St Vitus Cathedral stood at the centre of Protectorate events in Prague Castle, where key political figures had their offices and important political acts occurred. One of the most significant of these was the signing of the decree establishing the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia by Adolf Hitler in March 1939. The state president of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Emil Hácha, resided in the castle permanently, the Reich's protector had an office and private apartment in the southern wing.

Originally built for the Ministry of Foreign Trade after a design by Josef Sakař in 1920–1922, the first floor of the building was encased in a massive wall during the Protectorate. Similar measures were applied to many buildings in Prague, for example the astronomical clock or around sculptures in the interior of St Vitus Cathedral. In the case of the ministry, the building was not protected for its architectural value but rather for the institution that resided in it.Zdeněk Wirth – Josef Sudek, Pražský kalendář 1946. Kulturní ztráty Prahy 1939–1945, Nakladatelství V.

Since 1410 the southern facade of the Old Town Hall has been adorned with a spectacular astronomical clock, which was originally created by the king's clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and the astronomer Jan Šindel. Around 1490 it was adapted by the master clockmaker and locksmith Hanuš of Růže. At the same time the sculptural elements were created by a mason from the court circle of Hans Spiess. The present appearance of the clock comes from the 1860s, when Josef Mánes painted the medallions of the months and the signs of the zodiac.

The devastation of the Old Town Hall became a symbol of the May Uprising in 1945 in Prague. The town hall was established by a decree of King John the Blind in 1338 as the administrative and judicial seat of Prague Old TownVáclav Vojtíšek, Pohroma Staroměstské radnice. In: Bohumil Hypšman, Sto let Staroměstského rynku a radnice, Pražské nakladatelství Václava Poláčka, Praha, 1946, díl I, p. 19., in the pre-existing Gothic house of Volflin od Kamene (Volflin from the Stone). The town hall gradually spread to neighbouring houses.