A proposal to rename a future Prague Metro station has triggered a debate among city officials and historians.

Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib has suggested that the planned Olbrachtova station on the upcoming Metro Line D be renamed Ryšanka (a nearby street), arguing that public transport stops should not carry names linked to totalitarian or extremist figures.

Hřib, a member of the Pirate Party, said the name change would reflect the city’s effort to maintain neutrality and historical sensitivity in public spaces.

The original name, Olbrachtova, comes from a nearby street named after the Czech writer Ivan Olbracht, who was also a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.

Officials from Prague 4, where the new station is being built, along with Ladislav Kudrná, head of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, have long voiced objections to the name.

They argue that it indirectly celebrates a writer with ties to the communist regime. In their view, metro stations should instead honor figures connected to the anti-Nazi or anti-communist resistance, reflecting the city’s democratic values.

Under current procedures, naming proposals for Prague Metro stations must first go through several levels of review. The district administration discusses the idea, after which a special commission under the City Hall evaluates it. Only then does the proposal reach the City Council, which makes the final decision.

If approved, Ryšanka would replace Olbrachtova as the official name of the station, marking a rare instance of a transport-related site being renamed before it even opens.

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