Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana

Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana (the Žižkov Theatre of Jára Cimrman) is a small, intimate theatre in Prague's Žižkov district, best known as the home stage of the legendary Jára Cimrman Theatre — the ensemble behind decades of comedy built around the fictional biography of Jára Cimrman, Czechia's self-styled greatest genius who never actually existed. The unassuming building on Štítného street hides one of the most recognizable names on the Czech theatrical map.

Where is the theatre located?

The venue stands in Prague 3, right in the heart of Žižkov — a district known for its dense turn-of-the-20th-century architecture and a distinctly local, unpolished character quite different from the tourist-heavy city centre. The Neo-Renaissance building at Štítného 520/5 was constructed in 1875, originally intended for residential and commercial use, with an ordinary pub occupying the ground floor for years.

How did the building change function over time?

The story of the theatre hall begins in 1919, when a chapel that had previously operated inside the building was deconsecrated and repurposed for cultural use. Under a design by Jindřich Motejl, Žižkov's municipal engineer at the time, the space became Masarykova síň — a hall named after Czechoslovakia's first president. In 1924 the stage was expanded and modernized, and three years later, in 1927, the galleries were rebuilt into the balcony configuration seen today.

Why was the theatre closed for over a decade?

In 1960 the building was shut down because its stage equipment and safety standards had become outdated. Reconstruction and modernization took years — the hall did not reopen until the 1976–1977 season, following a thorough rebuild that brought it up to contemporary technical and fire-safety requirements.

Since when has Jára Cimrman Theatre performed here?

The building has served as the permanent home of Divadlo Járy Cimrmana (Jára Cimrman Theatre) since 1992. The company itself was founded in the 1960s and built its identity around an elaborate, tongue-in-cheek hoax: Jára Cimrman, a fictional Czech inventor, philosopher and polymath credited — with a wink — with countless discoveries far ahead of his time. The shows blend absurdist humor, historical satire and a characteristically Czech self-deprecating wit, which has made the ensemble a cult phenomenon in Czech culture for decades.

What does the auditorium look like?

The hall seats 230 people, arranged across ten rows in the stalls and four rows on the front balcony. This modest scale gives performances an intimate, almost domestic feel — the audience sits close to the stage, which reinforces direct contact with the actors and sharpens the comic timing the shows rely on.

Why is this place worth a visit?

Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana is more than a building with an eventful, century-long history of transformation — from chapel, to a hall named after Masaryk, to a stage shuttered and rebuilt during the socialist era. Above all, it is a living testament to a very particular strand of Czech humor that has, for more than thirty years, drawn both Prague locals and visitors looking for something more authentic than the standard city-centre attractions.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the theatre located? In Prague's Žižkov district (Prague 3), on Štítného street, inside a Neo-Renaissance building dating from 1875.

Who was Jára Cimrman? A fictional character presented as the greatest Czech genius of all time, invented as an elaborate hoax around which the Jára Cimrman Theatre built its repertoire.

Since when has the theatre operated in its current form? Divadlo Járy Cimrmana has had its permanent home here since 1992, though the building itself had served cultural purposes since 1919.

How many seats does the auditorium have? The hall has 230 seats — ten rows in the stalls and four rows on the balcony.

Why was the theatre closed during the 1960s and 1970s? Because of outdated stage infrastructure and failure to meet safety standards — it reopened after reconstruction in the 1976–1977 season.