• ensemble of the Royal Infantry Regiment of Baron Wernhardt: participating ensemble

News of this ball occuring as part of the occasion of the unveiling of the Prague Radetzky Monument was published in Bohemia 28/10/1858, although the date announced by that text - 11 November - proved not to be the date upon which the event actually took place. The monument, located in Malostranké náměstí was unveiled on 13 November in the presence of the Emperor Franz Josef. On 31/10/1858 Bohemia published a detailed article describing the official programme of the day of the unveiling and concluded with news of the construction of a special annex to the Žofín Hall to accommodate the Festival Ball. However, the date of the Ball was again specified as 11 November. The text also related that over 2000 admission tickets had been printed for the event.

Constantly repeated and updated details of preparations of the Žofín Hall for this forthcoming Festival Ball appeared frequently in German daily newspapers during the weeks leading up to the event. Most of these, such as the extended report appearing in Prager Zeitung 7/11/1858 or the report published by Der Tagesbote 5/11/1858, relayed information about the plans and progress of decorations and extensions being made to the venue especially for this event.

Reports appeared in both Prager Zeitung and Der Tagesbote 9/11/1858 announcing that the Festival Ball had been rearranged from 8 November to the 14 November in order to take place after the arrival in Prague of the Emperor (as was noted in Prager Zeitung 10/11/1858 as well as in other contemporary Prague newspapers), who would attend the both the unveiling event and the ball. The texts noted that he would arrive in Prague by train on Thursday 12/11/1858. Prager Zeitung and Tagesbote also noted on 9/11/1858 that the venue would be specially prepared and decorated for the event and that 2000 tickets were to be issued. Previously, on 30/10/1858, Tagesbote announced that 3000 tickets were to be issued..

A further report appeared in Bohemia 10/11/1858, with news that the Emperor, visiting Prague for the purpose of unveiling the Radetzky Monument, would arrive there the following day and would be met by the Czech Governor and General-in-chief of the military. The higher gentry, nobility and civil dignitaries would await the arrival of the Emperor in the Castle. The ceremonial unveiling of the Memorial was then to take place on Saturday 13 November at 11am. A special festival production would be given in the German Theatre on the Saturday evening, and a Czech production given the following evening when the Festival Ball would also be held in the Žofín Hall. Extended news about the organization and protocol surrounding these events also appeared in Der Tagesbote 10/11/1858, 11/11/1858 and 12/11/1858. On the day of the Ball the Tageskalender published by Bohemia on 14/11/1858 noted that the event was to begin at 8pm and that the participating musical ensemble was that of the Infantry Regiment of Baron Wernhardt.

A description of the events of the evening of the Ball appeared in a report published by Bohemia 16/11/1858. This primarily detailed the protocol surrounding the appearance and activity of the Emperor and Emperess, and listed the attending nobility and higher officials. Very little was noted about the musical content of the event, but the text does provide more general information about proceedings. Although the event officially began at 8pm, the report noted that already by 7pm the Hall was packed with a multitude of people. The Ball was opened by the royal party, who remained until after 10pm and participated in three Rondo dances. The event continued until the small hours of the following morning. A detailed report of the day’s Festival was also published by Tagesbote 14/11/1858.

Bohemia 15/11/1858, the Tageskalender of Bohemia 16/11/1858, and Prager Zeitung 16/11/1858 carried news that the Žofín Hall with its festival decorations was open to be viewed by the public on Tuesday 16 November between 9am and 4pm. An admission charge of 10 new kreutzers [the local currency had changed - effectively revalued - at the beginning of November 1858] per person would be donated to the Bartholomew Poor House [Bartholomäi-Armenhause]. Further news relative to the event appeared in Bohemia 20/11/1858; a published notice from the Ball Committee announced that articles mislaid during the ball including ‘many armbands, fans, handkerchiefs, a gold hairpin and a bouquet-holder’ could be recovered from the office in the Old Town Hall.

A brief announcement appeared in Bohemia 2/12/1858 congratulating the committee for the organization of the Radetzky Festival Ball, and observing that there had been no criticism of the occasion. The total expenditure on the ball was stated to have been 7900fl.