Lennon Wall, Prague

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Shortly after ex-Beatles John Lennon was assassinated on December 8, 1980, an impromptu tribute to the musician was created on Kampa Island on a wall located near Grand Priory Square. This rather unique homage took on the form of numerous graffitti that often include lyrics from Lennon's songs as well as various drawings that convey Lennon's plea for peace and love all around the world. Technically, the wall belongs to the Knights of Malta, but they have allowed the custom to continue to this day, which means that the wall continually changes as new people come to pay tribute to John Lennon. While some graffitti are rather simple, others are more elaborate and, taken as a whole, they form a very unique and colourful artistic testimony.

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The wall was created by Czechs in memory of John Lennon in the days just following his death. People put up short messages, lyrics and even portraits of him. Unfortunately, the communist regime at the time, saw this wall as symbol of Western ideals and so painted it over. It is really disappointing that the original graffiti and messages couldn't be preserved.

Consequently, the wall became a symbol of freedom and a way for the Czechs to rebel peacefully against the communist regime. They never gave up and in fact, new messages or graffiti continued to be put up every year. The wall belongs to the Knights of Malta.

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From the Dancing House, Franscesco led us across the Jiráskův Bridge to the left bank of the river, where among other things he showed us the John Lennon Wall.

After John Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980, graffiti about him started appearing on this wall as a thinly veiled protest against the Communist regime that still ruled Czechoslovakia, because Western music was not allowed, particularly songs by suspicious singers such as Lennon who propagated peace and freedom.

Second photo: Láska means love, as in Donizetti's opera Nápoj lásky, better known in Italian as L'elisir d'amore and in English as The elixir of love.

Third photo: Love locks have been appearing all over Europe in recent years, usually on bridges, but in Prague they are on a fence near the John Lennon Wall. As I wrote in one of my Paris tips, these love locks are "the cheapest way to declare your eternal love for that special person in your life, the one you met this afternoon and are trying to maneuver into bed." Instead of buying expensive flowers, you just get a cheap padlock, write both your names on it and lock it to the fence. From here it is just a short walk down to the Vltava (Moldau) River, where you can solemnly declare your eternal love as you solemnly throw both keys into the water.

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Before 1989 when pop music was forbidden by comunist, this wall was a political meeting point for youngers in Prague. A image of John Lennon was painted after he died with all politicals graffities and beatles songs. The secret police never could get keep clean the wall.Here is the example

Antes de1989 cuando la música pop era prohibida por los regímenes comunistas, este muro era el punto de encuentro político para los jovenes en Praga. Una imagen de John Lennon fue pintada después de su asesinato junto a grafitis políticos y letras de los Beatles. La policia secreta nunca pudo mantener limpio el muro. Aquí está el ejemplo.

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This wall is dedicated to John Lennon and you can see messages, graffitis, designs and drawings on this colourful wall. However, I was very disappointed because the new paintings, graffitis or messages cover the previous ones and the wall looks like it's been vandalised. For the sake of writing their names, people have vandalised the previous art works on the wall. I guess everybody should respect others' messages and try to utilise the less used spots.

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"You may say I'm just a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one." JL

Where else is that song - and John Lennon - best immortalized than at the long wall located along Velkoprerovske namesti, Mala Strana. Youths write their grievances on the wall which was irked the communist regime in 1988 that led to a clash with the police.

The grafitti wall owned by the Knights of the Maltese Cross is a symbol of youths idealism for love and peace.

I made the journey across the river, and it was not really hard to find. There was graffitti, art and poetry all along this very long wall, with alot of different versions of John Lennon, Yellow Submarines, and so forth. Lots of quality artwork....I left a small poem on the wall myself!

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I found John Lennon wall accidently, when walking around cozy Mala Strana historical suburb. At first, it seemed interesting how the name of it is associated with Lennon. The story tells that Lennon never visited Prague, but his songs together with famous Beatles made big impression of that time Czech youth. Songs were more or less about freedom, but Czech land was communistic and such songs were stamped as “anti-ideological”. Graffiti on wall (basically words, art about freedom, love, Beatles-mania) were often cleared by government, but new art always appeared in a few days again. So, this wall could be called as a rebel against former policy. First wall paintings were made in 1980’.

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The Lennon Wall is a beautiful, graffiti covered wall in Prague's Mala Strana. The setting is just perfect, on a quite, tree lined, cobble stoned street, surrounded by embassies so there aren't a lot of people around. The wall belongs to the Knights of the Malta.
After John Lennon's untimely death in 1980, he became a symbol of peace and love to people around the world, including young Czechs. They started to paint images and lyrics on the wall. It would get painted over and over, but the messages kept returning. By now, the whitewashers have given up on painting over the messages and let it be.
The setting, the pictures and messages make the Lennon Wall a peaceful place to visit and reflect. It's also a great place for taking photos. I talked to a friend who was there a month or so before me, and much of the wall was already different. Don't be afraid to bring a pen and add a message of peace, or even just add your name. The Lennon Wall was one of my favorite parts of my visit to Prague.

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When we were having dinner in our hostel, we got into a conversation with an aussie who was telling us about the John Lennon Wall he had seen earlier that day. We've never heard about it before but it did sound interesting, so the next day we went to visit it ourselves. We had some trouble finding it at first but then we finally stood right in front of it. I really like how spontaneous that wall got into existence & keeps changing all the time. It's a really nice symbol. You definately should check it out!