The day Prague became an Imperial City
450 years ago, on September 22, 1575, Rudolf II was crowned King of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral. What was meant to be a triumphal event turned into a rushed and awkward affair. Yet it was at that moment that the story began of one of the most significant rulers who gave Prague its unmistakable character.
Rudolf II was born the second son of Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain. After the death of his elder brother Ferdinand, he became heir to the Habsburg crowns. He first visited Prague as a ten-year-old boy in 1562, when his father was crowned King of Bohemia. The triumphant entry into the city left a deep impression on him. That made it all the more disappointing when, thirteen years later, his own coronation took place.
Preparations for the ceremony were rushed. Rudolf had been accepted as King of Bohemia on September 5, and the coronation was scheduled for September 22. The city had no time to stage the grand spectacle the young ruler remembered from his childhood. Wooden stands filled St. Vitus Cathedral, but many people could not get inside at all. Rudolf had to recite the ceremonial oath in Czech, a language unfamiliar to him. So it had to be read out for him and he repeated the words, before the St. Wenceslas Crown was placed upon his head.
The ceremony concluded with a feast that also failed to impress. Missing were the knightly games, dances, and theatrical performances that usually accompanied a coronation. According to contemporary chronicles, people left with the impression that this had been an unusually meager coronation.
The Emperor who gave Prague new splendor
Although Rudolf’s coronation was lackluster, his relationship with Prague gradually deepened. After his father’s death in 1576, he formally became ruler and at first resided in Vienna, as was customary for emperors. In 1583, however, he chose to move to Prague—not only because of the threat of Turkish attacks on Vienna, but also due to his personal fondness for the city, which he described as “the foremost seat of His Imperial Majesty.”
Thus Prague became the imperial residence of the Holy Roman Emperor—for the last time in history, if we do not count Ferdinand I and V "the Benign", who moved there only after his abdication in the 19th century.
During Rudolf’s reign, Prague Castle underwent extensive Renaissance reconstruction. The city, which had preserved much of its Gothic appearance, was transformed into a European metropolis:
The present-day Second Courtyard and the New Royal Palace were built
A lion’s court was established in the Royal Garden
The famous Golden Lane also dates from Rudolf’s era
Rudolf II gave Prague its unique character—as a patron of art, science, and architecture, he transformed it into a center of European culture.
