The development of Rohansky ostrov in Prague 8 has been in the works for so long you could almost be forgiven for forgetting about it. The huge new neighborhood required endless studies, public meetings and urban plans to make it possible, but it’s all coming together now quite quickly. Proof of this came with the announcement of the names of the 19 new streets that will be created. The district took a thematic approach for the new street names and decided to dedicate each to a different philosopher. Emmanuel Kant, Georg Hegel and Thomas Hobbes are among the foreign pillars of philosophy to be memorialized by the creation of Kanyova, Hegelova and Hobbesova streets. And there are of course also Czech philosophers honored by streets such as Zatkova, Kohákova and Hejdánkova.
If Prague 8 representative Martin Štěrba was hoping for unanimous praise for the names when he published the new names on his Facebook feed, this was naive. The list could never include everyone’s favorite thinker, but that’s only to be expected. What’s less understandable in the inclusive-minded 21st century is that a list of 19 philosophers wouldn’t find room for any women. Štěrba at least fronted up to his online detractors, though he wasn’t exactly remorseful. “Naming streets after (men) philosophers doesn’t bother me,” wrote Štěrba. “Sure, there could have been some women, but I’m not the one who decides on this. Some streets in Nová Palmovka will soon be given names, so there will definitely be an opportunity to correct this.”
