Franz Kafka Square is one of the smallest squares in Prague, yet few places in the city bring together so many layers of its history. It lies directly beside Old Town Square, between the Church of St Nicholas and the streets leading towards the former Jewish Quarter.
At first glance, it can seem like little more than a passage between better known attractions. Look more closely, however, and the square reveals important stories about medieval Prague, the transformation of the Old Town and the life of one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.
This was the immediate neighbourhood into which Franz Kafka was born in 1883. Although the original building no longer exists, the site remains one of the essential places for understanding Kafka’s relationship with Prague.
Where Is Franz Kafka Square?
Franz Kafka Square, known in Czech as náměstí Franze Kafky, is situated just northwest of Old Town Square. It connects U Radnice Street with Maiselova and Kaprova streets.
Its position is especially significant. The square stands in the Old Town, close to the edge of Josefov, Prague’s former Jewish Town. Kafka grew up surrounded by these overlapping worlds. He belonged to Prague’s German speaking Jewish community, while living in a city shaped by Czech, German and Jewish culture.
The square is only a few steps from the Astronomical Clock, but it usually feels calmer than Old Town Square. It is also a useful entrance to the Jewish Quarter, with Maiselova Street leading towards the Maisel Synagogue and the heart of Josefov.
Was Franz Kafka Square Always Here?
Despite its historic surroundings, Franz Kafka Square is a relatively recent name on the map of Prague. The area previously formed part of U Radnice Street and was officially designated as a separate square in 2000.
The space itself developed through several centuries of construction, demolition and rebuilding. The buildings around it reflect major changes that transformed this edge of the Old Town, particularly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The nearby Jewish Quarter underwent an especially radical reconstruction. Large parts of the old district were demolished during Prague’s sanitation project, and a new network of wider streets and modern apartment buildings replaced many narrow lanes and crowded courtyards.
Kafka witnessed this transformation during his lifetime. The Prague of his childhood was disappearing as the modern city was being created around him.
Franz Kafka’s Birthplace
Franz Kafka was born on 3 July 1883 in a house called U Věže, meaning At the Tower. The name referred to the neighbouring Church of St Nicholas.
The house stood where Maiselova Street met U Radnice Street, close to the Church of St Nicholas. Kafka was the first child of Hermann Kafka, a merchant, and Julie Kafka, born Löwy. The family lived here only briefly. In 1885, when Franz was not yet two years old, they moved to another address in central Prague.
The original house was demolished in 1897 as part of the redevelopment of the area. Therefore, the building visible today is not the house in which Kafka was born.
One important fragment survived. The original stone Baroque portal was preserved and incorporated into the present four storey Neo Baroque building, designed by Osvald Polívka and completed in 1902. Since 1966, a memorial plaque designed by Jan Kaplický and a bronze bust by sculptor Karel Hladík have marked Kafka’s birthplace.
This distinction matters because the site is sometimes presented as Kafka’s surviving childhood home. It is more accurate to describe it as the location of his birthplace, marked by an architectural fragment from the original house.
Kafka and the Old Town
Although the Kafka family moved frequently, Franz spent most of his life within a remarkably small part of central Prague. Many of his homes, schools and workplaces stood within walking distance of the square that now bears his name.
His family later lived in the House at the Minute on Old Town Square, famous for its Renaissance sgraffito decoration. Kafka attended secondary school in the Kinský Palace, where his father also operated a shop. He studied at the German University in Prague and later worked for the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute.
The Old Town was therefore not merely a backdrop to Kafka’s life. It was the tightly concentrated world in which he grew up, studied, worked and wrote.
Prague is rarely named directly in his best known novels, yet the city’s atmosphere can be felt throughout his work. Labyrinthine streets, imposing institutions, inaccessible authorities and a constant sense of uncertainty all recall the environment of the city in which he lived.
A Writer Between Three Cultures
Kafka’s birthplace also helps explain the complex identity of the city at the turn of the twentieth century.
Kafka was Jewish, wrote in German and lived in Prague, where the majority of the population spoke Czech. He could speak Czech, but German was the main language of his family, education and literary work. He was connected with Jewish intellectual life while also being deeply immersed in the wider culture of Prague.
These identities were not always easy to reconcile. Political and social tensions between Czech and German speakers were growing, while many assimilated Jewish families were searching for their place within a rapidly changing society.
Kafka’s position between languages, communities and traditions provides important context for the uncertainty and alienation that readers often associate with his writing. Franz Kafka Square stands close to the transition between the Old Town and the former Jewish Quarter, making it a fitting place to consider this part of his identity.
The Church of St Nicholas
The most prominent monument beside the square is the Church of St Nicholas. It should not be confused with the larger church of the same name in Lesser Town.
The present Baroque church was built between 1732 and 1737 according to plans by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, one of the most important architects of the Bohemian Baroque. Its elegant white façade and dome form one side of the neighbouring Old Town Square.
A church has stood on or near this site since the Middle Ages. The existence of a church here is documented in 1273, while an earlier Romanesque chapel may already have occupied the site. The medieval church was destroyed by fire in 1689 and eventually replaced by the present Baroque building. It was closed during the reforms of Emperor Joseph II and used for various secular purposes before later returning to religious use.
Today it belongs to the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and is also used for concerts. From Franz Kafka Square, visitors can appreciate details of the building that are easy to miss when looking at it from the busier Old Town Square.
Prague’s New City Hall
Another major presence beside Franz Kafka Square is Prague’s New City Hall. Its principal façade faces Mariánské Square, while a rear entrance opens towards Franz Kafka Square. The building was constructed in the early twentieth century and remains the principal seat of Prague’s municipal administration.
This creates an interesting contrast. Kafka’s name has become synonymous with confusing bureaucracy and impersonal authority, while the square dedicated to him stands beside municipal offices. The connection is accidental, but it feels appropriately Kafkaesque.
It should not be confused with the medieval Old Town Hall and its Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square. Despite their similar names and close locations, they are separate buildings created in very different periods.
The Kafka Memorial Plaque and Bust
Visitors searching for Kafka’s birthplace should look for the commemorative bust and plaque above the preserved Baroque portal at the corner of the square.
The memorial is modest compared with the large modern monuments dedicated to Kafka elsewhere in Prague. Its restrained form suits the location. Instead of illustrating one of Kafka’s stories, it simply marks the place where his life began.
It is worth remembering that the famous bronze statue of Kafka sitting on the shoulders of an empty suit is not located here. That monument, created by Jaroslav Róna, stands near the Spanish Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
Prague also has the rotating Head of Franz Kafka by David Černý near Národní třída. Together, these works show how differently the city has chosen to commemorate its most internationally recognised writer.
What to Notice on Franz Kafka Square
The square is small enough to cross in less than a minute, but several details deserve attention:
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the preserved stone Baroque portal from the original house where Kafka was born
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the bust and plaque marking his birthplace
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the side of the Church of St Nicholas and its Baroque architecture
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the transition from the medieval Old Town towards the former Jewish Quarter
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the contrast between historic façades and Prague’s municipal offices
The square is also a good place to pause before continuing along Maiselova Street into Josefov.
What to See Nearby
Franz Kafka Square is surrounded by some of the most important sights in Prague.
Old Town Square is immediately beside it, with the Astronomical Clock, Church of Our Lady before Týn, Kinský Palace and the Jan Hus Memorial.
The Maisel Synagogue lies a short walk along Maiselova Street. It is part of the Jewish Museum in Prague and introduces the history of Jewish communities in Bohemia and Moravia.
The Spanish Synagogue stands farther inside Josefov, close to Jaroslav Róna’s Franz Kafka Monument.
The Old New Synagogue and Old Jewish Cemetery are also within a few minutes’ walk.
The House at the Minute, one of Kafka’s later childhood homes, stands on Old Town Square beside the Old Town Hall.
Together, these places allow visitors to follow the connections between Kafka’s personal story, Prague’s Jewish history and the development of the Old Town.
Why Visit Franz Kafka Square?
Franz Kafka Square is not a grand ceremonial space. Its importance comes from its location and the stories concentrated within it.
It marks the birthplace of a writer whose work transformed modern literature. It stands between the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter, reflecting the different cultures that shaped Kafka’s identity. It also shows how Prague preserves fragments of its past even where the original buildings have disappeared.
Many visitors cross the square without knowing what happened here. Taking a few minutes to examine the portal, the bust and the surrounding architecture adds another layer to an exploration of central Prague.
Discover the Old Town and Jewish Quarter With Us
Franz Kafka Square lies between two of the most fascinating parts of Prague’s historic centre. If you would like to discover the wider area with a local guide, join our Old Town and Jewish Quarter Free Walking Tour. The route explores the history, architecture and stories of both neighbourhoods.
You can also explore this part of the city on one of our private tours of Prague.
Practical Information
Czech name: Náměstí Franze Kafky
District: Prague 1, Old Town
Nearest metro station: Staroměstská, line A
Nearest tram stop: Staroměstská
Distance from Old Town Square: Immediately adjacent
Admission: The square and the exterior of Kafka’s birthplace are free to visit at any time