Darren: Our entire trip we’d been looking forward to seeing Prague, but we were really sad that it marked our last stop in Europe. We didn’t know how we’d ever want to leave. The day we arrived it was really hot. In fact, we would learn later that there was a heat wave that week and that specific day was probably the hottest of the entire month! (about 95 degrees and lots of humidity) To make matters a bit more uncomfortable, we were staying in a cute attic apartment. Yeah that’s right, I said attic. Hot air really likes it up there. We had one oscillating fan and both took about 3 cold showers each to stay alive. Thank goodness that it cooled off from that day on throughout the next week we were there.
Our first day out we went up to the “Castle Quarter.” True to the name, this neighborhood is where the castle is. It sits high above the rest of the city and made for some great views of all the red roofs and spires below. Out front of the castle gate we caught the changing of the guard. Within the walls we stopped in to the Cathedral of St. Vitus. What was really impressive about this cathedral was the amount and quality of stained glass windows it contains. There is a famous one by Alfons Mucha, a Czech artist. There are a few scenes depicted in the window including Methodius, the bishop, baptizing a mythic long-haired Czech man to remind us of how Christianity was brought to the Czech people. All eyes are drawn to the center of the window, though, where the colors are more vibrant and another scene is shown. There is a young boy kneeling beside an elderly woman. The figures are symbolic. The prophesying elder with her eyes closed stands for the past and memory, while the young boy, with a penetrating stare, represents the hope and future of the nation. The boy’s eyes are what really impressed me.
After passing through the castle courtyards we ended up walking down towards our apartment by way of the castle gardens. They zigzagged down and through fountains, shrubs and pathways.
Prague’s Old Town Square was really fun to pass though almost every day on our way to everywhere else. The square is wide open and is surrounded by massive landmark buildings. Turning around in a circle you could see the Church of St. Nicholas, the Tyn Church, the National Gallery, and Old Town Hall. On one side of the tower of town hall you could crowd in with all the other spectators to see the Astronomical Clock. Not only does the clock tell time but it’s also got rings and circles that show information on sunrise and sunsets, signs of the zodiac and a place showing today’s special saint. At the top of the hour, the figure representing Death’s hourglass dips, rings a bell, the 12 apostles pass by little windows, a rooster crows and then the hour is rung. Pretty fun to watch.
Last but definitely not least was Charles Bridge. It stretches across the Vltava River and connects the “Little Quarter” (where our apartment was) with the “Old Town.” We got to walk over the bridge almost every night or at least at some time during the day and loved the walk every time. The bridge is named after Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor who ruled in the 14th century. At the ends of the bridge there are towers which are considered some of the finest gothic gates anywhere. Massive archways with black spires covering the tops.
Kim: Prague was amazing! I loved this red-roofed city with its towering spires. We had a lot of fun wandering through its cobblestone streets and learning about its history. Our apartment (click
HERE to see pics) was definitely ideally located. From there we had easy access to Mala Strana, or Little Quarter, as well as the Old Town across the bridge.My favorite views of the city were at night. Street lamps shining on ancient statues and architecture, boats floating by on the river, the castle in the distance lighting up the sky. The Tyn Church burning pink under the setting of the afternoon sun. Amazing!! Our dreams of traveling and volunteering started with Prague and branched out from there so it was a dream come true to finally make it.
Terezin Concentration Camp, near Prague
Kim: As a day trip from Prague, we decided to visit the Terezin Concentration Camp. It was originally a fortified town named after Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. In 1941, the Nazis removed its 7000 inhabitants and brought in 60,000 Jews, creating a Concentration Camp. This was the Nazis’ model “Jewish town,” a concentration camp dolled up for propaganda purposes. Jewish culture seemed to thrive, as “citizens” put on plays and concerts, published a magazine, and raised their families. But is was a carefully planned deception intended to convince Red Cross inspectors that the Jews were being treated well. Virtually all of Terezin’s Jews (155,000 over the course of the war) ended up dying either here or in extermination camps farther east.
Of the 15,000 children who passed through Terezin, fewer than 100 survived. The children’s’ artwork, on display in the museum, brought tears to my eyes. Drawings of butterflies and flowers, those things that reminded them of home, the home that they would never return to. Pictures that depict the cruelty of the camp. I can’t imagine the kind of world they witnessed. One of the things that bothered me the most about these drawings was the dates. Above the various drawings they would have the child's name along with their birth and death dates and the location of both. While the birth dates (and locations) varied tremendously, many, too MANY, would have the same death date at the exact same location. These 6 all had this date, these 12 all had this date, these 10 all had this date, and so on. The location of all deaths seemed to be at Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland. It made me sick to think that these kids had purposely been put to death, in groups. So strategically planned. It was definitely an emotional moment for me.
After the museum, we toured through the Magdeburg Barracks that gave us an idea of what a camp dormitory would have looked like. I can’t imagine sharing that small of a space with hundreds of other people. No wonder so many of them died from sickness and disease. We also took a self-guided tour of the Small Fortress. From 1940 to 1945, this fortress functioned as a Gestapo prison, through which 32,000 inmates passed (of whom nearly 10 percent died here). We saw model prison cells, including the washroom and shower room. The washroom was built solely for the purpose of fooling Red Cross inspectors. No pipes were ever installed to bring in water. The shower room was used to fool the Jews. Here they got used to the idea of communal bathing, so they wouldn’t be suspicious when they were later taken to similar-looking installations at Auschwitz (gas chambers). Sick!!
It was truly a unique experience to walk through a town that once housed a concentration camp and feel the feeling that resides there. I don’t think I will ever forget that feeling. Even now as I write the words, the emotions come flooding back to my heart and mind. I truly cannot understand how people can be so cruel. As I looked around that town and imagined what it would have looked like then, I got a sad, lonesome feeling in the pit of my stomach. Darren and I wandered around the whole afternoon with heavy hearts. It was like there was a thick cloud looming overhead. A heavy weight seemed to be heaped upon our shoulders. You could actually feel the sadness and the cruelty of the place. Everywhere you turned there was a dilapidated building reminding you of the past, a headstone reminding you of a life lost. In one word, it was depressing. I honestly don’t know how people live there. Darren and I commented that if we lived there we would feel like we could never laugh or joke. I know it may sound weird, but it is honestly true. But in my heart it makes sense. In a place with such a cruel history, where so many lives and dreams were taken, it only makes sense that the memories of what happened would continue to live on long after that part of history is over. And in a way, I’m glad that it does. It reminds people, like me, of the fragility of life. To seize every moment we are given. To appreciate families and freedoms. To do our part to fight against the injustices of life. To love and to serve and ultimately do all that we can to make the world a better place.
Darren: It was extremely hard to learn about this place and all that had happened here. The hardest part for me was when we were walking through the museum and along an entire wall there were written the names of the children who’d died. I was just looking at the names and trying to imagine these little innocent kids having to pass through such a horrible experience and then my eyes caught hold of one name that matched one of my niece’s. For some reason it made it even more real to me and even more disturbing. Had to hold back a few tears and leave the room. Still gets me now even writing about it. I just add it to the list of experiences that I’ve been blessed to have while on this trip. Each one has affected me and shaped me a bit differently than if I’d never come. I’m so grateful that Kim and I were able to come and experience it all together.
