Today I went on a walking city tour, a lunch cruise on the main river, spent the entire afternoon in the traditionally Jewish section of the city, got a haircut, had a traditional Czech dinner, and wandered around the city. It was an action packed day; I am surprised I am still awake with all of the walking and eating I did today. Here are the highlights:
Walking tour and lunch cruise: I have found that these types of tours are helpful in learning about the less touristy spots of the city that are more relevant and specific than the typical guidebook. They also help to orientate me to the layout of the city and give important tidbits of information that I wouldn’t necessary pickup on my own (like where to be careful and watch for pickpockets or where to get the bet exchange rates). With that said, I am glad I took the tours. They both showed the heavy influence of art nevus in the city.
Jewish section of the city: Hitler, being the proud and crazed man that he was, thought that after the war hat he would create a museum to a race that no longer existed. As a result of this vision, Hitler decided to leave Prague’s Jewish section relatively untouched. During the war, Hitler ordered that all of the synagogues in the area be used as storage containing Jewish relics that were plundered in a process called Aryanization. What remains in Prague today is physical evidence of what was once a vibrant Jewish community; the only problem is that few Jews live in the community. The community only has one synangogue in service.
I purchased a ticket that allowed me to enter all of the buildings in the district. The synagogues have all been turned into museums that highlight different aspects of religious practice and culture. I found them to be interesting, but the highlight of the district for me was in the Pinkus Synagogue. The first and second floors of the building were filled with the names of Jewish individuals who perished in the Holocaust from Prague. The third floor has a permanent exhibit of drawings from the kids of the region from Terezin.
Terezin was a concentration camp in the Czech Republic that the majority of Czech Jews passed through en route to Auschwitz. In June of 1944, the Nazis allowed the Red Cross to enter this camp to see how “humanely” Jews were treated in the camps. This was done to appease the nations of the world that were beginning to question the purpose of the camps. Playgrounds were made; a school was built; the inmates were even given food and drink for a short period. Then, once filming was complete and the visitors moved on, almost all of the inmates were sent to their deaths.
In an attempt to maintain a normal life for their children, many Jewish parents allowed their children to participate in secret art classes while at the camp. The art classes allowed many children to explore their thoughts and feelings and escape into other worlds. Art supplies were difficult to get to maintain the classes, but the inmates managed with what they had.
The artwork was really touching. Photos are strictly prohibited inside the synagogues, but I couldn’t help myself. I waited for the guard to leave the room and I took two really quick pictures. I just couldn’t leave without taking a picture of the beautifully tragic artwork.
There was also a very heavy police presence in this area of the city. I’m not sure exactly why it was so heavy, but the presence was very noticeable.
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