Lots of memorable stuff seems to have happened 1100-1700. Not so much since? Certainly a lot of the significant buildings seem to have been built, destroyed and rebuilt during that period. Prague lost importance as the Austrian-Hungarian empire rose. There was a national revival in the late C19. Occupation by the Nazis and then Communists took 50’uears out of the middle of the C20, but Prague is looking elegant and thriving nowadays. (Well that’s my take on it, in brief!). And so many churches.
The first photo here – Charles Bridge in the foreground, St Vitus Church within the castle grounds on the skyline The second photo – Church of Our Lady before Tyn overlooks the Old Town Square
I took a tour of the Jewish quarter today. For several centuries it was one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe, peaking in 1500-1700 and again in the early C20. But around 80,000 Jews from Bohemia and Moravia were caught in the holocaust and one of the old synagogues commemorates those lives, listing all on the walls.
i finally found more on a story I partly got last week when I asked our hotel host why we had two public holidays. His English wasn’t quite up to the explanation. It seemed the second day might have been an anniversary of a martyrdom … Yes! Priest Jan Hus was burnt at the stake on 6 July 1415. He was an early reformer, wanting to preach in Czech instead of Latin etc. Finally in 1920, a separate Hussite church was set up independent of Rome.
Which brings me to the culture … lots of churches and other places are advertising late afternoon or lunchtime concerts. So today I went to an organ with trumpet recital in St Nicholas Hussite Church which has a chandelier straight out of Phantom of the Opera. A smallish space filled with extra chairs out. The blurb appeared to advertise 4 items (I knew the first) and on the other side of the page nine items (including those 4) were listed. I assumed their various concerts selected from these nine. But after four items, the concert continued. Clearly others in the audience were similarly confused, getting more and more restless as 30 min for 4 items stretched to 60. Got no idea how many items they actually played, but it was interesting enough. Handel, Mozart, Bach and others.
I emerged at 6pm to find the Old Town Square hopping. A large stage, cameras, big screen, microphones etc. Bohemian Jazz Festival. Quite a large and young audience either standing or sittting on the ground in the square.
travellingkathy 