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1410
The oldest part of the clock dates back to 1410
The oldest part of the Orloj, the mechanical clock and astronomical dial, dates back to 1410. It was created by the horologist Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel, a Charles University professor of mathematics and astronomy. The first recorded mention is on 9 October 1410.
A legend
A legend says the clockmaker Hanuš was blinded so he could not repeat it
A legend recounted by Alois Jirásek has it that the clockmaker Hanuš was blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors, so that he could not repeat his work. In turn, he disabled the clock. The belief that Hanuš built it in 1490 is now known to be a historical mistake.
The figures
On the hour the figures shake their heads while a skeleton rings the bell
The four figures flanking the clock are set in motion on the hour. One admires himself in a mirror, one holds a bag of gold, and one is a skeleton that strikes the time. The skeleton rings the bell and the others shake their heads, signifying their unreadiness to go.
The Moon
The Moon's phase is moved by gravity alone, unique among such clocks
The half-silvered, half-black sphere of the Moon shows the lunar phase. The movement is powered only by gravity, which makes the Orloj unique in the world among astronomical clocks showing the phases of the Moon. The mechanism was made by an unknown maker, probably in the mid-17th century.
1945
In May 1945 the Old Town Hall burned and the clock was badly damaged
The Orloj suffered heavy damage on 7 and especially 8 May 1945, during the Prague uprising, when the Nazis fired on the Old Town Square from armoured vehicles. The hall burned, along with the wooden sculptures and the calendar dial face by Josef Mánes. The Orloj started working again in 1948.
Day 1, midday
It comes after Old Town Square. Then Powder Tower.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Prague astronomical clock, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.