The Mihulka Tower has probably had more purposes than any other part of Prague Castle. Being passed down from hand to hand is what makes this particular part so interesting. Also known as the Powder tower because for the longest time it held the gun powder supply for the castle, this tower is the most recently rebuilt part of the Prague Castle.
The purpose of the Mihulka Tower was a part of the defenses of Prague Castle. The tower never had a chance to be put to the test. The fire of 1541 completely destroyed it. It was rebuilt and it became the home and workshop of a gunsmith and bell founder. Tomas Jaros made Prague's biggest bell now in the tower of St. Vitus as well as the Singing Fountain in the Royal Garden.
After Tomas the Mihulka had fallen into the hands of Rudolph II who had used it as a laboratory for his alchemists. Eventually that had come to an end and it had stored gun powder from then until 1649 when the Swedish army had invaded and the tower was blown up. Serious damage had occurred to the tower but it still stood with the same purpose, to store the gun powder until the mid 18th century. It then served as a home to the sacristans of St. Vitus Cathedral.
In the mid to late 20th century the tower was rebuilt and served as a museum and exhibition hall of the Military History Institute.
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