HISTORY. Nothing: definite is known about the foundation of Prague. As the residence of the kings the town played a prominent part in the early history of Bohemia. The Altstadt obtained municipal rights and was surrounded with walls in the first half of the thirteenth century. The Neustadt was established about a century later. Under the rule of Charles IV., Prague became, with the establishment of the university (1348), one of the principal cities of the German Empire. In the following century, however, it became the theatre of the Hussite wars (see HUSSITES ) and many of its churches and a part of its fortifica tions were destroyed. It soon recovered and en tered upon a new period of prosperity, which cul minated under Rudolph II. In the seventeenth century came the Thirty Years' War, which be gan with the `defenestration' of the Imperial coun selors at Prague (1618). In the battle of the White Hill, fought close to the city. the forces of Frederick of the Palatinate. the 'Winter King,'
were completely defeated by the Imperialists in November, 1620. Prague was taken by the Sax ons in 1631 and retaken by Wallenstein in 1632. In 1635 a peace was concluded here between Fer dinand TI. and the Elector of Saxony. In 164S the Swedes captured the Kleinseite—the last epi sode of the Thirty Years' War. The city was taken by the French, Bavarians, and Saxons in 1741, and capitulated to Frederick the Great in 1744. Frederick won a victory over the Aus trians here in 1757, and then unsuccessfully be sieged the city. For the history of Prague dur ing the nineteenth century, see the history of Bohemia. The peace of Prague, August 23, 1866, terminated the Seven Weeks' War between Prus sia and Austria.
Consult: Erben, Statistische Handbucher der koniglichcn Ilauptstadt Prag (Prague, 1873-95) Ocstcrre;clusches Stiidtebuch (Vienna, 1895) Wirth, Prat, (Leipzig, 1901).