Petr Fetr

Petr Fetr is the name behind a small memorial plaque on a building on Fetrovská street in Prague's Dejvice district, in the villa quarter known as Hanspaulka. The plaque commemorates a man from almost five hundred years ago whose name still lives on in both a vanished vineyard and today's street.

Who was Petr Fetr?

In the second half of the 16th century, Petr Fetr held the office of chamberlain (komorník) at the so-called Land Tables (desky zemské) — a Bohemian judicial-administrative body that recorded, among other things, property transactions of the nobility in the Kingdom of Bohemia. He owned a vineyard on the site of today's Hanspaulka, and that vineyard was named Fetrovská after him.

Why were there vineyards here at all?

The land now occupied by Dejvice and Hanspaulka was first planted with vines back in the mid-14th century, under a privilege granted by King, later Emperor, Charles IV, who encouraged planting vineyards on the sunny southern slopes of Prague's hills. By around 1650, more than a dozen named vineyards existed in the area alongside Fetrovská, including Kuthenka, Dyrinkovská, Lobkovická, Nathanaelka and Šafránka. War and the passage of foreign armies took a heavy toll on the vineyards, and most were never replanted afterwards — the land was gradually turned into farmland, orchards and vegetable gardens instead.

What still recalls Petr Fetr today?

His name survives in the street name Fetrovská, and the man himself is remembered by a plaque mounted on a building at the corner of Fetrovská and Za Hanspaulkou streets (administrative address: Fetrovská 1446/2 / Za Hanspaulkou 1446/4, Prague 6 – Dejvice). The plaque's inscription states, in translation, that Petr Fetr, chamberlain at the Land Tables, was in the second half of the 16th century the owner of a vineyard on this site, named Fetrovská after him.

What's worth knowing about the surrounding area?

Fetrovská street today sits at the heart of Hanspaulka, a villa district that took its present shape mostly in the 20th century, once the old vineyards and fields had finally given way to residential building. It's a quiet, green corner of Prague 6, valued for its intimate, low-key character and its closeness to Dejvice, with its universities and embassies. The plaque itself isn't a destination in its own right, but it makes for an interesting stop for anyone curious about Prague's winemaking past and the origins of local street names — a small reminder of how centuries-old farming still shapes the map of the modern city.

Frequently asked questions

Was Petr Fetr a famous historical figure? No — very little is recorded about him. What is known is that he held the office of chamberlain at the Land Tables and owned a vineyard in the area of today's Hanspaulka in the second half of the 16th century.

Can you still see the Fetrovská vineyard today? No, the vineyard is long gone. The land was built over centuries ago, and all that remains is the street name and a memorial plaque.

Where exactly is the plaque located? On a building at the junction of Fetrovská and Za Hanspaulkou streets in Dejvice, Prague 6.

Is it worth a special trip to see the plaque? It's more of a historical curiosity than a stand-alone attraction — best visited as part of a walk through the villa district of Hanspaulka rather than as a destination on its own.