Prague residents want to rename streets after “Lord of the Rings” characters

The Czech capital already has an island that has the same name as a Middle Earth realm

North of Prague’s historic centre, there is an island in the Vltava River called Rohan, where the city is developing a new residential district to be completed sometime next decade. The Czech capital’s administration has announced a plan to name the new streets that will spring on the island after famous philosophers, such as Kant and Derrida. Some Czech residents, however, have a different wish and launched an online petition to name the streets in question after characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings fantasy classic.

The Rohan Embankment should bear Rohan names!" the petition insists, according to AFP quoted by Barron’s.

If you’re feeling a tad confused that means that you might not be too versed on the intricacies of the epic book. It just so happens that Rohan Island coincidentally shares a name with a Middle Earth kingdom from the high fantasy saga.

The Czechs are avid fantasy fans

The Vltava River place, however, was not named in honour of the book, but rather carries the name of a local poet – Josef Rohan.

The petitioners, who have already collected more than 10,000 signatures in support, however, are not bothered by that little detail and are instead adamant that the new district should celebrate the legacy of the fictional heroes who battled on the pages of the novel.

How did Immanuel Kant help in the war against Saruman's hordes?" they said, referring to the evil wizard of the novel.

Furthermore, the petitioners have pointed out that among the street names suggested by the city authorities, there aren’t any women. In response, they offer a street named after the shieldmaiden Eowyn to "address the justified complaint".

The initiative also enjoys the support of the ex-mayor of Prague Zdenek Hřib from the Pirate Party.

According to Barron’s, Czechs are known for their passion for the fantasy world. When there was a census in 2021, some 21,000 Czechs registered as Jedi, the guardians of peace and justice in the Star Wars saga.