Prague's astronomical clock celebrates 600th anniversary

Prague, Oct 9 (CTK) - Hundreds of inhabitants and visitors to Prague saw in the Old Town Square a videoprojection on the 600-year-old history of the astronomical clock, a national cultural heritage sight which is the city's familiar landmark.

The 10-minute video was projected on the outside wall of the Old Town Hall on which the astronomical clock is installed.

The astronomical clock was made by Mikuláš of Kadan in the early 15th century. The clock is firt mentioned on October 9, 1410.

It was later allegedly imporoved by Master Hanuš of Růže.

The legend has it that the Prague town councillors had Hanus blinded in order to prevent him from making a copy of the clock.

He allegedly stopped the machine in revenge.

In fact, the clock machine stopped functioning in 1865 and there was the threat that it will be removed.

However, clockmaker Ludvík Hainz eventually succeeded in reparing the mechanism.

The astronomical clock attracts thousands of tourists a day. It is veiled in many mysteries. It is not, for instance, known when the statuettes of 12 apostles that appear every hour in two small windows under a small roof were placed in the tower.

The astronomical clock has been repaired many times, the last time in 2005.