Prague Astronomical Clock Orloj, history and interesting facts

Prague Astronomical Clock Orloj is the oldest astronomical clock in the world.

Czech Prague is an old and mysterious city. As its inhabitants claim, every house in the Old Town has its legend or famous person who lived in it. When we arrived in the capital of the Czech Republic, we unanimously agreed that this city makes a greater impression on us than recently visited Paris with its Eiffel Tower.

However, there is something in Prague that particularly caught our attention, not only ours, but also thousands of people who visit the city every year to admire one of the oldest astronomical clocks in the world.

Astronomical Clock and Old Town Hall in Prague

The Prague Astronomical Clock, known by the locals as the Prague Orloj, is located on one of the walls of the Old Town Hall, which itself is also an extraordinary monument. The building has been serving its function since 1338. Its construction is very intriguing because two old houses were used to build it, with a Gothic tower added to them.

The first clock was created in 1410, exactly when Polish-Lithuanian forces were giving the Teutonic Knights a good kicking at the Battle of Grunwald. It was made by Mikulas Kadane, but the early construction was faulty and constantly breaking down, causing consternation among the city authorities.

Master watchmaker Hanus, designer of the Prague Astronomical Clock

After years when troubles with the mechanism measuring time on the city hall became a daily occurrence, the city authorities turned to the famous clockmaker, a master of his craft, Hanus of Ruze, to construct a new clock.

As we have learned, the city records do not contain details regarding the period of the clock’s creation or whether Master Hanus indeed created a new clock or simply, as some historians claim, improved upon the work of his predecessor.

Construction of the Prague Astronomical Clock

The clock created by Master Hanus and which still hangs on the wall of the Old Town Hall in Prague consists of several parts and intricate mechanisms. It is capable of tracking astronomical time, showing the positions of important celestial bodies in the sky. Surrounding this part of the clock are four figures: the Sage or Philosopher writing down his golden thoughts, the Scientist with a telescope gazing at the stars, the Chronicler with his journal in hand, and the Archangel Michael, defender of the church, armed with a sword and shield.

Another part of the extraordinary clock is the dial showing the time and date. It is the only clock in the world that simultaneously displays Central European, Old Czech, and Babylonian time. Around it, four figures are placed, which move as the clock strikes the full hours.

These figures represent characters such as Death in the form of a skeleton holding a bell in one bony hand and an hourglass in the other. Next is the Turk, symbolizing desire and debauchery. The next figure is the Miser with a purse, and finally, a figure symbolizing Vanity stands with a mirror in hand.

Just above the clock, two windows are placed, in which the figures of the apostles appear. In the left window, the following apostles appear in sequence: St. Peter, the most important of the apostles and patron of popes, clockmakers, and other craftsmen. Next is St. Matthew, also the patron of craftsmen, blacksmiths, and confectioners. After Matthew appears, St. Philip as the patron of merchants, sports fans, and tanners. Next is St. Paul, followed by St. Simon.

In the right window, the following apostles appear in sequence: St. James, the patron of warriors. After him is St. Andrew, caring for miners. The next figure is St. Jude, supporting people in their worst times. After Jude comes St. Thomas, supporting architects, St. John the author of the Gospel, and lastly St. Barnabas with a skull in hand. Just above the windows, a figure of a rooster is placed. It symbolizes life, and its crowing concludes the procession of saints.

As the clock strikes each hour from 9 am until 11 pm, all the figures placed on it move and perform motions programmed by the clockmaker over six hundred years ago.

Prague Astronomical Clock and its history

The oldest part of the clock is the clock dial itself, which dates back to the year 1410, while the rest of the clock is several decades younger. When the clock in Prague began ticking away, people from all over Europe started flocking to the Czech capital to admire the extraordinary mechanism.

If you find yourself in Prague’s Old Town, be sure to stop by the clock tower to witness the spectacle that has been taking place there every day since the Middle Ages.

Orloj astronomical clock in Prague interesting facts

• The first astronomical clock in Prague was built in 1410, while the one we can see today was constructed many decades later.
• The clock chimes the full hours from 9 in the morning until 11 at night.
• The Czech name for the clock is Orloj, which simply means “tower clock” in Old Czech.
• There is still a dispute among historians about who actually designed the Prague Astronomical Clock.
• The clock in Prague is the oldest astronomical clock in Europe.
• Prague is not the only city in the Czech Republic boasting an ancient astronomical clock. A similar clock from the 14th century can be found in Olomouc. Another nearly as old one adorns the town hall in Prostějov.
• Although the clock in Prague is not the oldest astronomical clock in the world, it is the most famous and recognizable.
• The Prague clock is considered cursed, with the ghost of its creator said to haunt it. Several times a year, nocturnal gatherings are organized under the clock to supposedly witness the appearance of Master Hanus’s ghost.
• The figures of the apostles, made in 1945, are depicted without eyes. The explanation is basic: from a distance of numerous meters, this detail is invisible, so the artist made his task easier.

Polish version