The New Town Hall is situated at the corner of Vodičkova Street and Charles Square (Karlovo náměstí) in the New Town. Historically it is one of the most important buildings in the New Town.
The New Town Hall dates back to the reign of King Charles IV. It was intended to be a centre of municipal administration and lawcourt and a dignified equivalent of the Old Town Hall in the Old Town. Since the very beginning when it witnessed the the beginning of the Hussite Revolution the New Town Hall has held an important place in many historical events to follow.
Charles IV planned for Charles Square (Karlovo náměstí) – originally the Cattle Market - to become an important trade centre, a counterpart to the Old Town Square. Therefore it was included in the coronation procession of Bohemian kings that led from Vyšehrad across the New Town.
The construction of the town hall began in 1377 and was finished in 1418. The building has be rebuilt several times, especially when the New Town and the Old Town merged (1520 – 1526) but the hall-nave with six bays of vaulting that is supported by two hugue cylindrical columns has survived to the present day.
The first defenestration took place on 30th of July 1419 when a crowd of radical Czech Hussites stormed in the building after a stone had been thrown at Jan Želivský, a Hussite priest, from the window of the town hall. Jan Žižka, an army leader, attacked the town hall and once inside they threw about 15 people out of the window (including the judge and the burgomaster). They were either killed by the fall or by th mob. King Václav IV (son of Charles IV) was so shocked after hearing the news that he died a little time later.
