Franz Kafka's Prague, Prague

I knew almost nothing about Prague's most famous writer before I came here. But I decided to visit this museum which does a good job taking you through his life and themes. I bought a copy of "Metamorphosis" there and enjoyed reading it (though I still don't have a clue what is was about). That's why I love travel.

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This unusual and wonderfully creative museum consists of a long-term exhibition called "The City of K., Franz Kafka and Prague", which originated in another city entirely, namely Barcelona, where it opened in 1999. Numerous people from Barcelona were involved in creating the exhibition, which seems to have benefited enormously from their insights and fresh input.

After Barcelona, the exhibition was moved to the Jewish Museum in New York, where it was shown in 2002-2003. Then in 2005 it was finally installed in Prague, the city where Franz Kafka was born in 1883 and where he lived, worked and wrote for most of his life.

For me this museum was a series of memory jogs, since I read most of Kafka's books and stories nearly half a century ago.

One of the things I learned at the museum was that Kafka's day job was not nearly as senseless as he made it out to be. Kafka claimed to hate his office job, and in his stories he often wrote about people who were helplessly caught in the web of a mindless bureaucracy, in situations that are now often described as "Kafkaesque".

But at another level Kafka was a diligent employee who was rightfully proud of his accomplishments at the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute, where he worked for many years in a department devoted to preventing industrial accidents. He wrote the department's annual reports on factory safety, and was even promoted to department head shortly before he had to resign because of illness.

My personal connection to this is that my Canadian/American grandfather, who was only five years younger than Kafka, was the managing director of the National Safety Council in the United States from 1913 to 1942, so he was very much involved in industrial accident prevention throughout his working life. (But otherwise my grandfather was a very different sort of person who never even read any of Kafka's books as far as I know.)

(Yes, this is the same grandfather who was booked on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912, but changed his booking at short notice for business reasons. No doubt his narrow escape from the sinking of the Titanic reinforced his life-long interest in safety and accident prevention.)

Second photo: A poster at the entrance to the Franz Kafka Museum at the Herget Brickworks.

Third photo: Ticket to the Franz Kafka Museum.

Franz Kafka depicted here as riding on the shoulders of headless man. Actually it is based on Franz Kafka story, named “Description of a Struggle” where young mane rides on another man through streets of Prague.
The statue stands here from 2003, author – David Vavra. I think is good idea to show writer acting in his own written scene.

Minute house (U minuti) is one of Renaissance buildings here, well preserved example. The façade is full of sgraffito decorations that present such famous Habsburg family personalities as Philip II of Spain, Rudolph II, Maxmilian II. House was built as gothic in 15th century, later reconstructed (16th century) into Renaissance forms.

House is famous for one of its former resident – Franc Kafka. He lived here from 1889 – 1896.

This popular tourist spot has interesting name “Minute house”. It is actually nothing associated with short time. Actually it came from words “at the diminutive”, as tobacco at this house was sold at very little pieces.

Kilian Ignaz Ditezenhofer designed this palace in rococo style. Palace looks quite solid and colorful comparing it to other buildings around old town square. Later, family of Golz sold it to Kinskies in 1768. It was used by communist leader Klement Gottwald to gather party members here. Kafka’s father had a shop there and nowadays it serves a place for art exhibitions.

Franz Kafka is a famous writer. He lived between 1883 and 1924. He lived in Prague all his life. His famous work is the novel The Trial.

Today you will find his house at Old town square (where he lived between 1889 and 1896). This house is shown in the picture with this tip.

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This little mother has claws." Franz Kafka spent most of his life in Prague, even though he always felt like a stranger there -- a German-speaking Jew in a predominately Czech Catholic town. Consequently, there are many sites in Prague that are of some interest to fans of Kafka's work.

Hi to all,
let me introduce firstly. I am cultural manager working on project about Franz Kafka and his travels. I, together with my colleague search for all places, where used to travel Franz Kafka.

Here are our results: www.franzkafka.info

Resume of our research which we do together with other Kafka experts:

- Kafka wasn´t unhappy guy, living all his life in Prague
- he was crazy about travelling
- he visited around 60 different place all around Europe as Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia...
- for inspiration read his Travell diary, where he is discribing about his impressions.

- Kafka didn´t go to orthodox Jewish school
- Kafka never lived in Golden Lane, this small flat was rented by his sister Ottla. She needed some meeting place for her and her boyfriend, after couple of weeks she decided to rent this flat to Franz, but he never sleep there! He always stayed there only during day and around midnight went to his family house. So please dont listen crazy fairy tales of touristic guides
- Kafka´s best friend was Max Brod, no Albert Einstein, Gustav Janouch (author of crazy book fool of lies called "Interview with Kafka"
- Kafka hadn´t any kid
- Kafka wasn´t active in communistic party as some guides also tells to tourists.

Please if you have any more questions let me know I am open to tell you more about Kafka and his travels.

My skype is: kafkaproject

Thanx and enjoy "real" Prague not that which is presented to touristis as strange theatre, done only for effect.

judita