The original church of St. Wenceslas was built on this site in the 12th century in the Romanesque style. Some parts of the original tower can still be
seen from the outside, in particular two Romanesque windows.
Att the end of the 14th century the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style, and this style has been essentialy preserved down to the present day Dating from this early period are the two frescos in the presbytery representing "The tree of
life" and "Mary as Virgin mother". Until the Hussite period the church was administered by the Knights of the Cross - the Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre (Fratres Cruciferi).
During the Hussite period the church continued to be used for religious purposes. The Hussite mass was celebrated here for two centuries, up until the Battle of the White Mountain (last in 1621).
In 1623 the Emperor Ferdinand II granted the church to the Augustinians, who had come to Prague from Italy. The church was re-consecrated and the Augustinians, in an ambitious building project, constructed a monastery adjoining the church. But by 1785 the monastery was closed down on the order of Emperor Joseph II.
In 1804 the monastery was transformed into a prison. The church was used to hold services for the prisoners. In 1884 the prison was also closed down and it was planned to demolish the entire complex. An influential group of Prague citizens managed to to ensure that at least the old church was saved.
In 1927 the Czechoslovak Hussite Church purchased the church, by now in a state of serious disrepair, from the municipal authorities, and undertook its reconstruction. The members. of the church devoted considerable effort and
funds acquired from collections and donations to the task, and thus managed to preserve this historical building for posterity.