Czech Please

This past weekend, some friends and I decided to break our trend of traveling in Western Europe and head to the Czech Republic. Our hostel in Prague was just outside Old Town Square. Believe it or not, Old Town Square and the surrounding Old Town are made up of very old buildings. The architecture here is amazing, dating back to the 13th century. Looking around the square after a tour of the city, I was able to identify many of the buildings. From the center of the square, I could see the gothic Týn Cathedral, the baroque St. Nicholas Church, Old Town Hall, and a medieval astronomical clock. Next to me, in the middle of the square was a statue of Jan Hus, a religious reformer who was burned at the stake in Constantinople. However, after looking through the rest of the Prague blogs, I decided not to write about any of this. Instead, I will focus on the new restaurants and bars that now occupy the majority of these unbelievable buildings.

Don’t get me wrong, the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge are awesome architectural and historical artifacts; but, when I went to Prague, I decided to look for something significant that might be overlooked by most tourists. I found that something in Prague’s unique restaurant, pub, and bar scene.
In a Prague blog made available to us by our very own Tim Montgomery, were a number of suggestions as to where to locate the best food and drink in Prague. As we began hopping from restaurant to restaurant and bar to bar, some common themes began to pop up. First, everything was very cheap. Although New Town is slightly cheaper than Old Town, we were still paying the equivalent of $1.19 for a half liter of beer. That’s less than one euro! The reason for this excellent exchange rate is Prague’s extreme inflation in 1991 and 1993. This inflation was the result of radical government policies designed to provide more control of the economy. The details of these monetary policies and are explained in this article.

To make the awesome exchange rate even better, the quality of food and beer at each of our stops was excellent. I picked up on the fact that many dishes and all of the beer you will find in Prague is part of Czech culture. Pilsner and Budweiser can both have their roots traced back to the Czech Republic, as both were German words for cities there. Today, almost every restaurant and bar has a contract with one of these beers making them readily available. This simple observation is supported by the fact that the Czech Republic consumes more beer per capita than any other country in Europe. Combine one of these beers with a traditional Czech dish like beef and dumplings and you can have an excellent meal for around $5. Just remember, unlike most of Western Europe, gratuity is not included in your bill.

The final theme that I picked up on between the various bars and restaurants were the buildings themselves. Almost every place we visited had some sort of basement sitting area. Sometimes, the entire restaurant would be underground. When I got home and looked for an explanation for this phenomenon, I discovered something very unique to Prague. Prague has always suffered from flooding, with the most recent one occurring in 2002. After constant flooding in the 13th century, the city planners decided upon a clever solution: raise the streets up one floor. Only today is Prague beginning to dig itself out. Underground passages and courtyards are now becoming homes to bars, restaurants, and shops throughout Prague. Descending into these underground areas is like hopping into a time machine. In many of them, the original stone work still lines the walls and the outlines of what were once windows can be spotted if you look carefully. I only wish I had known this before I left Prague so as to have a closer look at these pieces of history.


Tim’s Thoughts:
http://mudecactivities.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/563/

Economy:
http://www.bates.edu/prebuilt/Begg.pdf

Streets Raised:
http://www.timeout.com/prague/features/320/prague-area-guide

Inside the Square

For my final weekend of travel in Europe I decided to explore the city of Prague. Prague is a very unique city with its diverse architecture and people. The Old Town Square brings all of the locals and tourists together due to its historical and current significance. This square is a common place for celebrations and with the world cup going on it was an unbelievable experience. In the square there was one huge television which showed the games throughout the course of the day. One could get a sense of the peoples cultural identities based on the teams they cheered for and against.
Apart from the current significance of the Old Town Square as a common gathering place, one can really get a sense of history from the surrounding art and architecture. The three main structures in the square are the Tyne Cathedral, St. Nicholas Church, and Astronomical clock. The Tyne Cathedral along with many houses surrounding the area has more of a gothic appearance, while the St. Nicholas Church is a baroque style. Many of the houses and structures in this area have gothic styles due to Prague being the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in the middle ages. The basement and first floor of many buildings were gothic but then added onto years later using different forms of architecture. Along with the amazing architecture there is also a memorial located in the center of the square. At first I was unaware of the significance of the memorial until we took a tour of the city. The memorial had been built in 1915 in order to honor the 500 year anniversary of Jan Hus. The people throughout Prague had always been under the oppression of many different regimes, but Jan Hus stands as a symbol of strength against these groups. Although at the time Jan Hus stood against the oppression of the Catholic Church, the symbol of the memorial had taken on many different meanings throughout the years. Such as since World War one the statue has symbolized anti-soviet rule and later anti-communism.
The people of Prague still recognize Jan Hus as one of the most important Czech nationalists to this day. I felt that it was very interesting that one statue of this man who died around 500 years ago was still valued and helped the people get through years of oppression. The statue was built and paid for completely by donations of the public so one can understand the importance it has to nationalism in Prague.
The Old Town Square was a very interesting place to visit due to all of the excitement in the area. There are now many cafes, souvenir shops and restaurants spread throughout the square because it is one of the main tourist destinations of Prague. I had never seen so much diversity of architecture in Europe until traveling to the Old Town Square. It was amazing how much of the gothic and baroque style buildings survived throughout everything Prague had been through in the world wars. Although the Old Town Square has undergone many changes throughout the centuries, it has still preserved its historical origins.

http://www.prague.net/old-town-square
http://www.prague.cz/old-town-square/
http://www.pragueholiday.cz/old-town-square.php

Football : It's More Than Just Your Team's Name

During my stay in Prague, which is located in the Czech Republic, I witnessed the public viewing of a world cup game in the center square. The Czech Republic is an Eastern European country which used to be part of Czechoslovakia. “Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia.” In 1993 the two countries decided to separate back out into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This is a great example of how boarders and territory have changed overtime. The median age of the people in The Czech Republic is 38.9 years for males and 42.4 years for females. This age in my opinion is one that leads to much pride and nationalism for their country during the World Cup. They are old enough to remember old times but young enough to show emotion and pride for their country. The Czech Republic is made up of 59% unaffiliated and 26.8% Roman Catholic. 94.9% of the language spoken is Czech followed by a 2.3% in the other category. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ez.html)

We arrived at the Old Town Square in the early afternoon and found “Hyundai Fan Park Praha.” This fan park consisted of food stands, a blow up football kicking game, a football ball riding pin as well as a gigantic screen that was playing World Cup games. I didn’t give this much thought as we passed it because not many people were there. However, most of the people in our group joined in the mood and rode the football. You could look around the Old Town Square and really see how important Football and the World Cup was to the people of Prague as well as the tourists. Later that evening we made our way back to the square for some dinner. As we were arriving we experienced a completely different atmosphere. The France vs Mexico game was just beginning. We grabbed some food from one of the Hyundai Fan Park Praha food stands and went over and watched part of the game. The French team has appeared in 12 final tournaments, winning in 1998, finishing third in 1958 and 1986, and finishing fourth in 1982. (http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/teams/team=43946/profile.html) The Mexican team has qualified for FIFA World Cup finals 14 times in all, their best finish was reaching the last eight in 1970 as well as 1986. This is their fifth appearance in a row to the finals and they have been beaten out in the Round of 16 all five times. (http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/teams/team=43911/profile.html) Thus we can see that both teams have a lot of emotion and desire to win. You could witness much nationalism from the fans of both teams. I also witnessed nationalism and team pride from the players of the Football teams. As we took our spot I looked around and the entire square was full of jerseys of either French players or Mexican players. You could both hear and feel the emotion filling the square. You could smell the mixture of hot dogs and sausages with the stale smell of beer. As the game progressed you could feel the tension and emotion grow. After Javier Hernandez scored the first goal for Mexico, you could have heard the roaring and felt the rumble for miles. After watching most of the game in the square we decided to divert from this scene and head towards a bar to watch the last few minutes of the match. While we were walking away from the square we could hear the fans and crowed for a long way. They would get really loud and then they would go quite and this pattern continued the whole time. After arriving at the bar, we watched the last bit of the football game. I felt the same type of atmosphere while watching the game in the bar as I did while sitting in the square. It was a true experience to witness a World Cup game in Europe. In the end Mexico came out on top 2-0 and I felt like most people were very happy about this.

Map to Old Town Square

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Größere Kartenansicht

Other Links

- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ez.html

- http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/czechrepublic/index_en.htm

- http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/czechrepublic/index_en.htm

Czechin' out the World Cup in Praha

This weekend I was very excited to travel to Prague, since it was going to be my first visit to an Eastern European city. While the stereotype of Eastern Europe is that everything is run down, Prague may have been the most beautiful city I’ve visited to date. We spent most of our time in the Old Town, which displayed much of the

architecture from the 14^th -17^th centuries, when the city flourished under King Charles IV and the Habsburg dynasty. It was easy to see on a map where the winding city streets of the Old Town ended and the grid of the New began. Before I visited Prague, I assumed the city was mostly eastern orthodox, since the common (mis)conception is that all of Eastern Europe practices the orthodox denomination. I was surprised to see the abundance of religious relics of varying religions throughout the city, from the majestic 14^th century Roman Catholic St. Vitus Cathedral, to the beautiful Jubilee Synagogue, located within the city’s Jewish distr

ict.

Another aspect of Prague that caught my attention was the Czech koruna currency. Currently the Czech Republic is a member of the E.U., but is one of the countries not within the economic union, so it still uses its own money. While the Czech Republic will attempt to enter the monetary union in the future, it was somewhat refreshing to see a currency that is associated with the nationalistic symbols for one specific country. The Czech korunas is one of the most stunning looking currencies I’ve come across, displaying portraits of former Kings and heroes.

While Prague is a city filled with magnificent medieval monuments, but some of my favorite moments in the city were watching soccer at the World Cup Park. Nestled within the impressive baroque and gothic architecture of the Old Town Square, the World Cup Park consisted of an area filled with food, beer (including the original Czech Budweiser), live entertainment, crowds of rowdy football fans cheering on their country, and a proje

ctor playing all the games of the weekend. While we were there, I was able to watch bits and pieces of four different games, Greece vs. Nigeria (Παμε Ελλαδα!), U.S. vs. Slovenia, Germany vs. Serbia, and England vs. Algeria. Watching the matches provided for some of the entertainment, the most interesting part was watching how fans came together to celebrate their teams. As different games ended and a new one started, different hordes of fans would file their way into the park; drunken Englishmen singing “I’m English ‘til I die!”, masses of flag-waving Germans decked out in red, yellow and black, and of course rowdy Americans displaying the red white and blue with pride. It was nationalism at its finest. It was interesting to see how crowds of people, who were most likely strangers before, suddenly became united just by the color of the jersey they were wearing, or the flag they were waving. Although there were many tourists from around the globe watching, there were quite a bit of Czech locals as well. While the Czech national team did not qualify for the tournament, it was interesting to see which teams the locals decided to pledge their allegiance. Due to its close proximity to the Czech border, the Germans received a lot of support, and the Czechs were rooting harder for Slovenia than they were for the United States. While fans from the same country obviously gravitated towards each other during the games, it was interesting to talk with some of the fans around the world to hear there perspective on the games, and their experiences in Prague. Being able to watch the world’s most popular game amongst hundreds of fanatical soccer enthusiasts was one of the highlights of my trip to Prague. While wandering the beautiful city streets was a memorable experience, the hours I spent experiencing the patriotic/nationalistic values soccer brought out was something I’ll never forget.

Czech out Prague

The first step off the metro in Prague was magnificent. The cobblestone streets are still intact, and the buildings survived the world wars. As my friends and I wondered through old town, past the square and clock towers, we found ourselves to be in a different neighborhood. We kept walking towards the hostel, but the buildings became less beautiful, and more modern and run down. Once we found our hostel and settled in, I realized what a difference there was from old town to new town.
Prague is the capitol of the Czech Republic, which it has been called since the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Just 21 years ago, Prague was behind the iron curtain of the Soviet empire. The city today is one of the most visited in Europe, but it has yet to overcome the socialist past.
After we slept in and got bagels and unlimited refills at Bohemian Bagel , We spent the day walking around the city, across the Vltava River on the Charles Bridge, and walked around the Prague Castle. The city is gorgeous. World War II, which destroyed entire cities like Berlin, did not destroy Prague, as few buildings were destroyed.
Once we arrived in the center square, the first thing I noticed was not the beautiful astronomical clock that has dominated the skyline since the 15th century but the huge Hyundai Fan Park. The fan park presented by Hyundai consisted of a huge TV screen that aired all of the World Cup games. In-between the USA and Slovenia game and the England Algeria match, we saw “hobos” dancing in the square to techno music. After our obnoxious laughter, I realized that this was not a scene in many European or western cities. Along with the dancing, thousands showed up wearing their flags, jerseys, hats and horns. Although I rarely watch soccer in the US, I found myself chanting “USA” at each good play.
The Czech people do not have a national team in the world cup, but since many countries that border the Czech Republic like Germany do have a team, many still gather in the main square to show their support. Although the world cup is in South Africa and most nations do not have teams, most Europeans still show emphatic support for a nation. The central square of Prague that has been converted into a festival for soccer, food and beer symbolizes the nations hunger for fun and nationalism.
After the games, I became so involved in the architecture around me as we overheard the tour guide; he stated that the Czech government required all newborns to have one of the names inscribed on the clock. I could not imagine the United States having such a law, or if anyone would follow it. Beautiful churches and beautiful bohemian architecture similar to Germany’s Bavaria also surround the skyline of the square.
The city of Prague is a must see for all students. It offers the sights, architecture and history of most European countries, but it is also is a growing economy that has recently been admitted into the European Union. The currency is still the koruna since the government has postponed the adoption of the Euro. Although the currency is difficult to use since every euro is 26 koruna, mostly everything is cheap or affordable. For around 70 euro, 6 people along with myself enjoyed a 5 star Czech meal along with beer and appetizers. For the best bargain’s, move away from the center square, or visit new town to find beer for under one euro. Once I got my money, I received a 20-koruna coin dating from 1993, or the first year the country was called the Czech Republic.
As we left Prague on the very slow train towards Munich, I got a taste of old Eastern Europe. The stations we passed were in disrepair, plants grew from under the tracks, and the communist style apartment block buildings lines in graffiti screamed “Iron Curtain.” It was my only picture of what life was like in the Czech Republic outside of the glamorous life in Prague.
I arrived in Prague knowing that the city had an intense history, like every other European city. Although, the past Soviet influence and the western European world are clashing, the city is thriving in the 21st century, but it is also recovering from the command economy it was under only 21 years ago.

The Impact of Jan Hus

Jan Hus has had a huge impact of the shaping of Prague into what it is today. His two major contributions were to the language and to religion.

Jan Hus, known to us better as John Hus, lived from 1300 to 1415. He was born in Bohemia but moved to Prague to study and later became the leader of the national Czech party. He became a preacher and went on to influence the writings of John Wycliffe. Both Hus and Wycliffe questioned and attacked doctrines of the Catholic Church. They believed in predestination and disagreed with the power given to the hierarchy of the church.

Another one of John Hus’s major complaints against the Church centered around the issue of language. He strongly believed Catholic mass should be given in the local language, or vernacular. He preached in both the Bohemian language and in Czech. He also translated Wycliffe’s work into Czech.

Today, the predominate language of Prague remains Czech. According to NationMaster.com, the percentage Czech is spoken by 94.9% of the country with Slovak being second most popular at 2%. Czech is a Western Slavonic language. Jan Hus greatly influenced the Czech language because he was the one who introduced a series of diacritical marks that change pronunciation and distinguish it from other Western Slavonic languages. One of his greatest contributions to the language was the establishment of the háček into Czech spelling which represents each sound by a single symbol.

It is surprising to me that the Czech language dominates today after learning that is was suppressed for centuries. From 1620 to 1918 the Habsburgs had control over Czech land and forbid the use of the language. This reminds me of the similar situation with Spain. Dictator Franco suppressed and forbade the use of Catalan language. In both cases, the forbidden languages not only survived, but thrived!

English is rapidly becoming the second language and after spending time in Prague, I would agree with this statement. Everywhere I went, whether it was a souvenir shop or clothing store popular among locals, almost everyone I encountered spoke some English.


Hus’ contribution to the Czech language is less well known than his contribution to the evolution of religion. John Hus continued to preach against the Catholic Church, even in 1410, when the Pope banned the writings and ideas of Wycliffe. Huss and his ideas gained many followers, which came to be known as the Hussites. Many Hussites were attacked and even forced to leave the country. John Hus openly attacked the Pope’s sale of indulgences, which caused the Pope to place the city of Prague under a papal interdict. All churches closed and church related activities were banned.

In 1414, Hus was called to the Constance Church Council to be a part of the ending of The Great Schism. Instead, he was imprisoned and tried as a heretic and sentenced to death by burning at the stake. Hus’ death was significant, but not as much as the legend he left behind.

Today, walking around the city of Prague, it is evident the impact Hus made of religion. There are several churches in Prague that were part of the reformation movement led by Hus. The Bethlehem Church has special significance as it, according to our tour guide, is the first Protestant church. John Hus preached here and this where most of the reformative movement took place. There came a point, however, when the Catholicism won popularity in the Czech Kingdom and converted this church into a Catholic one.


After my visit to Prague, it is apparent that John Hus is revered. Understandably so, with his great contributions to religion and the Czech language. There is a huge John Hus monument in the Old Town square. “It shows two groups of people, a young mother symbolizing national rebirth” (http://www.prague.cz/prague-old-town.asp) and victorious Hussites and Protestants who were forced into exile. I find it interesting that this large monument was built entirely by donations in the 1900’s. Monuments are very symbolic and representative, and in this case, it is telling that the monument was not erected by the government or large organization, but by everyday citizens who hold John Hus with high esteem.

Another thing I find interesting is that there is a public holiday devoted to Jan Hus in the Czech Republic on July 6, the anniversary of his death. This, despite the fact that the majority of Czechs describe themselves as non-religious and Catholicism is the dominant Christian religion. I find this ironic since Hus’ ideas stirred such controversy and even war, but today non-Protestants country takes a national holiday in honor of him. This speaks well of the country that move on from such differences in such a respectable way.

Fan Park nation

Walking into Old Town Square (map shown below) in the middle of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe I was taken back by the mass amount of people and activities going on in the enlarged area. Since Dr. Prytherch had spoken of cities putting on a “show” for the World Cup games in the middle of their main squares I knew instantly that it had to be for that. It was called “Hyundai Fan Park Praha.” The first thing I noticed was the huge flat screen and all the people gathered around it, sitting, standing and cheering. This had to be for soccer. In the square, the city had filled the area with food and drinking stands, a stage for live concerts, games for kids and adults of all ages, and the big flat screen. My favorite game that all my friends and I tried was

the soccer “bull.” It was like riding a bull but in soccer ball form. It was the hardest thing to stay on, but the funniest thing in the square to watch people attempt to do. The link listed below goes into more detail about the Hyundai Fan Park in Prague.

After a long day of walking around Prague’s “new town,” we wandered back into “old town” to see what World Cup game was on next. We had made it just in time for the USA vs. Slovenia game and I was so excited to be cheering for my own country along with the other Americans in Prague that day. It was such an awesome feeling to see so many Americans in one place in a foreign city like Prague. Liked we talked about in class last week, it doesn’t matter if you know the players, their scoring record, or even the teams overall winning record, if they’re wearing a jersey for your country, you’re going to take pride in that and scream your head off for that player and team and that’s exactly what I did! There were other insane fans wearing big American flags as capes and there was even one guy wearing American flag underwear. I obviously couldn’t compete with that, but I used my voice instead. My friends and I grabbed a beer and took a seat with all the other people intently watching. Once I sat down and had a good view of the game, I was filled with anticipation and excitement to cheer for the USA. The game was underway and I was getting into it a little more than my friends were. Every chance the USA had at scoring I would tense up and yell and when they did score I was up on my feet high-fiving people around me, jumping and screaming with joy. Soon enough it was tied 2-2 and there was only five minutes left when USA had a corner kick and one of our players came out of no where and slammed it in. That goal was when I knew we had won. Every single American fan and anyone who was cheering for them was standing, yelling, and proudly waving their American flag high in the air. It was definitely a surreal feeling being there at that exact moment in the middle of the city of Prague, watching USA win a World Cup game. After all of the excitement began to settle down, the goal was looked over by the refs and they came to the conclusion that the player who had scored was off sides and the goal was taken away. Of course I was upset at first, but I had to think of the bigger picture and realize that a tie is better than a loss and that I was having an amazing time making new friends with complete strangers and cheering for my country. For more information on the Fifa World Cup, see link below with schedules, scores and other history on this crazy phenomena.

Throughout the game I couldn’t help but think of nationalism and what it means to me. What I and many other Americans were doing that day during the game was how I would define it: taking pride in our team and embracing our identity as Americans and what that entails. Nationalism, according to the article by Foer, is “a battle for nationhood and an ideology that helps create and maintain nation states.” Seeing that game and being there for it was a moment I will never forget. That park will be there for the rest of the World Cup and people from all over the world will sit in the exact same spot as me and cheer for their country and have the exact same feelings that I did. In that way, globalization can also be connected to the World Cup and to that Fan Park in the Old Town Square in Prague.

(Map of Old Town Square)

http://www.fifa.com/

http://www.praha.eu/jnp/en/entertainment/sport/fifa_world_cup_in_old_town_square.html

Czech out the Geography of Soccer and Language

Friday, June 18, 2010: Prague, Czech Republic

This summer has been a particularly exciting time to be in Europe, especially with the 2010 World Cup. One thing I have seen is that Europeans love their football-- a lot. Since I used to play the sport, and because we have been surrounded by it everywhere we've gone, I've become a lot more interested in experiencing the power of football. So it was no surprise that my friends and I stopped when we saw a huge stage, several games (including a mechanical soccer ball), and a giant screen showing the games of the World Cup in the middle of the Old Town Square in Prague.

After walking around the city all day, we decided to sit down among the crazy, avid, and slightly intoxicated football fans on the cobblestone ground and enjoy watching several games of football in the warm sun. It was surreal sitting in the middle of an ancient city surrounded by buildings as old as 1000 years and modern businesses like Starbucks watching the world's most popular sport. As we watched the USA versus Slovenia game, we were overwhelmed by American fans singing national songs and loudly cheering Slovenians, as well as a cluster of other cultures.

Sitting amongst a wide range of people from all over Europe allowed us to experience our lesson in geography last week about the politics of football firsthand. As we discussed, football reveals insights into international conflict, global economics, and politics. The sport is essentially a reflection of the effects of globalization on society. Like Foer says in his book, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, football "gives life to tribal identities in a world where a European Union and globalization are happily shredding such ancient sentiments" like nationalism. People can therefore use football as a way to form a shared identity and a sense of belonging, establishing nationalism. By surrounding myself by a diverse group of people cheering for "their team," I was able to see how the sport allows people to express their pride and loyalty to their country as well as understand how football has infiltrated everyday life all over the world. For more on football and World Cup coverage, visit http://www.fifa.com/, and to learn more about World Cup coverage in Prague, see prague.tv/events/info/world-cup-2010.

As I watched the games on the huge screen, I realized that I had no idea what the commentators were saying-- it was all in Czech. Even though I could not understand a word of what was being said, I still understood the universal language of football. I tried listening to the Czech language to learn a little about it since we have been discussing languages in class as well. After some research, I learned that the Czech language is Slavonic and spoken by about 12 million people (http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/languages/czech/index.html). Czech is just one of the many diverse languages spoken throughout Baltic and Easten Europe, and many people of Czech Republic also know other languages. Almost everyeone I encountered in Prague knew English, and I learned that many speak some German because of the country's proximity to Germany and Austria. Additionally, those who grew up during the communist era were forced to learn Russian. Nowadays, many Czechs refuse to speak the language because of its ties to the times of Soviet oppression. Czech is linguistically related to its neighboring country's language, Slovak. However, since Czechoslovakia broke apart on January 1, 1993, the languages are becoming more discernible. It's crazy to think that the language we were listening to while watching football has so much history and meaning behind it.
Listening to the chants, songs, and screams of the people in Old Town Square never got old. It was all so exciting, and I found myself being drawn into the games more and more, as well as the wide range of people watching them. There were lots of people dressed in denim, tons of hilariously drunk dancing hobos, and football fans from all over the place. It was a completely random compilation of people, but it was amazing to be a part of the group watching the World Cup in the middle of Prague. I was only expecting to enjoy some football amongst this group of people, but I ended up learning a lot more.

For more on Prague, its history, and people, visit: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2003/geos/ez.html
or http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/czechrepublic/index_en.htm

Wavin' Flag

In the last couple weeks, I’ve visited different countries that are all in the world cup and have experienced watching the games in various pubs and hotel rooms. While being in Prague, I was able to experience my own nationalism by watching the USA vs. Slovenia soccer game in the Prague Old Town Square. For the next couple weeks this square has a “Fan Park” set up with rows of sausage stands, beer on draft, blow up soccer goals and games, and then a huge screen in the middle with whatever game is on. This whole “Fan Park” was put on by Hyundai and was free to watch and play the games. For the two days that we were in Prague we had to pass the Old Town Square multiple times a day and each time we would see a different crowd of people standing in front of the screen in anticipation for the game that was on. We didn’t even have to look at the screen to figure out which team was playing for we could tell from the spirit of the people, many of them had face paint, their flag caped on their backs, and horns constantly making noise. On the second day we passed by and realized that the American flag was flying around, we decided to stop and support our country. The Americans had already sectioned off a part of the square off for standing and cheering, all these fans had USA painted on their face, wearing red, white and blue. I have to admit I don’t really follow soccer or the world cup, and haven’t exactly been interested in watching it until now. As I sat down to rest my legs from walking and watching the people cheer, I began to get more and more into the game, cheering at good plays and joining in with the USA chants, and soon enough I was their to watch the game and cheer, and my quick resting stop turned into a symbol of my nationalism to my country. It seemed like many of the Americans that were touring Prague were all there in the square to watch their homeland play. There not only were American fans but there was a section of Slovenia fans as well. Early when we had passed there were German and Syberia fans watching their game, it amazed me that for each game there were enough fans visiting Prague to take time off to watch their teams play in the city square. As we have been talking about in geography, it seems to me that this world cup, FIFA, is not just a sporting event, but an event that is bringing countries together both internally and externally. Having been sitting in that square not only was I able to share the same American pride with others, but I was able to share that space and interest in soccer with the Slovenian fans and other people watching as well. Seeing how passionate people were getting about the game and showing pride all the way over in eastern Europe made me want to join in on the dedication, made me want to follow the US through their journey in the World Cup and continue to cheer and show my spirit.

FIFA Rankings: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html
Schedule: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/calendar.html

Czech It Out- The Charles Bridge

Flying into Prague adjacent to the Vltava River, more and more sights I had read about before journeying to the golden city became clearer. As Prague flew by in what seemed like seconds, I tried to spot a few of the larger structures I would be visiting in my short time in the city. Only being able to identify two major structures, the Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge, I felt like my mission view the major attractions of Prague would be nearly impossible. My feelings of belittlement were turned around quickly as my journey in Prague took off and I navigated the compact, historical city rapidly and with little effort. My quick journey, however, came to a knee-quivering halt while observing the arguably best view in the city from the majestic, historical Charles Bridge.

As my thoughts on the river drew to a close, I glanced to the hillside and saw the Prague Castle, the second sight I was able to recognize from the window of the plane. Looking at the castle, my previous research of the city again proved useful. The castle, which serves as the seat of the president of the Czech Republic, stands atop a high hill and is a constant reminder of the wealth and power Prague once held on the European continent. Check out this website for great information on the Prague Castle! Originally built as a fortress under the Premysl dynasty,the castle is the oldest structure in Prague and within its towering and seemingly impenetrable walls is the St. Vitus Cathedral, the oldest gothic cathedral in Central Europe. As I gazed up at the castle, I began to get a true feeling of how much history surrounded the city of Prague. I was dumbfounded by how little I had known about Prague before my research and journey to the City of a Thousand Spires. For more on the St. Vitus Cathedral, check out this website with hours of information of the Oldest Gothic Cathedral in Central Europe!

Standing atop the Charles Bridge, I was astounded by the stunning views the bridge offered from the base of the Prague Castle in the New Town juxtaposed with the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town. My feelings of bliss and happiness shifted to a pensive mood as I began to ponder the history of the bridge. From myresearch of Prague before leaving Luxembourg, I knew the bridge was ordered to be constructed by Charles IV who reigned over Prague in the 14^th century. Built as a connection, the bridge allowed the city of Prague to expand across the previous boundary of the Vltava River opening up new land to continue developing what, at the time, was the third largest city in Europe. For more information on the history of the Charles Bridge, check out this site!!

Catching the end of a tour guides overenthusiastic sentence about the river, my curiosity was sparked by a fact I heard about Prague being a major hub of slave trade in the 2^nd century. After finding my computer and further researching the topic, it turns out the city of Prague grew immensely due to the merchants and traders who moved to the city due its strategic location. With the Vltava River running on the western edge of the present day old city, it was extremely easy for merchants to trade and ship goods around Prague and central Europe which proved extremely profitable and allowed the city to become immensely wealthy.

As my sporadic thoughts about the city and walk across the bridge came to a close simultaneously, I felt slightly overwhelmed by my experience to that point in Prague. With a history spanning thousands of years and encompassing countless wars and power shifts, it is easy to see why the citizens of Prague have so much pride in not only their city but their country of the Czech Republic as well. As Billig explained in his article on Banal Nationalism, nationalism is an unmistakable sense of pride stemming from deep roots in ones country and history. National identity is more than what language you speak or what food you eat. National identity is who you are, and the people of Prague have an immense treasure to show the world exactly who they are.

Prague's Amazing Architecture: Saint Charles Bridge

While my friend Brad and I were walking towards the Saint Charles Bridge in Prague, we noticed a crowd of people gazing over the city atop a beautiful gothic style tower known as the Old Town Hall Tower, which was constructed in 1338. We knew that Prague has long been known for its vast amount of picturesque spires that are scattered around the beautiful city, so we were dying to get a bird’s eye view of these wonders of the world.

When we finally reached the top of the long, curling pathway and gazed out over the city, the first thing that caught my eye was the myriad of different architecture styles that cluttered the city. After I snapped a few pictures using the panoramic setting on my camera, I glanced at a few pictures on the wall with short descriptions of many of the most prominent buildings in the city. These descriptions gave great information about when the buildings were constructed and the architectural style that each building belonged to. The different types of architecture help to show the history of the city of Prague and how it has transformed over the centuries.

I glanced out over the horizon and saw examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and modern architecture that surrounded this beautiful city. Many of the buildings in Prague are made in the gothic style because Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in the fourteenth century when gothic style was the main form of architecture. Saint Charles IV arranged for construction of many of the most recognizable structures in Prague including the Saint Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle, which is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest castle in the world. Surrounding the city were all of the modern skyscrapers that were built outside the city center so that the historical churches, castles, and towers would not be overpowered by modern buildings.

After Brad and I left the Old Town Hall Tower and met up with our friend Dave, we made our short walk to the most recognizable piece of gothic architecture in Prague, the Saint Charles Bridge.

The bridge spans across the Vltava River and is located in the heart of the city. Since water is excellent for transportation and trading of goods, it is obvious why the Saint Charles Bridge is located in the center of the city and why Prague has remained such a large and world-renowned city. The bridge is lined with 30 statues standing on parapets (15 on each side). When walking across the bridge, we couldn’t help but notice tourists walking past the statue of St. John of Nepomuk and rubbing a small section of shiny bronze located in the middle of the statue. Legend has it that if you place your five fingers on the five stars and make a wish, it will come true. At the time, however, my friends and I were unaware of the legend and only touched the stars without making a wish. I recommend that if you visit Prague, don’t forget to make a wish!

It was at this point when I was standing in the middle of the bridge and taking about the thousandth picture of my trip that I remember really taking in the city and getting a feel of the reality that I was in Prague. The smell of the river, the incredible architecture that surrounded me, the sounds of musicians playing, and the sights of local artists lining the bridge gave me something that I will remember forever. I never knew if or when I would be back to visit this beautiful city so I decided to just stand there and take in the extraordinary view overlooking the river. It gave me the chance to experience Prague first hand and gave me a feeling that you can’t get when looking at pictures or reading about this amazing city.

From the Jewish Ghetto to the Jewish Quarter

Within the beautiful city of Prague is located the Jewish Quarter, an area that offers a slice of the cities deep history. Originated in the 13th century it was the “Jewish Ghetto” at the time the Jewish community was forced to relocate to these swamp lands where they were contained for centuries(Jewish Quarter). There are 6 synagogues remaining as well as an old hall and a collection of other Jewish historical buildings that predate the areas turn of the 19th century redevelopment, these remaining buildings serve to preserve the history of the location and it goes through reinventions. The area has retained its cobblestone old world feel, only now it has become an upscale locale, very nicely redone, and the old cramped apartments and cramped quarters of the past rebuilt. Remarkably the only reason these buildings continued their existence through World War II was Hitler's intention that Prague be his cultural capital and this quarter to be a museum of an extinct race, so one can imagine how important it is to the community of survivors and their ancestors.
The principal synagogue today is the Old-New Synagogue the oldest still in use in central Europe. It was interesting to me because it was built in early Gothic style and with my limited architectural knowledge I am so used to attributing that style to cathedrals, yet this Gothic is much more medieval than in other parts of the city. While it's name was originally held a different meaning the names was assimilated into culture and changed, it has been a landmark in the community because it's foundation is said to be built with stones from the Temple in Jerusalem borrowed until the messiah comes(Golem's Story). One story of why the synagogue avoided Nazi attention during the War was the Golem that lives in it's attic protecting the people, first created long ago by a Rabbi to protect the Jewish population.
While the ghetto was reconstructed into a neighborhood the Jewish society has been located there since 1096 during the first crusade ,it is hard to imagine a society living in a walled ghetto within Prague and staying a community for so long. You can see how history has changed the different Urban planning and how this planning can then affect what you consider your territory. Or what is considered your territory by someone else, such as the King, but becomes your territory through rituals and ancestry such as in the Jewish quarter.

A breathtaking building was the Spanish Synagogue that was build in the Moorish style. We were told that the Moorish style was attributed to the fact that when the Spaniards were under Moorish rule they tolerated Jewish people, thus the community feel back on this style that was comfortable to them and they felt helped them to blend in (Spanish Synagogue).
An interesting piece of city planning that reflects the Jewish niche in Prague society is their cemetery that established in the late 17th century was used for over two centuries and has over 40,000 community members buried there. It is remarkable because those that have passed are buried in 11-12 consecutive layers because they could not get anymore land allotted to them. Here I got chills as you imagine this and you can see tombstones all crunched together. According to the Jewish Museum group the tombstones follow the change in designs of the city from “Baroque, Empire and Romantic to the common...19th century,” styles (Jewish Museum) showing how long this was in use.
One thing I wish I would have taken advantage of was the new permanent exhibitions of the Jewish Museum. Just from seeing one particular exhibition through a window I was tearing up and I caught many other people looking through the window with similar sentiments. There is a collection of pictures drawn by children about life at the camps in WWII. Some of their previous family life other images much more gruesome. Often this is the only record left behind of the life of these many children, thousands of paper paintings representing them. Before their German teacher was also sent to a concentration camp she was able to stash the collection in a suitcase and put it in hiding as her token of remembrance to the innocent.

Overall the Jewish quarter was a unique inside into an imagined community within a larger city, a community that while an international religion clearly has local roots. I saw how territory is divided and also how it shifts, often leaving historical reminders that can help us understand how an area has come to be.

The Jewish Quarter of Prague

Our first day in Prague was filled with interesting and diverse architecture, a beautiful mix of old and new, and all the winding alleys that lead you to another area that has a different story to tell. One of the areas I found most interesting was the Jewish quarter. This area of Prague dates back to the 10^th century however, it has seen a number of changes over the years. Although close to two thirds of the Jewish population in Prague was decimated in the second world war, much of this area was preserved because Hitler intended to use Prague as a, “exotic museum of an extinct race” (Jewish Prague). Although it is a fine line when you enter the Jewish Quarter you notice a now very prosperous part of the city, and the beautifully designed synagogues. I found the Spanish Synagogue most interesting because it exemplifies historic Islamic style that measures the cooperative relationship between Islam and Judaism at the time it was built in the 1860’s, also linked to the Jewish culture in Spain.

Another interesting part of the Jewish quarter was the cemetery. It lies about two meters above street level and all you can see from the street is a tall wall blocked in with two buildings and grass on top. Part of the Jewish tradition is that they must bury their dead and here in Prague they began to run out of room, so they began layering burials on top of each other. It is very eerie seeing all of the tombstones crowded together. Although we did not enter the cemetery because it is only included in the Jewish history tour.

The Old-New synagogue was another highlight of our trip through the Jewish quarter. Apparently it is one of the oldest medieval synagogues still standing dating back to the 13^th century. It exemplifies a dark gothic style. This structure is quite significant because it is said to be built on stones from the temple of Jerusalem (Old-New Synagogue Information). The achitecture that is seen here is typical gothic and when this was first built this type of architecture was rather new to Prague, but is now seen throughout the city.

All of these changes that have occurred over the long history of Prague can be seen in the scope of the city. Where a moat used to be there is now a street and what was once the poorest part of town is now the most prosperous, the Jewish quarter, this can all be seen as evidence of urbanization changing this once medieval city. The Jews used to be secluded to only this area which was originally on the outskirts of Prague and bordered by the Vlatava river, but now it is obvious that Prague has expanded widely around it in all directions (Prague Map-Josefov is the Jewish Quarter). If it were not for our free walking tour I don’t know how much I would have seen or experienced in the Jewish quarter but it was really valuable to the time we spent in Prague.

Old Collides Into New

If you had asked me two weeks ago if Prague was a stop on my trip, I would have laughed. It had seemed to me that not only was Prague too far but it was too overwhelming for me. Tim Montgomery has frequently told me while we stroll through the halls of the chateau that Prague’s Old Town Square has a lot of history and is very scenic. With the angel on one shoulder taking copious notes on the history, the devil on the other is hearing from a friend about the New Town with an exciting nightlife. When finally breathing the chilled Czech air, I found a perfect blend of new and old to culminate into quite the weekend.

When first stepping into the outskirts bustling Old Town Square, there are several first impressions that can be noted. The first is the overpowering sense of historical relevance of where I was standing. From Prague.cz, the old town square was constructed in the 10^th century to be a place where assorted goods from various places can be sold. An ironic twist is that now, it is a place where tourists from various places come to soak in the beautiful buildings that form a cocoon around the square. Swarms of guided tours buzz about like hornets around Astronomical Clock that is mounted on the wall of the Old Town Hall. It stares back with a lucidity of the ages like a watchful eye that has seen it all. It was built in 1410 and then refurnished by Master Hanus in 1490. Boasting more than just hands, there are zodiac sign indicators as well as a golden sun that spins to indicate the suns position in the sky. Fighting through the crowd, I stumble farther into history.

With my eyes drawn to the center piece of the square, a statue in remembrance to Jan Hus exposes itself. In studying it, you could be convinced that it is simply a pigeon refuge. The bronze statue has turned to a deep green that is complimented by white, chalky bird excrement. It has been at the heart of this square since 1915 in reverent honor and commemoration to Jan Hus fighting the church practices. These included selling indulgences as well as only the priest taking Holy Communion and not the people. Finally, the dark, ominous spires of the Tyn Chapel protrude into vision in this beautiful historical jumble. Seen in the picture to the right, its gothic architecture stands out like a dark cloud in the blue sky. Built in 1365, it is the final resting place of Tycho Brahe who was a famous astronomer.

When my digital camera chirps that it is running low on space for any more pictures, I know that I have probably seen enough of the historical relics. Rumbling in my stomach also indicates that my stomach has run out of things to do and requires some attention. Following my nose, and in this case my gut, I head to New Town for a street hot dog. According to Prague.cz, New Town was founded by Charles IV in 1348. Just like a snake shedding its skin, Old Town Square was old and a newer, bigger one was needed. An outer fortification was torn down to allow the city to expand and Wenceslas Square was born.

The very interesting thing about this square is how modern it is. I can see a Nike store, several chic looking clothes stores and, of course, a McDonald’s from my vantage point. Despite the fact that I had spent the other half of my morning in hundreds of years of history, I found it funny to make the time travel in a matter of blocks. There are also modern dance clubs in the surrounding buildings if the locals want to unwind after a long day. Specifically, Lucerna Music Bar and Club which is located literally a stone’s throw from the Wenceslas Square. Able to fit scores of people, the haze of the club is still in periphery of my sight and the bumping of the music is still ringing in my ears.

Though I am of only amateur status as a European explorer, Prague opened my eyes to a new experience of culture. So far, it has seemed to me that cities have a disproportional personality. Some are known for history and some are known for their younger, wilder side but I had not seen a place where the two were such fast friends who lived so close to each other. Prague is a bi-polar city that is not afraid to flaunt both sides at once. Walking down a 500 year old boulevard to a dance club may seem strange to an American but to the Czech people living in this beautiful city, it is just another walk in the park.