Praha 1, St. Salvator’s Protestant Church

St. Salvator’s Church is the biggest protestant church consecrated to the Saviour. At the start of the 17th century a large number of German Lutherans came to Prague and soon after they started missing their own church. The land to build the church was purchased by the Count Jáchym Ondřej Šlik nearby the house which became later a Paulist Convent. In 1611 - 1614 they built Gothic-Renaissance church of St. Salvator. The main constructor was J. Christofen from Graubünden and the designer is supposed to be Giovanni Maria Filippi. After the November’s 1620 battle on Bíla Hora (White Hill) the church was taken away from protestant church and its vicars were forced to leave Bohemia. In 1626 the church was given to Paulists who rebuilt the nearby house to temporary monastery. Later, they wanted to extend the monastery so they bought a nearby house on Staroměstské Square. The monastery was linked to the church via roofed corridor.

In 1689 the church burnt in fire. During the reconstruction the church received baroque features in the form of side grandstands. In 1720 a prism tower was built and in the middle of the 18th century the main nave and chancel was decorated with rococo stucco features. More likely at this time two towers were built at the front of the church. Later reconstruction of the church and the monastery was led by Jan Prachner. After Joseph’s II. reforms in 1784 the monastery was closed and unconsecrated church was given to mint office. In 1863 the church was bought by Czech protestant and was reconstructed to serve for mass services. It has remained in the use to today.

Je to největší pražský evangelický kostel zasvěcený Spasiteli (Salvator = Spasitel). Na začátku 17. st. se přistěhoval do Prahy značný počet německých luteránů, kteří brzy začali postrádat vlastní velký kostel. Pozemek na jeho stavbu jim zakoupil hrabě Jáchym Ondřej Šlik u domu, který byl později paulánským konventem. V letech 1611 - 1614 vystavěli goticko-renesanční objekt kostela sv. Salvátora. Stavitelem byl J. Christofen z Graubündenu, za autora projektu bývá považován Giovanni Maria Filippi. Po Bílé Hoře byl kostel evangelíkům zabaven, uzavřen a jeho kazatelé vypovězeni z Prahy. V roce 1626 byl darovací listinou předán řádu paulánů, kteří si vedle stojící dům upravili na prozatímní klášter. Později chtěli klášter rozšířit, tak zakoupili sousední dům na Staroměstském náměstí. Klášter paulánů byl spojen s kostelem krytou chodbou.