Langweil's Model of Prague
Langweil’s Model of Prague is a realistic paper model of Prague dating from 1826–1837 and named after its creator Antonín Langweil. Due to Langweil's early death, the model remained unfinished. It covers an area of 20 m2 and shows more than 2,000 buildings in the historic heart of Prague in fine detail; approximately half of them do not exist anymore. It is also a worldwide unique authentic witness of the appearance of a city in the first half of the 19th century.
The model represents the Old Town of Prague (including its Jewish Ghetto), the Lesser Town of Prague without Petřín Hill, Prague Castle, and most of Hradčany (without its western part and Strahov Monastery).
The scale of the model is 1:480. It covers an area of 20 m2 and shows about 2,500 buildings, more than 9,000 chimneys, and about 5,400 trees and bushes.
Langweil's Model was not created in order to document Prague’s appearance but was rather intended as an original work of art – a three-dimensional picture of the city or a relief veduta. The realistic depiction of many details with which the town marks time and the lives of its inhabitants are also in keeping with this. The facades of buildings do not only show structural and decorative details, such as house signs, frescoes and sundials, but also all sorts of features caught in that moment, such as flaking walls, broken windows and climbing plants. In various courtyards and secluded spots we find stores of barrels, a scene from a pig-slaughter or a ladder leaning against a wall. There are no people in the model except for two soldiers standing on guard, as if their unchanging position is part of the street’s appearance.
In 1826 Antonín Langweil began to portray the city of Prague in a small model. As a ground plan he used Jüttner’s topographical map of Prague, which was published in printed form at the time. During the eleven years of work on the model, Langweil exhibited it five times to the public in unfinished form. In 1833, Langweil was even invited to exhibit the model at an industrial exhibition held in Prague Castle to mark the visit of Emperor and King Francis I to Prague. After the exhibition ended Langweil plucked up the courage to write a letter to the monarch asking for financial support in order to complete work on the model but the request was turned down. Langweil died in June 1837 at the age of 46 and left the model unfinished.
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