CoA of Emperor Joseph II on House for Professed / Znak císare Josefa II na Profesním dome - Malostranské námestí (Prague)
N 50° 05.292 E 014° 24.223
33U E 457344 N 5548607
Depicted stone CoA of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (Josef II) decorates entrance portal of Baroque complex of Jesuit House for Professed (Jezuitský profesní dum) in Malostranské námestí (Lesser Town Square) in Prague.
Waymark Code: WMNGPW
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 03/13/2015
Views: 41
Depicted stone CoA of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (Josef II) decorates entrance portal of Baroque complex of Jesuit House for Professed (Jezuitský profesní dum) in Malostranské námestí (Lesser Town Square) in Prague. The CoA was installed here after abolition of Jesuit order during Joseph' reign.
The personal "middle" CoA of Joseph II is composed from coats of main lands belonging to the Holy Roman Epire during Joseph's reign - Kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia, Tuscany, Austria, Burgundy and Lorraine. The CoA, surrounded by Order of the Golden Fleece, is supported by Czech lion and Imperial Eagle.
Joseph II (Joseph Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, and was the brother of Marie Antoinette. He was thus the first ruler in the Austrian dominions of the House of Lorraine, styled Habsburg-Lorraine (von Habsburg-Lothringen in German). Joseph was a proponent of enlightened absolutism; however, his commitment to modernizing reforms subsequently engendered significant opposition, which eventually culminated in an ultimate failure to fully implement his programmes. He has been ranked, with Catherine II of Russia and Frederick II of Prussia, as one of the three great Enlightenment monarchs. His policies are now known as Josephinism. He died with no sons and was succeeded by his younger brother, Leopold. [wiki]
The construction of the Jesuit House for Professed, residence of highest ranking representatives of the Order who took special oaths after fisnishing their philosophy and theology studies, was started in 1673 in early Baroque style by G.D. Orsi de Orsini in a site of several townhouses, of a school and a church of St. Wenceslas, right next to the church of St. Nicholas which was founded around the same time. In 1674 the construction was taken over by F. A. Lurago who finished it in 1691; in 1737-1752 the west wing was rebuilt in High Baroque style. After the Jesuit Order was abolished in 1773, the building was converted into an adminstrative building, further adaptations followed in 1823 and 1922-1927. During the 2nd World War the building was used by the German Army and since the 1960’s the Mathematical and Physics Faculty of the Charles University is located there.