Na Slatinách, Workers' residential colony in Prague 10, Czech Republic.
Na Slatinach is a workers' colony in Prague 10 made up of small family houses built from recycled materials such as bricks, wood, and railway sleepers arranged in organized streets. The dwellings had electric lighting installed, and residents relied on communal water hydrants scattered throughout the neighborhood for daily water needs.
The settlement was established in 1924 as Prague transformed into a modern city with expanding industrial sectors and job opportunities. It emerged as a response to housing shortages when workers built homes from available materials.
The name Slatiny refers to the marshy meadows of the Slatinský stream valley where the colony grew. Residents long lacked piped gas and sewers, and the lanes of the main part still have no street names, the whole area being known simply as Na Slatinách. A football club and an amateur theatre group performed at the pub U Blebtů.
The site is easy to walk through on foot, with narrow streets between houses that are accessible to visitors exploring at their own pace. Daytime visits work best for observing the house construction details and layout of the settlement.
The settlement peaked during the economic crisis with roughly 400 dwellings that developed largely outside official records and permits. This unregistered construction method showcases how residents solved housing problems through improvisation and collective effort.
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