Josefínské rušení pražských klášterů a jejich další využití

The dissolution of monasteries as part of Joseph II’s ecclesiastical reforms represented a fundamental intervention not only in the ecclesiastical and cultural life of the Habsburg Monarchy but also had political and economic consequences. This study examines the fate of individual monastery complexes in Prague that were abolished by Joseph II between 1782 and 1795, primarily based on documents from the archival collections of central Viennese institutions preserved in the Austrian State Archives, along with materials from the National Archives in Prague, as well as on analysis of Jaroslav Schaller’s four-volume historical and topographic work (1794–1797). The introductory section includes a chronological and tabular overview of the monasteries and other church institutions abolished in Prague. Additionally, it outlines the process of monastic dissolution and the institutions responsible for it. The property of the dissolved monasteries, transferred to the state, was managed by the Religious Fund, established in 1782. The main part of this study shows how former monastic spaces were transformed and repurposed as headquarters for state authorities, quasi-barracks for the military, and health and social institutions. A smaller number of monasteries were sold into private ownership. The subchapter „Consequences of the Abolition of Monasteries: Transformations of Political and Public Space“ reflects on how these changes introduced new functions to vast areas of Prague. The drastic reduction of church-managed buildings within the urban fabric not only marked a significant cultural and spacial shift but also strengthened the presence of the state and its officials in the city. The final subchapter considers the modernization potential of these functional transformations and explores the reasons behind the partial failure of Josephine reforms. At the end of the text, three microstudies provide a brief excursus into the later fate of three Prague monastic institutions.