HISTORY

The lovely cafee house

WITH A BEAUTIFUL HISTORY  

The doors of the Café Louvre first opened in 1902. Since that time, history has marched through Národní Třída (National Avenue), and friendships, associations, and novels have been created at its café tables.

Though the pace of the times has quickened, we still insist on preserving the old café traditions. So even today you can still enjoy the unique atmosphere of a historical, grand café, as Franz Kafka, Albert Einstein or T. G. Masaryk knew it.

Notable

GUESTS

Karel Čapek, Albert Einstein, and Franz Kafka. Famous personalities from the cultural and political spheres visit us even today, just as they did in the past.

Pre-war

LOUVRE

1902

The Grand Cafe Louvre ceremoniously opens on Ferdinand Avenue, and already in that year, the German philosophical circle of followers of Franz Bretan's teachings begins to gather there. Its then famous members (such as experimental psychologist Josef Eisenmeyer, private lecturer Alfred Kastil, Oskar Kraus, Hugo Bergmann and Berta Fantova) also include future professor of aesthetics Emil Utitz and lawyer Felix Weltsch, Max Brod and Franz Kafka, who are still students at this time.

1905

Max Brod is excluded from the philosophical group, and Franz Kafka leaves the group in solidarity with him. They both continue to visit the café, and in time, together with other friends, they rent a separate club room here.

1911

The Sursum Art Association, meets three times at the café. Its members include names such as Emil Pacovský, Josef Váchal, Jan Konůpek, Jan Zrzavý, E. Frynta, M. Alšová, R. Medek and others. According to Emil Pacovský, “The art of the Sursum group” goes against all realist artistic trends, dealing only with spiritual and cult issues.

1912

Albert Einstein is working at the Prague German University. He is one of the regular guests of the Tuesday evenings at the salon of the above-mentioned Berta Fantová. He spends time at Café Louvre with George Pick and with Vladimír Heinrich, later professor of astronomy at the Czech University.

1913

German authors Otto Pick and Franz Werfel also have their favorite tables at Café Louvre. Arne Laurin and František Langer use Cafe Louvre for their work – and regularly use café letterhead stationary for their correspondence.

1915

The café premises are enlarged by adding the basement spaces, where the Louvre’s wine cellar is opened. It is nicknamed, the “Catacombs”, and also becomes the location of the “Pilsen restaurant Grand”.

1925

On February 15thof this year, 38 writers meet at Café Louvre at the founding meeting of the Czechoslovak PEN Club center. Its first chairman is Karel Čapek, and the honorary guest of the first Pen Club dinner is President of the Republic, T. G. Masaryk.