Hrzán Palace (Palác Hrzánů z Harasova)

Hrzán Palace sits on the corner of Celetná and Kamzíková streets in Prague's Old Town, one of those buildings visitors walk past on the way to the Old Town Square without necessarily noticing that its history goes back to the Middle Ages. The address is Celetná 12, and the building has been listed as a cultural heritage monument in the Czech Republic since 1964.

What stood here before the palace?

The plot's story starts well before the baroque facade visible today. A Romanesque house already stood here in the 12th century, later rebuilt in Gothic style, and it likely received Renaissance touches in the 16th century as well. This kind of layered building history is typical of Old Town houses — successive owners rarely tore down what came before, instead building on top of and reworking existing structures.

Where does the palace's name come from?

The name still attached to the building today comes from Count Zikmund Valentin Hrzán z Harasova (1668–1726), who bought the property in 1701. He commissioned the thorough baroque rebuilding that began the following year. The design is usually attributed to Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, one of the leading baroque architects working in Prague at the time. Construction wasn't finished until around 1723, after the architect's death — by then the palace had passed to the Kinský family.

How did the palace change over the following centuries?

By the late 18th century the property belonged to the Vrtba family, who in 1801 had an additional floor added on the courtyard side, overseen by builder Josef Zobel. This shows the palace functioned for centuries as a working residential and commercial building rather than a static monument — each generation of owners adapted it to their own needs.

What is the palace's connection to Franz Kafka's family?

One of the more unexpected chapters in the building's history involves the family of the famous writer. Between 1906 and 1912, Franz Kafka's parents, Hermann and Julie Kafka, ran a wholesale haberdashery business here. A memorial plaque on the facade marks this fact — for Kafka readers, it's one of the less obvious but tangible traces of the writer's family in the Old Town's layout.

What happened to the palace in the early 20th century?

In 1911 the main building was raised by an additional storey, and new wings were built on the courtyard side. This last major renovation gave the palace much of the shape it has today — a baroque core wrapped in later 19th- and 20th-century additions.

Where exactly is the palace and how do you get there?

The palace stands at Celetná 12 (with a second entrance from Kamzíková), on one of the main pedestrian routes through the Old Town connecting the Old Town Square with the Powder Gate. It's a location almost impossible to miss while exploring central Prague — walking down Celetná toward the square, it's worth glancing up at the facade and the Kafka family plaque.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the inside of the palace? The building is used for commercial purposes and isn't a regularly open tourist attraction with public visiting hours — it's mainly appreciated from the outside while walking along Celetná street.

Why is the palace named the way it is? The name comes from Count Zikmund Valentin Hrzán z Harasova, the owner who bought the house in 1701 and commissioned its baroque rebuilding.

What is the Franz Kafka connection? Between 1906 and 1912 the building housed a wholesale haberdashery run by the writer's parents, Hermann and Julie Kafka, commemorated by a plaque on the facade.

How does the palace fit into Prague's baroque architecture? The 1702–1723 rebuilding, attributed to Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, makes it a representative example of the high baroque style typical of Prague's Old Town around the turn of the 18th century.