Unique Application Shows Us the History of Prague

As we celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Republic, Prague City Hall is releasing it’s Prague Histories application, created by VR_Musashi, Vítek Škop and Jan Drozda. Anyone who downloads the application can take different paths around the city centre as it interactively shows and describes the events associated with each site.

There are currently six trails available on the application. “Each trail is based on the theme of the 100^th anniversary of our Republic. The trails run across the city centre and extended parts of the city centre, including Letna,” says project editor Jan Drozda.

The themes of the trails include World War II, Communism, and everyday joys and sorrows. “We wanted to present moments throughout history,” said Vítek Škop, concept and design manager.

On each route there are several sites of interest. For iOS users, you can use the built-in compass, while for Android users, you receive a series of commands. When you reach a point of interest, you can jerk the phone and at that moment you will hear an audio recording or video, for example, or you will be shown historical photos from the specific location.

“The images and other forms of media have a number of different sources. The main source was the Prague City Archives, as well as ČTK, but we also have a lot of material from the Czechoslovak Radio broadcast. The audio brings you even closer to the atmosphere of the time,” says Drozda.

In addition, a lot of text information will appear on your mobile which is linked to each location. Whether it’s the history of Stalin’s Monument in Letna, or the Pioneer Procession, you will have access to a lot of information that is otherwise not obvious at the location.

Places of interest on the individual trails are also recognizable as they are marked with a white wheel on the road or pavement. This is what the creators of Prague Histories agreed to with conservationists. “In the future, we would like to create permanent marks that or not only painted on, but processed with some technology, perhaps cut into sheet metal,” says Jan Drozda.

The application can also show you virtual 3D objects. For example, on the Old Town Square, you will suddenly find a huge tank or the Marian Column before it was destroyed. You can zoom in and zoom out on the objects and see the smallest details.

The creators envision that in the future, users will be able to add trail themselves. “There are so many topics that can be covered. We look forward to where this initiative might lead. We are always trying to find ways to get information through current technology,” adds Vítek Škop.

Browse through the different trails and find out more about the history of Prague. The application is also available in English.

Author: Holly Webb