Kounic Palace (New Town)

Kounic Palace is a Baroque palace on Panská Street in Prague's New Town, named after the last family of private owners to hold the building.

Where does the palace's name come from?

The palace takes its current name from Count Albrecht Kounic, who acquired the building in 1861. Before him, the property had passed through many hands over the centuries. The first known record of a house on this plot dates back to 1437, when it belonged to a Prague merchant trading in soap. Over the following centuries the house changed owners repeatedly among the city's burghers and lesser nobility, until in 1663 it came into the possession of the Schaffgotsch family, whose name the palace also carried at one point.

When was the Baroque palace built?

The building took on its present representative form between 1716 and 1720, when Jan Arnošt Antonín Schaffgotsch commissioned the conversion of the medieval house into a Baroque palace. The design is attributed to the architects František Maxmilián Kaňka and Giovanni Alliprandi, although the original building documentation has not survived, and some researchers have also suggested a possible involvement of Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.

How did the palace change after the 18th century?

Following the Schaffgotsch family, ownership of the palace changed several more times. In 1757 it belonged to Baron Ignác Umwerth, in 1782 to Count Filip Kinský, and from 1798 to Duke Albert Casimir of Saxe-Teschen. It was also in 1798 that architect Matěj Hummel carried out Classicist alterations to the building, including converting three garden houses into what became known as the Wittmann house, adjoining the former palace garden on the side of Nekázanka Street.

Heinrich Weithner owned the palace from 1823, and between 1843 and 1861 it belonged to Prince Hugo of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz. On his commission, architect Kašpar Předák carried out another reconstruction in 1843–1844, during which a grand ceremonial hall spanning two floors was created inside the palace.

What happened to the palace in the 20th century?

From 1861 the owner was Count Albrecht Kounic, from whom the building takes its present name. In 1912 the palace passed into the ownership of Živnostenská banka (Živnobanka), one of the largest Czech banks of the period. After the First World War, architect Kamil Hilbert carried out further alterations to adapt the interiors to new uses.

Who manages the palace today?

Since 1995 the palace has belonged to the City of Prague municipal authority. The building now houses the Alfons Mucha Museum, and its interiors are also used to host concerts and cultural events. The whole complex — the palace together with its former garden and the adjoining Wittmann house — is protected as a cultural monument.

Where is the palace and how can visitors see it?

The palace stands on Panská Street in the New Town, right next to Prague's Old Town, making it an easy walk from the city centre. Because its interiors are rented out for specific uses, visiting is generally tied to events held in the building or to a visit to the Alfons Mucha Museum housed there.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Kounic Palace if it was built much earlier? The name comes from Count Albrecht Kounic, who only became the owner in 1861, more than a century after the Baroque reconstruction. Before that, the building was known under the names of its earlier owners, including the Schaffgotsch family.

Who designed the palace? The 1716–1720 Baroque reconstruction is attributed to architects František Maxmilián Kaňka and Giovanni Alliprandi, though the original documentation has not survived, so the authorship is not fully confirmed.

What is inside the palace today? The building houses the Alfons Mucha Museum, and its interiors are also used for concerts and other cultural events. It has belonged to the City of Prague since 1995.

Is the palace a protected monument? Yes, the palace, together with its former garden and the adjoining Wittmann house, is listed as a protected cultural monument.