THE LEGEND AND THE TRUTH OF THE PRAGUE WATCH

In 1410 the royal master clockmaker Mikulas of Kadano, along with Jan Šindel, the professor of mathematics and astronomy from the Charles University, designed a clock.
The clock was set in the tower of the Old Square.
Master clockmaker Hanus finished it in 1490.
A legend about the clock spread through Prague:
Hanus was blinded so that he would not be able to make another such clock anywhere else, and Hanus revenged himself by damaging the clock mechanism.
That is the legend.

The truth is different.
Hanus was never blinded and he continued his work. It is true that the clock was often inoperational until the 1570 when certain J. Taboski repaired it.

During the Middle Ages the clock was not used to show time, rather to show astronomical data to farmers.
The clock had three main parts.
The bottom part shows the movement of the Sun and the Moon, as well as the planets around the Earth. In the circle at the center there are 12 small moons that show the Zodiac signs and agricultural seasons.

On each side of the upper part of the clock there are two sculptures which represent the 4 weakness of the Man: Vanity, Avarice, Death, and Greed.

At the top part there are blue windows through which 12 apostles exit every full hour and go around the circle.
Death strikes one bell and turns the hourglass upside down.
The apostles start exiting by bowing to the people.

The clock suffered significant damage during the Second World War. It has been repaired with great expense and effort. It started functioning again in 1948.