It is Sunday night in Prague and yet another amazing day in this magical city. I can certainly see why my friend, Raina loves this city. I could definitely live here, except that I don't think I would ever be able to learn to speak Czech.
I started my day by checking out one of Prague's best known sites - Old Town Square, which has been a market square since the 11th century. The focal point of the square is the ancient Astronomical Clock, which was installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working. Don't ask me how to read it because I don't understand it, but it's an fantastic clock. At the top of the hour, the figures on the clock move, the heads of the Apostles make an appearance, and a rooster crows before the bells toll the hour. I attempted to make a video of it today but it didn't come out very well. I'll try again tomorrow now that I know what I'm looking for.
After watching the clock toll the hour, I meandered a bit around the square and viewed the churches (the Tyn Church and the Church of St. James) - while waiting for Raina to show. Both churches were beautiful, but the Church of St. James has an interesting relic - a black, shriveled-up arm with clenched fingers which is hanging by a chain from a metal post right near the main door. Apparently, a thief attempted to steal an important treasure from the church, but his hand froze to the statue. The monks had to cut off his arm to get the hand to let go. The arm was hung as a warning. That's messed up!
When Raina finally caught up with me, we decided we would explore the Jewish Quarter. In this quarter, there are several Jewish sights scattered over a three-block area: the Old-New Synagogue, the Maisel Synagogue (current closed), the Pinkas Synagogue, the Spanish Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Ceremonial Hall, and the Klaus Synagogue. With the exception of the Old-New Synagogue and the Maisel, Raina and I visited all the other sights. Each one tells a different part of Jewish life and all are interesting museums to visit. But for me, the best and most important of all of these sites was the Pinkas Synagogue.
Built in 1535, the Pinkas Synagogue was a site for Jewish worship for 400 years, and is currently a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Bohemia and Moravia. The walls are covered with the handwritten names of 77,297 Czech Jews who were sent to the gas chambers. I can't even being to describe the impact that this site has for me. Of all the memorials to the victims of the Holocaust, the Pinkas is one of the most moving. I spent about 3 minutes looking at the names before I burst into tears. It's just overwhelming the sheer number of names on the walls. This memorial is a must see for anyone who visits Prague.
Here's a little history on Jewish population in the Czech Republic. "For the Czechs of the Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia, German occupation was a period of brutal oppression. The Jewish population of Bohemia and Moravia (117,551 according to the 1930 census) was virtually annihilated. Many Jews emigrated after 1939; approximately 78,000 were killed. By 1945, some 14,000 Jews remained alive in the Czech lands. Approximately 144,000 Jews were sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp. Most inmates were Czech Jews. About a quarter of the inmates (33,000) died in Theresienstadt, mostly because of the deadly conditions (hunger, stress, and disease, especially the typhus epidemic at the very end of war). About 88,000 were deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps. When the war finished, there were a mere 17,247 survivors. There were 15,000 children living in the children's home inside the camp; only 93 of those children survived" (Wikipedia). There are currently only about 1,700 registered Jews in Prague, although there are probably more who are unregistered. After their experiences with the Nazis and, later, the Soviets, can you blame them?
After visiting all of various sites in the Jewish Quarter (and having stopped for lunch during the afternoon where I had some yummy goulash), we then decided to check out the Museum of Medieval Art, before heading off to a few other sites, like Wenceslas Square and Náměstí Republiky, plus stopping for the occasional bite for food or beverage.
Tomorrow, I'll be heading up to Prague Castle, which I cannot wait to see. I'm not certain what else I'll do tomorrow but the Castle is a definite! Remember to check out my Day 20 photos at my GToE photo site.
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