Many historians are of the opinion that it was a foregone conclusion and it wasn’t important who would win. Their proof is the year1968 when, apart from shows of sympathy, no one was ready to come to help the endangered Czechoslovakia. Whatever the situation was, it is true that after the May 1945 so called socialist parties gained the upper hand. These were the National Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the strongest one was the Communist Party. The only none-socialist party was the People’s Party. Other parties that functioned during the First Republic and later on collaborated with Germans (such as the Party of Farmers and Peasants) were banned.

Klement Gottwald and the whole government flew to Prague already on 9 th May. The Communist Václav Vacek became the first Mayor of Prague. He appealed to citizens to start with the cleaning of the city because there were still barricades in the streets… Cleaning was done also by captive Germans and German citizens. The first factories started working in Smíchov and Karlín, people were coming back from concentration camps. As soon as the 19 th May, the President Edvard Beneš issued a decree about the transfer of property belonging to Germans (who were written with small “n” at this time), Hungarians, collaborators and some organisations into national administration. In the end of May the elections to local national committees (town halls) started. The first one took place in Břevnov and was public.

After the end of elections, Mayor and his deputies were instated. On the basis of political agreement, the leader of the National Socialist Party Petr Zenkl became Prague’s Mayor and as deputy Mayors two Communists were nominated, two Social Democrats and to further balance the power also one National Socialist.

The post war enthusiasm was inexhaustible. People volunteered for various jobs and of course there have also been many various meetings that were a good excuse for political agitation. For example on 1 st July 1945 there was a national manifestation in Hvězda Park that was carried under the motto: “We will redeem the battle at the White Mountain”. Fourteen days later on 15 th June, the “Day of happiness” took place where Klement Gottwald had a speech. Shortly afterwards at the current square Kinských a tank, T 34, was installed and the square was renamed to the Soviet Tankists Square. People happily welcomed nationalization of big companies.

In September 1945 the Vice Mayor and German citizen J. Pfitzner was sentenced to death and executed. Some executions were carried out in public, such as the execution of K. H. Frank in May 1946. It is quite interesting that in spite of all economic problems, the talks about the foundation of metro started in the end of 1945. The idea was suggested by the management of Electric Railways Company. The project was designed between 1939 and 1942 with top specialist from Czech machine works participated on it.

On 1 st December 1945 the withdrawal of the Soviet Army troops from Prague was finished. Both President Edvard Beneš and General Ludvík Svoboda took part on the last farewell and the city gradually returned to normal life. The election for the National Assembly was scheduled for the end of May 1946 and therefore all events including the restoration of the city life were influenced by political agitation. The elections only validated what everyone had already suspected. Communists won 38 percent of voices (in Prague 36) and became the strongest party in the National Assembly. According to the results of the election, there were also changes made in the Prague town hall (the Central National Committee of Prague)and Communist Václav Vacek became a Mayor.

The year 1946 was a year of the return to normality. The development of Karolinum started. It went on until 1950 and during the process architect Jaroslav Fragner restored dilapidated parts. It wasn’t however until 1969 that Karolinum gained its final appearance. It was in this year that the entrance with the fountain facing the Fruit Market was finished. Many changes happened in public transport and these significantly influenced the life of the city. In the end of 1946 the for a long time insufficient chain-bridge Milan Rostislav Štefánik Bridge was pulled down. It was temporarily replaced by a wooden bridge. When the new bridge was finished it was named after Jan Šverma who was a Communist who died during the Slovak National Uprising and who was in 1945 was declared as a national hero by the President Edvard Beneš.

The year 1947 started with pomp. In February the World Championship in ice hockey took place for the first time in Prague. In Štvanice a wooden stadium was built that is now listed and our team won a golden medal. Prague was gradually growing. In Pankrác grew a bus station that doesn’t exist any more and which used to serve for the connection with neighbouring cities. A system of rationing still worked in the city. So called food tickets were issued and distributed and the biggest scandal of that time was when a secret printing house of fake food tickets was discovered in Břevnov. This is was also mentioned in one episode of the TV series called “Thirty cases of Major Zeman”.

Prague was at that time divided into twenty districts of administration. The twentieth district came into being by separating of Strašnice, Hostivař and Zahradní Město in the end of 1947. In the same year it was also decided about the fate of the burned part of the Old Town Hall. The building was pulled down giving rise to the space that still exists at the Old Town Square and that is up to this day challenging city leaders and architects to a suitable solution. It is interesting that the Myslbek’s sculpture Devotion stood at this very place for some time. This sculpture is currently located in the hall of the Charles University’s Faculty of Law. Another shock to Prague’s architecture was the demolition of the Art Noveau gate that used to stand in the Prague’s Exhibition Ground. This place was later renamed to the Julius Fučík Park of Culture and Leisure (PKOJF) and afterwards it was nicknamed as Fučpark or Fučíkárna. Architect Jiří Kroha adapted the exhibition ground for the purpose of the Slavic Agricultural Show. The first post-war housing estate in Strašnice called Solidarity was also built in this time and curiously enough in spite of the lingering material shortage, it is still there. Development of other housing estates started in Vršovice and Kobylisy. Another achievement was the development station Smíchov which began to serve the public in 1945.

Political unrest was apparent as early as in 1947. People resisted the nationalisation which encroached on many property rights. In January 1948 share holders of the Prague’s company Orion achieved from the Supreme Court a resolution that annulled the nationalisation of the company. Trade unions headed by Communists immediately opposed the decision. The government was under pressure and in the end it didn’t validate the court’s decision and announced that the company will have a national management. The government created a bloc that didn’t want to cooperate with Communists any more. However, the following February days meant the end of the democratic Czechoslovakia. A not a very good tactic of anti Communist’s ministers put the President Beneš into a similar situation as in 1938 when he had to decide about the fate of the country. Part of university students expressed their support by demonstrating at Prague Castle. They were dispersed by police who were already controlled by Communists. After various actions such as the general strike, meeting of work’s committees of big companies and creation of People’s Militia (Communists’ armed body) Gottwald finally achieved what he had be aiming for. On 25 th February he came to Wenceslas Square and started his speech with famous words: I’ve just returned from Prague Castle where I saw the President…

President Beneš accepted the resignation of none-Communist ministers. Action committees of the National Front were created in other political parties and these agreed to cooperation with Communists and later also agreed to the formation of the united list of candidates for the National Front’s election that took place in May 1948. In the end, ninety three percent of citizens gave their voice to this united list of candidates…

Before that the National Committee of Prague also underwent a change. Out of hundred representatives 45 were Communists, 15 Social Democrats, 15 members of the People’s Party and 12 National Socialists. Representatives of resistance organisations, trade unions and youth also became members of the Committee. In June the Communist Party merged with the Social Democratic Party.

President Edvard Beneš resigned on 2 nd June and died in the beginning of September 1948. His funeral was the last occasion to demonstrate desire for democracy. However those who orchestrated the funeral didn’t leave anything to chance and any kind of demonstration protests were impossible. Gottwald had a speech in which he even mentioned the first president Masaryk…

Change in politics influenced the appearance of Prague. Streets were renamed. The Peter I Square (currently I.P.Pavlova) became October Square, Estates Theatre was renamed to Tyl Theatre (the actual Tyláček in Nusle became Music Theatre). Already in 1948 was decided that Prague will build a monument of J.V.Stalin. There were also some positive undertakings. The Old Town Astronomical Clock was put into service and the government decided to restore Bethlehem Chapel and to found the Museum of Alois Jirásek and Mikoláš Aleš at Prague Castle. Mind you even those decisions were partially political. Eventually Electric Company ceased to exist and on 1 st January 1949 was replaced by the Prague Public Transit Company. But this is already a part of different story.

Oskar Exner