Prague’s 19th century model now online
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The Museum of Prague launched an online viewer allowing people to explore a detailed model of Prague created by Antonín Langweil between 1826 and 1837.
Langweil, who worked at Prague’s University Library, spent years recreating over 2,000 buildings in the Old Town, Malá Strana, Prague Castle, and the former Jewish Quarter at a scale of 1:480. He funded the project himself and did not finish it before his death.
The digital viewer lets users compare the city’s historic center as it appeared in the 19th century to its present-day appearance. This feature is especially revealing in areas that underwent redevelopment around the 20th century, as the model preserves the appearance of buildings that no longer exist. Researchers first created a digital version of the model in 2009 to aid in conservation and study.
The Museum of Prague then collaborated with the Institute of Planning and Development and the Czech Technical University to make the model accessible to the public, allowing people to view the detailed artwork without risking damage to the fragile original paper model.
