45 Spa Square

The open space behind Pravřídlo used to be a square. It began to take shape as early as the 16th century, right next to the south-eastern corner of the town walls. That is where its rather bizarre name “Suburban Square” (“Vorstadtplatz”) came from. The name “Spa Square” (“Badeplatz”) caught on only in the first half of the 19th century. By then, spa houses founded by Volf of Vřesovice in the first half of the 16th century had stood here for almost three hundred years. Later they were named the Princes’ Spa and the Ladies’ Spa (Fürsten- und Frauenbad). The Girdlers’ Spa (Gürtlerbad) was added to them. The youngest spa house was the Lords’ House (Herrenhaus) from the early 18th century, originally a hospital. All four buildings were intended for accommodating and treating people from the highest social circles, for example King Frederick William III, who came to Teplice with his whole court regularly for more than 40 years.

The south and east sides of the square were formed by burghers’ houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. They were named after their house signs: the Golden Wheel (Goldenes Rad), the Angelic Salutation or English Greeting (Englischer Gruss), the Three Apples (Drei Äpfel), the Golden Lion (Goldener Löwe) and the White Lamb (Weisses Lamm). On the ground floors of these houses there were craftsmen’s workshops or shops, and on the upper floors there were rooms to let for spa guests. The houses largely kept their original character. However, after the Second World War, between 1946 and 1948, all of them were pulled down when the historic part of Teplice was cleared.

The spa buildings were spared the demolition and today they are part of the Beethoven Sanatorium. The space of the former square comes to life only once a year, as a large stage for the opening of the spa season.