Prague’s second public opera theatre was a vital cultural hub where Italian impresarios staged works by Gluck and other masters during its golden age.
At a glance
The Divadlo v Kotcích (Theater an der Kotzen) occupied a street named after the local market—kotzen being a Slavonic-German term for marketplace. For four decades it rivalled and complemented Prague’s operatic life, hosting not only operas but also spoken plays and ballets. The theatre closed permanently in 1783 due to safety concerns.
History
The theatre flourished between 1739 and 1783, filling a vital gap in Prague’s cultural calendar. Italian impresario Santo Lapis ran the house for many seasons, establishing its reputation. Giovanni Battista Locatelli followed, staging Christoph Willuck Gluck’s Prague Ezio in 1750 and other significant works. Later impresarios Gaetano Molinari and Giuseppe Bustelli maintained the venue’s prominence into the 1780s.
The Divadlo v Kotcích succeeded Count Franz Anton von Sporck’s opera theatre (1724–1735) and was itself superseded by Count Nostitz’s grander “National Theatre,” now known as the Estates Theatre, which opened on 21 April 1783. Prague’s current National Theatre did not debut until 1881.
What you see
The original building no longer stands. The site on v Kotcích street in Prague’s Old Town remains a cultural landmark, though the structure itself was lost.
Cultural significance
The theatre was Prague’s second public opera venue, democratizing access to operatic performance beyond aristocratic circles. It introduced audiences to works by major composers and provided a training ground for European operatic traditions during the mid-eighteenth century—a period when Prague was becoming a major musical centre.
Key facts
- Country: Czechia
- City: Prague
- Coordinates: 50.08511, 14.42205
- Active: 1739–1783
- Notable premiere: Gluck’s Prague Ezio (1750)
Practical information & getting there
The theatre’s original building no longer exists. The site is located in Prague’s Old Town on v Kotcích street. Visitors interested in Prague’s eighteenth-century theatre history should visit the nearby Estates Theatre (Stavovské divadlo), which opened in 1783 as the Divadlo v Kotcích’s successor.
Sources & resources
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