[The following is a newsletter I wrote while travelling in 2000. It was originally sent to an e mail list in late 2000. Please note: conditions in the Czech Republic may have changed significantly since then. My opinions and positions may also have changed significantly since then.]
Welcome to the third edition of my newsletter about the countries I’ve visited. Lately I’ve been falling behind in my writing and I’m struggling to catch up.
I’ve decided to branch out a little more and future editions will include discussion about general topics, not just travel experiences. For example, I’m working on an article about Communism and Capitalism, and I recently sent out a poem to readers.
Send me a letter with your reactions or to tell me what’s happening in your community or your life. I would really like communication from you!
While the letter is long, I’ve tried to organize it into clearly identifiable parts which give the busy reader a chance to skip to parts more interesting to that reader. I think the history, economics and architecture sections are the most significant parts of this newsletter.
If you do not want to receive this newsletter please send me an email at
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. disclaimer
1. Czech Republic- Intro
a. General Comments
b. History
c. Culture
d. Architecture
e. Economics
f. Politics
g. Discussion of Specific Places
2. Closing
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DISCLAIMER
In the following paragraphs I try to make commentary about Morocco. A great deal of it is based on my impressions and not on hard factual information. Thus it cannot be said to be a perfect interpretation nor wholly accurate. It is hard to get exact information about my host countries in English. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies or offensive misinterpretations.
If you disagree with what I´ve written please tell me! Send me an e mail or a letter!
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1. Czech Republic- Intro
On the long bus ride to the Czech Republic from Barcelona, we watched a movie called “The Ninth Heart”, in which a young peasant man must rescue the kingdom’s princess from an evil sorcerer who has cast a spell over her. After the peasant saves the princess, he is “dumped” back down to the status of a peasant again, perhaps reflecting Czech ambivalence about the ruling class after the failure of Communism.
This dark tale, featuring medieval pageants, the antics of peasants and black magic, symbolized the lure that Eastern Europe was to have for me, as these countries captured my imagination and my heart.
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1.a. General Comments
Here’s few introductory comments about the Czech Republic before I get down to the details. The Czech Republic is probably one of the most Westernized of the former Soviet Bloc countries because of its proximity to the West, the historical influence of German culture here, and the popularity of Prague as a tourist destination. This has led to a dichotomy of attitudes about the West, particularly the U.S. On the one hand, it seems wide open to the West, with a huge influx of tourists, products and attitudes. On the other hand, there has been a backlash against U.S. influence. For a country with only limited autonomy over its whole history, the replacement of Soviet influence with U.S. influence is not necessarily still welcome.
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1.b. History
The following history is taken heavily from the Lonely Planet guide, and thus may contain biases.
Czech history contains repeated periods of foreign domination, and as a small state has only had short periods of autonomy. After a brief period of self rule, called the Bohemian Kingdom in the 12th and 13th century, the Czechs became part of the German Empire.
Jan Hus was a radical theologian who challenged abuses of the Catholic Church long before Martin Luther. He was burned at the stake for heresy in 1415, but his life inspired a nationalistic movement.
In 1526 the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty extended eastward to control the Czechs by defeating a more recent group of Czech nationalists. The country was caught up in the Thirty Year’s War, fought between the conflicting powers of Catholicism and Protestantism. Under the Hapsburgs the Czechs were forced to become Catholics again and the Hapsburgs attempted to “Germanize” them.
In the early 1800s the National Revival began, in which the Czechs rediscovered their language and history despite the continued subjection to the Hapsburgs. The Czechs were part of the failed revolutions of 1848 which swept Europe. In 1918 Czechoslovakia became a state again when the Austro Hungarian empire was defeated in World War I.
In 1938, Britain and France attempted to appease Hitler by granting him the territory of the current Czech Republic. Hitler occupied the rest of Slovakia in 1939. There was an underground resistance movement in World War II which was sometimes ruthlessly quashed by the Nazis.
After WWII the Czech Communist Party was on the ball with a program for the country. Because of the French- Anglo sellout of 1938, the Czech people swung more toward Russia, and the Communist Party won 36% of the vote in post war elections. At first ruling in coalition with the Social Democrats, in 1948 the Communists staged a coup and took over the country. The Communists, under Soviet influence, nationalized industry and changed the constitution. Lonely Planet writes, “The 1950s were years of harsh repression when thousands of non Communists fled the country. Many people were imprisoned, and hundreds were executed or died in labor camps.”
In 1968 the first Secretary of the Communist Party tried to enact a series of reforms aiming to create “socialism with a human face”. These reforms ended when the Soviet Union occupied Czechoslovakia with 200,000 soldiers. The reformist secretary of the Communist Party was replaced and Czech Communists who believed in “socialism with a human face” were purged from the party and their jobs.
An underground resistance movement started in the late 70s. Expectations were raised when the Berlin Wall fell on November 9th, 1989. An anti Nazi student demonstration was broken up by police on November 17, and on November 20th, 1/4 million people gathered in Wenceslas Square in Prague. Protests widened and a general strike was followed by the resignation of the Communist Party Politburo.
After the Velvet Revolution, as the events of late 1989 were called in Czechoslovakia, free elections were held. New political parties emerged to compete with the Communist Party. Differences between Czech and Slovakia began to emerge, with the Slovaks wanting to get out from under the more advanced Czech Republic. Two politicians, one representing Czech and the other Slovakia, began to butt heads over national policy in the still unified government. Without a national referendum on the issue these two politicians agreed that the unified country would cease to exist at the end of 1992.
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1.c. Culture
A few brief notes on Czech culture.
The Czechs speak a Slavic language which is related to Russian, Bulgarian, and Polish, but it is written with the Roman alphabet. Czech food relies heavily on meat so I didn’t get to try it much except for the fruit dumplings. Czech social life involves going to pubs and drinking some of their wonderful and inexpensive beer.
Czech culture is very European, with European style architecture and castles dotting the countryside. All of the main forms of European high culture are represented here, and many cultural figures including Mozart and Franz Kafka, lived in Prague. One of the Czech’s most famous artists is the painter Mucha, who painted beautiful lightly colored portraits of women in a style that I believe is called art nouveau.
Since the end of Communism, culture in Prague seems to have flourished with an endless series of classical music concerts, theatre performances,rock and jazz concerts. It really is a culturally active city as evidenced by bulletin boards plastered with notices.
Also, since the end of Communism, hippie culture seems to be quite popular, as evidenced by clothing and hairstyle. I was invited to a small party in which my Czech hosts sang songs from “Hair”, every word exact. It is as if the Czechs were trying to make up for what they missed in the 60s while under Soviet domination.
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1.d. Architecture
Cobblestone streets wind through narrow, turning passageways, flanked by soft colored yellow and pink buildings. Wall paintings and elaborate ornamentation are proliferate. Old stone churches call you to pray, richly and densely decorated. Passages tumble out onto open plazas of various shapes. You cross the old bridge, over the river, onto another special place, with old fashioned and simple wooden framed windows, century upon century these places unfolded here.
Sometimes I wonder how much I should write about architecture- it’s so visual that it’s almost senseless to describe it except in poetic terms. I don’t know architectural language and its meaningless to most people anyway. But the architecture of Prague is so important as an attraction that it needs mentioning.
Prague is a vast city with an impressive visual effect,and the sensual impact walking on foot is especially unique because the roads wind and turn, often leading you to some unexpected plaza. The layout of these parts of the city is very stimulating because it isn’t uniform; your mind must adapt to new surprises.
Prague is also full of monumental buildings which give a sense of grandeur, dwarfing the traveler with a variety of styles. The huge Prague Castle with the Cathedral of St. Vitus is amazing as is the Gothic Cathedral in the Old Town Square. The heart of modern Prague is the huge boulevard of Wenceslas Square, which ends at the foot of huge museum. Many lesser buildings together contribute to the tone and congruence of the city.
Cesky Krumlov, in southern Czech, is also a very special place, which brings out the romantic in travelers. The old town is located on a peninsula surrounded by an almost perfect circle of river. Organized in a circle, the old town charms with beautiful old style buildings crowding the cobblestones. Little bridges cross the everflowing river. Many of the buildings in the old town center have an arched, tunnel like interior, which is often warmed by glowing firewood.
To add to the effect, an imposing castle is perched on the edge of town with a colorful tower. Inside the castle is a series of courtyards with beautiful views of the town, the river and hillsides. At the extreme end of the castle is a large garden.
In many ways a small town like Cesky Krumlov is more pleasant than a big city because it is cozy, friendly, quiet, and like a getaway from the big city insanity.
I can go on and on to make it sound great, but you really have to see it yourself!
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1.e. Economics
All of Eastern Europe and Russia are in a very unusual economic situation, unprecedented in history. These countries are converting from a government run economy to an industrial capitalist economy, in most cases with an eye to join the European Union. This conversion has meant a dramatic change in economic policies, such as ending subsidies, selling off state owned businesses in privatizations, transforming the currency into a market traded currency, and establishing new institutions like stock exchanges.
The Czech Republic was already a very industrialized country even before the Communist takeover, so it has the potential to become an even more highly industrialized economy. The privatization process is key, and unfortunately it has not been perfect. According to numerous people I’ve met throughout Eastern Europe, the privatizations were often corrupt in two ways- either government officials siphoned money off the price of the sale, or companies were sold to former Communists themselves, in a transaction that did not involve open public bidding. In this case, the former Communists got the companies for very little money.
The privatization process is also dangerous when foreign companies purchase former state owned companies. In this case, the wealth of the factories is siphoned off into foreign hands, and wealth goes to Czechs only if they are employed there. But working for a company and owning it are not the same. In general, foreign investment is a double edged sword- it creates jobs for Czech people but at the risk that Czech will become a country subordinate to international capital and multinational corporations.
One of the most interesting questions about Eastern Bloc countries is the value of their currencies in relation to other international currencies. During Communism, the currencies were not traded on markets, and the value of the currencies was established by the state. After the transformation to market valued currency, now the prices in countries like Czech are very low in relation to the dollar. Most travelers have a lot more buying power in the Czech Republic than in their home country.
The question I have is this: after 1989, the currencies began to be traded in markets again. How was the original value of the Czech (and other Eastern Bloc) currencies set at the beginning of market trading? I have no answer and so I’ll hazard a guess- the exchange rates were originally established arbitrarily. Given the lack of power of the Eastern European states in this process, their currencies were originally devalued, giving the strong western economies a head start. In my guess it was essentially an act of power. And hence my dollar buys cheap accomodation, transport, food…
Another big change economically has been in the consumer end of economics- in short, stores, ads, and shopping. During Communism, the consumer had little power- they had only Communist products to choose from and couldn’t search for cheaper prices and better products. On the other hand, certain things were free, such as housing and medical care, and most products that were available were cheaper. Since the end of Communism, the Czechs have been flooded with international goods and advertisements. The whole orientation of the economy has shifted as anything and everything is offered up for sale to persuade you to part with those Czech Crowns. Autonomous stores compete with each other, which makes price adjustments possible. While these are positive developments, many Czechs don’t have the money to buy the products.
At the same time the aesthetic value of most of these advertisements is highly questionable. I try to imagine what Prague looked like before Coca Cola was everywhere and a vast, monumental and tasteless Revlon ad was posted in Wenceslas Square. On a purely aesthetic level, without consumer needs in mind, I would guess Prague looked better without the ads.
How does the new economy feel to Czech citizens? I didn’t talk to that many Czech people so it’s difficult for me to say definitely. While I talked to many people in Romania, their situation is probably slightly different. Second hand accounts tell of people who expected more from Capitalism, and were surprised by the degree to which many people have been marginalized. Homeless people have begun to crop up in Prague. Former Polish Prime Minister Hanna Suchoka comments about people in Eastern Europe in general that, “for many people, this new society is a complete disaster that totally changed their lives, and in which they are completely unprepared to live.” In a poll of Czech citizens, only 51% say they favor entry into the European Union.
In general, in economic terms (excluding political and social considerations), the economic transition happening in the Czech Republic of the last 10 years has been far more ambiguous than we have been led to believe in the U.S.
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1.f. Politics
As already mentioned Czechoslovakia became a republican democracy in 1990. There are two political parties which currently cooperate to rule the country.
Currently the Czech Republic is relatively politically stable and doesn’t have a lot of dramatic political issues like some other countries have. The primary ongoing political issue seems to be managing the economic changes and continuing to adjust the political economic system to be more like a Western European country.
The question of Communism is huge and I will consider it in a separate newsletter. It is interesting to note that the groups responsible for the 1989 revolution are often associated with “leftist” or progressive agitation in the West- students and intellectuals. I have real doubts about whether the Communist rulers had the real interest of the people in mind while they were in control. And the Soviet behavior in Prague in 1968 shows that imperialism and simply maintaining control were the prime motives. Certainly the actions of the former Communists who reputedly gobbled up former state enterprises shows more evidence of opportunism than real concern about the working masses.
While there is a lot of ambiguity about the current transition, the strongest political forces in the Czech Republic are pushing for reforms in line with the European Union.
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1.g. Discussion of Specific Places
I’d like to make a few final notes about the three different parts of the Czech Republic that I visited: Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and the countryside.
Prague is highly cultured and also feels impersonal. Czechs in Prague don’t go ot of their way to meet travlers as there is a glut of foreigners. I spent almost all of my time interacting with other foreigners.
The whole city has a very unrestrained feeling to it, from the wild behavior of young students to the gleeful messages proclaimed on the souvenirs for sale. Prostitution is very obvious in some parts, and overtly sexual ads provoke the viewer. Prague also has the feeling of being wealthy, although this may be an illusion.
Cesky Krumlov was to me almost sacred, as it inspired one of the most poetic and imaginative days of my life. It is very popular among travelers and I was immediately told tales of travelers who planned to stay one night and ended by staying a week. This seems to be a result of the large numbers of travelers, many of whom take the opportunity to try to spark a romance. The active nightlife, inexpensive accomodation, hippie influence, and mingling between locals and foreigners all adds to the pleasant mix of this town, where time seems to slow down a bit.
The countryside can be very beautiful with many forested hills and valleys. Perhaps because I visited in the fall, the countryside seemed dark and foreboding, stimulating my imagination. The ghosts of Communism seem to reside here, as industrial ruins scatter the landscape. A feeling of being in a remote part of the Eurasian landmass added more to my enjoyment of this part of Europe.
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2. Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts about the Czech Republic. New and compelling e mail newsletters will be coming out soon describing other countries, my experience being mugged, and what I learned about Communism and Capitalism in Eastern Europe.
I hope to hear from you if you have some thoughts about what I wrote.
Nazdrovy! (Cheers!)
