Church of St. Martin in the Wall

The Church of St. Martin in the Wall is one of the oldest surviving churches in Prague's Old Town, tucked between the surrounding townhouses so unassumingly that many visitors walk past without realizing it once changed the course of Bohemian religious history.

Why is it called "in the Wall"?

The church was founded between 1178 and 1187 to serve Újezd, a settlement that at the time stood outside the city proper. When Prague's Old Town fortifications were built in the 13th century, the church's southern wall was incorporated directly into the town's defensive wall — giving the building the name it still carries today. The surrounding settlement itself came to be known as Újezd of St. Martin, after the church's patron saint.

How did the building take its current shape?

The original Romanesque structure was gradually enlarged as the parish grew. Under the reign of Charles IV, the floor level was raised, the vaulting heightened, a new ribbed-vault chancel was added to the nave, and the tower was completed in 1358. The church reached its present late-Gothic form only in 1488, when a final reconstruction was funded by the Holec family, wealthy utraquist burghers from Květnice.

What makes this church historically significant?

The defining moment in the church's history came in the autumn of 1414. Here, Jakoubek of Stříbro — a close associate of Jan Hus — administered communion to lay worshippers under both kinds, bread and wine, for the first time in centuries. Until then, the wine had been reserved for clergy alone. That single act launched the chalice as the enduring symbol of Hussitism and Bohemian utraquism. Because it remained a utraquist church, St. Martin's survived the turbulent Hussite Wars largely intact, unlike many of the city's Catholic churches.

What happened to the church afterward?

A fire in 1678 damaged the upper section of the tower, which was subsequently rebuilt. A far harder blow came in 1784: Emperor Joseph II, after inspecting the church in person, judged it dark, damp and dilapidated, and ordered it closed. Deconsecrated, the building spent well over a century in secular use — as storage space, shops, and even residential apartments.

It wasn't until the early 20th century that the city of Prague bought the neglected building and carried out a thorough restoration in 1905–1906, under architect Kamil Hilbert, returning the church to religious use.

Who uses the church today?

The building now belongs to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, one of the largest Protestant communities in the Czech Republic, whose reformist roots trace back to the very events that unfolded here more than six centuries ago. Thanks to its intimate acoustics, the church also regularly hosts chamber music concerts.

Where is it, and how do you get there?

The church sits in Prague's Old Town, right by Martinská street, within easy walking distance of Karlovo náměstí (Charles Square) area landmarks and Národní třída — placing it firmly within the historic core, close to most of the Old Town's main sights.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the church? Yes, the church is generally open to visitors on most days, though as an active place of worship and concert venue, it's worth checking current opening hours before visiting.

Why is it called "in the Wall"? Because its southern wall formed part of the medieval fortification wall that once encircled Prague's Old Town.

What historical event made this church famous? In 1414, Jakoubek of Stříbro gave communion under both kinds to lay believers here for the first time, an act that gave rise to the Hussite chalice as a lasting religious symbol.

Is the church Catholic today? No — it has long belonged to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, a Protestant denomination.

Was the church ever closed? Yes. Emperor Joseph II ordered it shut in 1784, and the building served secular purposes for over a hundred years before being restored in the early 20th century.