Kafka’s House

The house in which writer Franz Kafka was born stood on the periphery of what was then the Prague Jewish ghetto.

The house was built in the first half of the 18^th century and was originally intended for use by the Benedictine monks administering the neighboring Church of St. Nicholas. When Emperor Joseph II had the monastery dissolved, the building was bought by the city for use as an archive and storage. It was later used by a theatre and for apartments. Franz Kafka was born in the house in 1883, although only two years later his family moved to Wenceslas Square. Several years later the house was damaged by fire and demolished – the only remaining element was the entrance portal, which was incorporated into the new Neo-Baroque apartment block. The building is currently used for cultural and social events.