However, only two months before the planned event, Vaclav Havel’s Foundation for the development of Prague Castle refused to pay the debt of 5 million CZK, which was made by Hansjörg Müller The fire left the palace mercilessly damaged. The skyrockets were shot by local people, despite the ban on unauthorized fireworks which was introduced under the emperor Rudolph II. The emperor himself did not like noise and naturally he was afraid of fire, which led him to prohibit several times uncontrolled fireworks. However, the ban knew a response typical of the inhabitants of Czech lands. They all nodded their heads and kept shooting fireworks. Rudolph issued another ban but with no effect. Everybody shot fireworks at their pleasure and without permission.
The master in the fireworks discipline was Rudolph’s painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who , however, organized firework displays with the emperor’s permission. Nonetheless, drunks from Malá Strana and the Old Town shot at every occasion. Fireworks were mainly popular with noblemen and rulers who used them as a culmination point of various celebrations and historic moments. One of the most well-known fireworks were supposedly the one that was organized on the occasion of a concluded treaty in 1794 in Aachen. The fireworks were accompanied by an orchestra playing Music for the Royal Fireworks by George Fridrich Händel.
Fireworks as a theatre performance
Since little games with fireworks caused a good many fires, although not as big as the one in Martinic Palace, the establishment decided that in order to shoot fireworks a special licence would be needed. In spite of this, mainly in the 19th century, Prague could see a number of fireworks, which were mostly shot from Střelecký Island or from Kampa but also from Štvanice and Karlín.
This type of entertainment was, however, not free of charge, as fireworks at that time did not fly into the distance of 500 metres as they do now. It could rather be compared to some kind of theatre performance, various scaffoldings were built for the fireworks and in front of it, there were rows with seats for those visitors, who paid. At first, foreigners occupied themselves with the fireworks, later on also Austrians and Czechs. A person worth mentioning is Václav Novotný, a miller and a townsman living behind Ujezdská Gateway in Petřín. (His descendant Antonín became the director of the Prague City Museum during the First Republic). Václav Novotný obtained Barvířský Island (later called Žofín or Slovanský) and he asked the establishment for permission to shoot fireworks every time that there was an important feast day. In 1838 he obtained permission valid for three years. Some other Prague firework masters appeared as well: Karel Hořejší, Antonín Pavlovský or Antonín Krach.
The Army’s turn
The First Republic brought a new course of direction and fireworks were shot mainly on important state holidays. This was later taken over by the Communists and from 1950’s there were fireworks on 1st May, 7th November, 9th May and other similar days. At first, it was the army which organized the whole project, at the end of the totalitarian era, it was people from Barrandov, who could enter the preserve of light ammunition.
At that time, fireworks were shot literally from all the gun barrels, mainly in the 1950’s and 60’s the army ammunition was frequently used, signal rockets with little parachutes which became a welcomed trophey for both children and adults. Those, who were prepared, would come to such fireworks with a long rod, by means of which they tried to catch the parachute before other people could reach it.
Fireworks for everybody
Fireworks as real popular entertainment were not rehabilitated until after the year 1989. They were no longer shot just on significant days but also for various festive occasions. A very nice and spectacular fireworks display was organised e.g. at Christmas 1990, when Czech Christmas mass by Jan Jakub Ryba was played in Wenceslas Square. When Kühn’s Mixed Choir sang Narodil se Kristus Pán along with the whole square, silent fireworks were shot from the platform of the National Museum. It is a pity, that the tradition of the Mass and the fireworks only lasted until 1993.
In the 1990’s, a true revival of the fireworks tradition occurred. Anybody could afford them. It was possible to import pyrotechnic toys and they even started being made in our country in 1990, when the first batch of Czech signal rockets and crackers were made in Bojkovice’s state enterprise Zeveta. The new Czech rockets could fly as high as thirty metres. As early as in the 1990’s, on New Year’s Eve, the city centre always changed into a fireworks arena, where private businessmen competed to see whose ammunition was better.
After the revolution, Prague became a cultural centre of Europe, so it was no wonder that in 1993, the British Channel 4 decided to broadcast a tele-bridge of Prague, Cape Town, Dublin, from Krizik’s Fountain on the New Year’s Eve. And of course, the rich programme culminated with fireworks. Admission was 1499 CZK. Those who wanted to drink a toast paid 99 CZK for the drink.
Scandal in the Castle
Some fireworks in Prague also brought a scandal. It all started with a spectacular show in honour of the new illumination of Prague Castle. Financially, it was funded by the owner of the company LISA Concerts. In December 1995 he agreed to pay for a huge laser show and fireworks display, which culminated with the new illumination of St. Vitus Cathedral. The director of the company Lisa Concerts Hansjörg Miller invited prominent personalities including the president, government and diplomats and the night sky in Prague was light up with 400 rockets and several lasers. All this was sounded with a loudspeaker system with the power of 40 thousand Watts. Food stimulates appetite, so Hansjörg Miller announced that in 1996 he would organize the biggest fireworks display in Europe. These should have been taken care by the company AB Barrandov and Flash Special Effects, i.e. a company which is at present at the top of fireworks art. A laser show and music were also supposed to be a part of the show. All this was planned at his last show at St. Vitus Cathedral. The owner of Lisa Concerts ended up behind bars. Not only for his debt but also and mainly because he was prosecuted by the German police for fraud. So instead of organizing the fireworks, Mr Müller was brought to court in Germany. An interesting fact is, that although the Czech police knew from 6th December that Müller was prosecuted by their German colleagues, they did not arrest him until the end of December when he organized a banquet for the president and diplomats. Beside his debts, Müller also had a share in the jazz club in Železná Street. After his arrest, the club experienced some temporary problems.
A turn for the better
Finally, a happier ending had the big light show held on 1st September 1996 as the baptism of the new car model Škoda Octavia. A children’s afternoon was organized as part of the event with an entertaining programme with Miro Žbirka, Jiřina Bohdalová, Šárka Kašpárková and the music group Buty. It was followed by a film about Oktávia and a performance by Pavel Šmok’s Prague Chamber Ballet. One week later, Prague experienced more fireworks which concluded Michael Jackson’s megaconcert.
The year 1996 was interesting in terms of Prague fireworks displays also because the company Flash Barrandov appeared on stage more and more often. This company obtained third place in Hradec Králové Fireworks Festival. The first place was awarded to a company from Brno called Theatrum Pyroboli, Art Production 66 from Hradec came in second place.
Only partial ban
Another important fact in the history of Prague’s fireworks there was a ban on fireworks in Prague 1, in times of bird nesting. The decision did not come until the end of the year, so summer fireworks in 1997 might not have been so noisy but they could take place. The ban applied to the use of entertainment pyrotechnics of the first class (except reserved places outside the city centre and 31st December and 1st January). Entertainment pyrotechnics is commonly available in shops. The problem was that firework companies did not respect the ban much and they used pyrotechnics of second and third class. What is more, they shot fireworks from boats taking advantage of legal loophole relative to this practice. Since then, the situation has not changed. Only fireworks of fourth class are registered and authorised by the city, since it concerns explosives which can only be handled with the permission of the mining office board.
A remarkable number of songbirds nest in the city centre: greenfinches, goldfinches, serins, tits, and even nightingales. Birds are very sensitive to noise and they unnecessarily leave their nests and often do not return. Recently, however, not so many fireworks have been organized. Still, present times resemble the times of the reign of Rudolph II in some ways. People continue to nod their heads and break the ban anyway.
Flash at its peak
The end of 1990, in terms of fireworks, was characterized by the accession of Prague group Flash Barrandov to the leading position amongst fireworks companies. It won first prize at the festival Ignis Brunensis in 1998. Theatrum Pyroboli from Brno finished second and the third place was held by the group Art Production 66 from Hradec Králové. Praguers also won the prize of the Czech Radio Hudba Mezi Ohni for the best accompanying composition during the performance. Nowadays, each year, Flash carries out the fireworks from Letna which are supported by the City of Prague.
As far as fireworks are concerned, the first decade of the new millenium could be characterized by the word appeasement. Fireworks are big but not so numerous, which is a good thing – at least they will not become banal. In 2006, Wenceslas Square became another place of an organized New Year’s celebration. It was rented by TV Nova and the company Hvězdy na Vltavě. New Year’s Eve’s television transmission called Mejdan roku z Václaváku (Party of the Year in Wenceslas Square) was however much more attractive for television spectators than for those who actually came to Wenceslas Square.
Small fireworks were prepared for all the spectators above the National Theatre. It was historically the first live broadcast of a New Year’s Night. Also New Year’s Eve 2007 will be broadcast from Wenceslas Square by TV Nova. It seems that a new tradition has been founded and it is mainly up to the spectators whether this tradition will last. Private firework masters thus moved to Wenceslas Square, since New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the only two days when bangers and fireworks can be shot anywhere. Let’s just hope that there will be no fires as there once were.