Oct 09, 2015
605th Anniversary of Prague astronomical clock
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Check out the Prague Astronomical Clock on Google Street View, from both the outside and the inside (and try taking the stairs!)
The hands of Prague’s astronomical clock have measured a staggering amount of history. It predates Shakespeare by over a century, and had been operational for two years by the time Joan of Arc was born. Despite over a half a millennium of wear and a brush with disaster in WWII, much of its original machinery remains intact, making it the oldest functioning clock of its kind in the world. Today’s Doodle honors a magnificent achievement in medieval engineering and a cultural landmark whose symbolism, design, and intermittent repairs are a remarkable catalogue of Europe’s past.
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