There aren’t many cities in Europe where streets changed their names as often as in Lviv. As an example, let’s look at the history of names of the main street of Lviv, Prospekt Svobody.

From the end of the 18th century this Lviv central avenue that leads up to the Lviv Opera House was called Lower Ramparts. Later its left side was named Karl Ludwig Lower and right side Karl Ludwig Upper. Starting from 1871 the right side was renamed into Hetmanska. In 1919 the left side of the street, bearing the name of an Austrian politician, was changed to Legionow. In 1940 the Soviet invaders of Lviv renamed the street to 1st May Street. In 1941 the German invaders changed it to Opernstrasse for one side, and Museumstrasse for another side. From 1942, as the Nazis tightened their grip on Lviv, both sides of the street were called Adolf Hitler Platz. In 1944, for a short time only, pre-war names Legionow and Hetmanska returned, and then again the 1st of May Street. From 1959 it was called Lenin Avenue, and from 1990 Prospekt Svobody (Freedom Avenue) as a wave of political changes swept through Lviv.