2023 Germany and Czech Republic: Day 5

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Emily W. '24 wrote:

Today we spent our day exploring the towns in Prague. The weather is cold, but nothing can stop us from photographing this quaint city's beautiful scenery.

Our first stop was Prague Castle, where the royal family used to live, as well as where every president of the Czech Republic held their office. It is located on a hill with a view of the entire city. On top of the Castle is a flag showing that the president is in the country right now. If he is leaving, a message will be sent the minute he crosses the border to lower the flag. We then went to the St. Vitus Cathedral, which was definitely stunning. Every wall is decorated with stained glass windows, many depicting Prague's history before the Cathedral's establishment. Since its construction, it has stood here for centuries to witness the history of Prague ever after.

After having lunch in the Old Town of Prague, we stayed there to learn about the history of Czech Jews. We recognized their heritage and remembered the long-term discrimination they faced since the Middle Ages. In one of the Synagogues, there is a room of exhibit for the drawings Jewish children made during their years in the concentration camp. While looking at the artwork, the world they recorded had the same creativity and imagination as today's children. It is heartbreaking to think about the dark life they went through and still be able to keep their colorful dreams.

Thank you so much for following up with day 5 of our Global Trip to Germany and the Czech Republic! We hope you enjoy the trip as much as us!

Skylar A. '24 wrote:

After spending our first night in Prague, we began our day by visiting the beautiful Royal Prague Castle, Hradčany. We then transitioned to the Jewish Quarter, which is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. Here, we learned about the rollercoaster of a history the Jewish residents in this area had. The Jewish town developed during the 13th century as a separate ghetto for the Jewish people. Our first stop in the Jewish Quarter was the Maisel Synagogue. At this Synagogue, we were immersed in the culture of the residents in the Jewish Quarter. For instance, we learned that Jewish people had to wear some form of yellow to distinguish themselves from the rest of society (this practice was later continued in the Second World War).

The next site we visited was a very meaningful and powerful experience for me. We walked to the Pinkas Synagogue: a building that stands as a memory of what existed before the Nazi reign and what was destroyed by their cruelty. This Synagogue serves as a memorial of the 80,000 Jewish people in Prague who were killed at the Terezin concentration camp.

Included in these 80,000 innocent people were my ancestors that went by the last names Altmann and Angster. I asked everyone to search the Synagogue for their names signed on the walls, but I was not prepared for what I would see. As I walked into the Synagogue, I was overwhelmed by thousands of names and didn't know where to begin looking. As the group started searching, they found my last name signed throughout the Synagogue. A wave of devastation and connectivity ran through me when I saw the names. Other trip members also started to find their ancestors' names. It was a whole new way for people to be linked to generations of their families.

The upstairs exhibited paintings from the children in the Terezin concentration camp. Friedl Dicker Brandeisová, a professor, held secret painting classes for the children to help them express their experiences. These drawings were heart-wrenching, as many featured hangings of people, darkness, and lone kids. We continued our exploration of the Jewish Quarter in their community cemetery.

Due to the isolation of Jewish people, they were limited to one plot of land to bury all of their deceased community members. Ten layers of bodies were buried in the cemetery due to this land restriction. It was very touching to see all the broken-down tombstones and to imagine the discriminatory life they had to live.

Despite all these solemn experiences, we ended our trip to the Jewish Quarter in a unique and gorgeous Spanish Synagogue. The Synagogue was unlike any other I have seen before. It was decked out in vibrant colors, gold stars of David, and elaborate arches.