Dates to contemplate: Prague

6th century: Establishment of Slavic tribes near Prague.
880: Castle built on the heights of the Vltava by Boivoj, and shortly thereafter a second castle at Vysehrad. These two fortresses centralized the population.
1172: Construction of the first stone bridge, Judith Bridge, which brings together the two Vltava banks.
1270: Construction of the Old-New Synagogue.
July 30, 1419: First defenestration, provoked by Hussite demonstrators, which marks the beginning of the Hussite wars that will last until 1437.
1483: Second Prague Defenestration.
1609: Forced by Protestants, the emperor signs royal decrees that establish freedom of worship.
1627: The German language attains equal status to Czech.
1871: The Czech language attains equal status to German. Ten years later a Czech-language university opens.
1948: Prague coup--the Communists take power.
1991: Soviet soldiers leave the country.
2004: The Czech Republic joins the EU.


From Prague: Vision de 1000 ans d'architectures (2005), by Herve Champollion and Catherine Sauvat. Translations and selections mine
Art and Architecture Library (in the renovated Paul Rudolph building), Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut


What is it about Prague that sounds like a fairy tale? Words that seem to go with Prague are magical, medieval, tortuous, narrow, crowded, hidden, secret, spell, whisper, backward, autumn. I am ignorant of Prague, it's true. This is because I'm not sure I could bear to go. It belongs to the developed world now, and as such I expect it to be nibbled at the edges by ugliness. In Prague I would see the claws of the Old-New Synagogue silhouetted against the cloudy sky, and attended by tourists in fanny packs taking pictures. I would walk narrow cobbled streets lined with ugly cars. I would round a corner and discover a place to buy T-shirts and ice cream. I myself, in my boy-short hair and carrying a messenger bag, would jar the place as well. Some kinds of beauty are best imagined rather than experienced. I don't want to see Prague as it appears in an airline magazine, complete with short bulleted lists of Where to Stay and What to Do. My Prague, or so I imagine, disappeared around the time Kafka died.