the "Beer Barrel Polka".-Life and work:...
(1902-1988), best known internationally for "The Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka
Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel, is a song which became popular worldwide during World War II. The music was composed by the Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda in 1927. Eduard Ingriš wrote the first arrangement of the piece, after Vejvoda came upon the melody and sought Ingriš's...
(Roll Out the Barrel)." Vejvoda's home is now a restaurant called Škoda Lásky with paraphernalia relating to the songwriter.
Area: 9.85 km²
Population: 10,000
Other important personalities
- Petr Žitavský (1270 – 1339), abbot of the Zbraslav cloister, politician and author of the Zbraslav Chronica, history of Bohemia in 13th and early 14th century.
- Vladislav VančuraVladislav VancuraVladislav Vančura was one of the most important Bohemian writers of the 20th century...
, famous novelist.