Two Trips to Prague

Chris and I recently spent 3 days in Prague over the Easter break. It was a meaningful trip because we had also visited Prague 21 years ago in 1990 just as the walls of communism were falling.

On Charles Bridge 2011

On Charles Bridge 1990 with Jan and Juroslav, Czech relatives

My great-grandparents on both my mother's and father's side emigrated from what was then Moravia. My grandmother kept in touch with the relatives who stayed behind in Czechoslovakia by writing letters. After the fall of communism in 1989 the borders were opened making it easier to return to the country of my family's origin. How wonderful that we still had contact information for the relatives living there.

In May 1990, my relatives gave us a wonderful whirlwind tour of Prague in one day. It was so exciting being there at that time when free enterprise was just being discovered and hatred of the past government was evident. We saw lots of graffiti like on the plaque below. It was on a bridge saying it was dedicated to Gottwald, Communist president, in 1973. The word "killer" was painted over it.

May 1990

This time in Prague we visited the Museum of Communism. It was fascinating to see the events that were so fresh during our last trip now documented as history. The fall of communism in Czechoslovakia is called the "Velvet Revolution" because it went so smoothly. The photo below shows a makeshift monument in 1990 to the Czech heroes at Wenceslas Square where demonstrations were held. There was melted wax all around the edges from candles. Today this is just a flower bed.

May 1990, Wenceslas Square

The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia, and yes, the same guy in the Christmas carol, "Good King Wenceslas".

Prague is now a very touristy place, so different from 21 years ago, and yet the beautiful churches, the history, and the famous Charles Bridge remain the same. The pivo is still very good and inexpensive too!

Prague, April 2011

This memorial book is in the St. Vitus Cathedral.

Memorial Book of Czechoslovak Airmen 1939 - 1945

We saw tourists lined up at a spot between two buildings. Naturally, we had to check it out. It was a narrow passageway with a traffic signal so pedestrians can flow single-file in one direction at a time to get to a neat restaurant on the river. Clever marketing.

I was excited to see that Kiefer Sutherland, aka Jack Bauer from 24, had stayed at our hotel, the Alchymist Residence Nosticova. Jack would be proud to see the injustices of communism gone from Prague!