How did a landscape shaped by the Vltava River become one of Prague’s most important suburbs and, later, the city’s industrial and commercial center? This historical lecture will trace the transformation of Karlín from the riverine landscape of the Holešovice meander—which shaped the area’s earliest roads and settlements—through the ambitious urban plans of the 19th century to the industrial boom that defined the neighborhood’s character. Why was a regular grid of streets created, what role did Invalidovna play in the area’s development, and how did the 2002 floods shape its current appearance? Architect and Director of the Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument Petr Kučera will use period maps, plans, and photographs to show how individual layers of history have influenced the neighborhood’s current appearance and its future development.