The Seven Years’ War took place between 1756 & 1763 when Prussian troops invaded Bohemia under King Frederick II. The story behind most wars is usually found in history books but evidence of this war is visible today in Prague’s castle district – Hradcany.

The war was one of those huge conflicts that involved the world’s major powers and affected Europe, West Africa, the Philippines as well as North and Central America. It was as close to a World War as you could get and started when the British attached French shipping positions in North America.

Prussia was allied with Great Britain and wanted to use the war to attack Austria and to prevent an Austro-French invasion of Silesia (Silesia is a region primarily located in modern-day southern Poland with parts of Germany and Czechia). Frederick invaded Bohemia in 1767 hoping to quickly defeat the Austrians.

The battle was bloody and both sides had incredible casualties. The Austrians retreated to Prague and barricaded the city from within. Prussia attacked Prague despite having more than 14,000 dead from the battle, and the Siege of Prague, as it became known, did not last long. Frederick had to admit defeat when an Austrian-led incursion threatened his supply routes to the north.

One point of attack that the Prussians used was just behind the castle walls in and around Loretanske Namesti (Loreta Square). Evidence of this brutal attack can be seen on the church of Our Lady of the Angels which contains around 50 cannon balls still embedded in the facade, as you can see from the photographs here.

The church itself belongs to the oldest Capuchin monastery in Bohemia and was originally constructed in 1600 which means it was already old when it suffered the Prussians’ bombardment. One aspect of the war was also the Roman Catholic vs Protestant divide in Europe so selecting a religious building as a target makes some sense in this light.

Today, the church is on the main tourist route and is currently under reconstruction. If you wander around the main square and take the north-westerly exit, the narrow alley gives you the best view of the cannonball infested facade.

Cannonballs can be seen on the facade of another church in Prague’s New Town.

Did you notice the cannon balls in the facade of the church when you walked by?