Apr 20 2008
Day 4 – Prague
So far in our Facing History class, we have been studying how people throughout history have misused their power for their own selfish reasons and how past examples have influenced others in acts of mass murder. For example, we know that the Armenian genocide influenced the planning of the Holocaust. It is important for people today to learn from the mistakes of the past and educate those who do not understand. Today we took a walking tour of Prague, which is the capital city of the Czech Republic. We learned that the Jewish Quarter in Prague was left completely intact because it was supposed to be a museum to an extinct race. This tour was closer to home because it was led by a teacher named Ms. Neuschlova who once taught alongside one of our own, Ms. Powell. Ms. Neuschlova was accompanied by a group of 12 high school students in her class. Though it was raining uncontrollably, Ms. Neuschlova’s knowledge of this medieval city brightened up our day. We met the students near their school and introduced ourselves to each other. We then walked alongside the Vltava River in the Podoli region which overlooks the city. It was there where we learned that Prague is also known as “The City of 1000 Spires” because after every five houses there is a Romanesque styled Basilica. The city’s evident gothic architecture, which has been well preserved, stood out from all the other cities we have visited. We made our way to the Rotunda of Saint Maarten and then ascended 700 steps to the Castle of Praha. We concluded our tour at famous Charles Bridge, which was created in the 10th century, thus making it oldest bridge in the city. Throughout our walking tour, we visited many sites that were related to significant themes explored in our class. For example, we were led to a very interesting structure known as the Lennon Wall. What was once an ordinary wall in Prague is now covered with John Lennon inspired graffiti. This wall is a haven for anonymous youth and allows them to express their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and morals. Many lyrics from songs by the Beatles were written on this wall. The quote that stood out the most in the center of the mural was “Some may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”. During the time of Communist rule, many young people needed to express their views on important issues, including their limited rights. This made me think about the youth in the United States and how many freedoms we have. Some of us even left our own names and messages on the wall. The highlight of the day was meeting with the students from the Czech Republic. Meeting with these students gave me a glimmer of hope. Though we all came from different cultures, and completely different countries, we found a common ground just being normal teenagers, trying to find out more about ourselves and the world we live in. This shows that things can change in our world for the better if we all use our words and actions for good.
Today we visited King Ludwig’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle. This structure served as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle. To reach the castle, we had to climb up the mountain on which it sits. Our hike took about 30 minutes and included incredible views of the town below. Some students decided to take a horse carriage ride up the hill, while others chose to run.When we reached the top of the mountain and started our tour of the actual castle, we had to climb 134 stairs to the third floor. This floor was the only level of the castle that was ever completed. We learned that the castle had 64 rooms and only 16 were finished. King Ludwig really didn’t spend any time in the castle. In fact, he only lived in his castle for a couple of months. During his stay he spent most of his time in the dressing room, which can only be entered through a secret entrance door from his bedroom. We noticed that there were a lot of sculptures and portraits of swans. The swan holds significant meaning in Bavaria and also serves as a symbol of loyalty. We were surprised to hear that King Ludwig died at the young age of 40 and left behind no wife or children. His death came before the completion of his castle.After visiting the castle we began an eight hour bus ride to Prague in the Czech Republic. The scenery during our drive was amazing. From the windows on the bus, we could see beautiful mountains, some covered in snow, and landscape unlike any we have ever observed in America. We even noticed that one of the small towns had a ski lift. Another highlight of our day included the group discussions on the bus. We talked about what we experienced in Germany and our thoughts on the country, the culture, and yesterday’s visit to the concentration camp in Dachau.After eights hours on the bus, we finally arrived in Prague. Right away, we noticed the difference in the architectural styles from Munich. We were also reminded that after WWII, the nation of Czechoslovakia became Communist. At first they were encouraged by the propaganda spread by the Russians. They believed that Communism would be the best thing for them. Later on, they realized that they were lied to. They finally won their independence by marching in Wenceslas Square and demanding control of the government. Since there was no bloodshed it was called the Velvet Revolution.
