- Smíchov
Smíchov ( _de. Smichow) is (since 1909) a
district ofPrague , the capital of theCzech Republic , and is part ofPrague 5 . It is located on the left bank of theVltava (Moldau) river.Between 1945 and 1989, the district contained a monument dedicated to Soviet tanks in
World War II , which was located in Štefánik square. The monument was removed shortly after theVelvet Revolution and a new glass-and-steel building designed by French architectJean Nouvel became a symbol of the district. An angel (anděl in Czech) fromWim Wenders ' movie "Wings of Desire " is etched into the glass on the façade. The building was demolished in the 1980s and a metro station was built in its vicinity; the local traffic hub was renamed to Anděl from Moskevská (afterMoscow ).The
Staropramen brewery is located in Smichov. TheRinghoffer factory, founded in 1852 by railway magnateBaron Franz Ringhoffer (1817-1873) and nationalized after World War II, was part of one of the largest industrial companies of theAustro-Hungarian Empire (and later ofCzechoslovakia ). TheRinghoffer Works with more than 30.000 employees played a significant role in central european economy with global relevance, exporting railway carriages, cars (Tatra ) and trucks across the world. The factory in Smíchov produced court trains and famous saloon cars for european rulers und after 1945 trams for the entireEastern bloc . It was moved to Zličín in the 1990s and is now operated bySiemens . The buildings were demolished and replaced by a hypermarket, two multiplex cinemas, two hotels and several other commercial structures.Smíchov in the Arts
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1995 – an escalator scene from Svěrák's "Kolya " was shot in Smíchov.
*1999 –Vladimír Michálek 's movie "Angel Exit" featured among others the half built Jean Nouvel building, the abandoned Jewish synagogue, the half-demolished "Ringhoffer " factory, St Wenceslas Church and the Bertramka cemetery.People
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Karl Egon Ebert , poet
*Moses Porges von Portheim , a Jewish mayor*
Baron Franz (Frantisek) Ringhoffer (1817-1873), founder of the factory, mayor of Smichov
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