One of my objectives this past Sunday, with such beautiful sunshine was to climb Petřín and see all of the Hunger Wall. Something I had never done before. Therefore, here are several shots of Charles IV's Hunger Wall. The view from there was amazing.
The Hunger Wall(Hladova zed), dates from the 14th century. It was a long defensive wall going from Strahov Monastery across Petřín Park to Ujezd Ulice. 1200 meters remain from the original length of the wall. It is visible from many parts of Prague, especially during the winter. It is about 6 meters high and 2 meters thick. It served as a fortification protecting the southern part of the Lesser Town and Prague Castle, from 1362 to 1848; almost 500 years!
The Hunger Wall was built by order of the Holy Roman Emperor and Czech King Charles IV, between 1360 & 1362. It’s said that Charles IV built this wall with the aim to help the poor in a time of terrible famine. Poor people working on this structure got food for themselves and their families. Perhaps the first “social” program in history.
But most certainly, its building was a strategic move as well, as by building the Hunger Wall, Charles IV strengthened the city’s protection with a strong defensive wall and enlarged the protected area of Prague, so that the city could develop.
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