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.