Prague Day #3

 Last Day in Prague 11-5-24

Today is my last solo day in Prague, wrapping up an unforgettable Central European journey that included a scenic Danube River Cruise. I spent the day riding trams around the city and visiting some of Prague’s iconic sites.

My first stop was the Church of the Infant Jesus in the Lesser Town on the castle side of the river. The church is undergoing a year-long reconstruction to add ramps for improved accessibility. Here, they celebrate the Infant Jesus of Prague, adorned in royal blue and gold robes. Below is the prayer Pope Benedict offered to honor this church in 2009.

Next, I climbed up to visit St. Nicholas Church and then walked across the famous Charles Bridge.

The Charles Bridge is truly one of Prague’s most iconic landmarks. Spanning the Vltava River, it connects the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) and Prague Castle. Built in the 14th century by order of King Charles IV, it features stunning Gothic architecture and is adorned with 30 statues of saints, giving it a timeless, historic charm.

Surprisingly, I ran into several groups from our Danube River Cruise while exploring today. Our last big excursion was yesterday morning, but I saw many familiar faces again over breakfast at the hotel this morning.

For a quick coffee break, I stopped at a “world-famous” café nearby: Starbucks.

My final stop was Wenceslas Square, one of Prague’s main city squares and a vibrant cultural hub. It’s a fantastic place for people-watching and shopping, with plenty of historical significance to soak up.

I used my last Czech currency to buy a magnet and dinner.

I returned to my hotel early tonight to prepare for my 6:55 AM flight tomorrow morning.

PRAYER—English

Prayer of the Pope Benedict XVI to the Infant Jesus of Prague he utered during his visit at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague on the 26th September 2009

O my Lord Jesus,we gaze on You as a child and believe that You are the Son of God, who became Man through the working of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Just as in Bethlehem, we too, adore You, with Mary, Joseph, the angels and the shepherds, and acknowledge You as our only Savior.

You became poor to enrich us with Your poverty.

Grant that we may never forget the poor and all those who suffer.

Protect our families, bless all the children of the world and grant that the love You have brought us may always reign amongst us and lead us to a happier life.

Grant, O Jesus,

that all may recognize the truth of Your birth, so that all may know that You have come

to bring to the whole human family light, joy and peace.

You are God, who live and reign with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague Karmelitská 9, Praha 1, CZ, EU

www.pragjesu.cr

Here is the prayer in the Czech language:

MODLITBA

Modlitba papeze Benedikta XVI. k Prazskému Jezulátku, kterou pronesl pri své návstévé chrámu Panny Marie Vítezné dne 26. zári 2009

Pane Jezísi, máme Te pred ocima jako díté a véríme, ze jsi Bozi Syn, jenz se stal clovekem skrze Ducha svatého v line Panny Marie.

Podobné jako v Betléme i my spolu s Marií a Josefem, andély a pastýri se Ti klaníme a vyznáváme, Ze jsi nás jediny Spasitel.

Stal ses chudým, abychom my zbohatli z Tvé chudoby; dej, at nikdy nezapomínáme na chudé a na ty, kdo trpí.

Ochrañuj nase rodiny, zehnej vsem détem celého svéta a dej, at nám vzdy vládne láska, kterou jsi prinesl, aby cinila nás zivot stastnejsím.

Doprej vsem lidem, Jezisi, aby porozuméli poselství Bozího narození, aby pochopili, ze jsi prisel darovat celé lidské rodiné svetlo, radost a pokoj.

Nebot Ty jsi Büh a zijes a kralujes s Bohem Otcem v jednotē Ducha svatého po vsechny veky vekủ.

Museum of Communism in Prague, Czech Republic.

 “Human rights are universal and indivisible.”

Human freedom is also indivisible: if it is denied to anyone in the world, it is therefore denied, indirectly, to all people. This is why we cannot remain silent in the face of evil or violence; silence merely encourages them.”

——-VÁCLAV HAVEL, the first president of the newly liberated Czechoslovakia who has been previously imprisoned for his anti-Soviet activism. 1989

The people of Czechoslovakia were terrorized and demonized under the Nazis then the Soviets for more than 50 years.

While some other travelers in my group visited the Terezin concentration camp, I decided to learn more about Czechoslovakia’s tumultuous history during the 20th century. I arrived at 5:00 PM and the manager alerted me at 7:50 PM that the museum would close in 10 minutes. Of note, I also spent three hours at the museum of terror in Budapest where I learned about the impact of the brutal Nazi and Soviet regimes on Hungary.

Prior to World War II, Czechoslovakia’s population was roughly one-third Czech and Slovak, one-third German, and one-third Jewish. By the war’s end, the Jewish population had largely been deported and murdered in the Holocaust, while the German population faced expulsion as retribution for Nazi occupation and brutality. This left a population primarily composed of native Czechs and Slovaks.

I went to the Museum of communism in Prague, Czech Republic. Here is a description of the museum from its website:

View of the following aspects of life in Communist-era Czechoslovakia: daily life, politics, history, sports, economics, education, art (specifically Socialist Realism), propaganda in the media, the People's Militias, the army, the police (including the secret police, the StB), censorship, and courts and other institutes of repression, including show trials and political labor camps during the Stalinist era. It focuses in particular on the totalitarian regime that ruled the country from the February putsch in 1948 until the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Housed in a space of nearly 1,500 m2, the museum provides visitors with an authentic feel of the era that is enhanced by the incorporation of short videos, posters, and artifacts. The exhibit includes interestingly designed spaces, where visitors can walk through mock-ups of a shock worker's workshop, a school classroom, a child's bedroom, and an interrogation room. We have also selected interesting items from our vast collection of materials that illustrate what daily life under Communism was like. Everything is described on 62 panels divided into thematic sections, which are enriched with a great amount of photographic material from the Archive of the Czech News Agency, the Security Services Archive, the Archive of the Association of Forced Military Camp Laborers, and the personal collections of leading Czech photographers.

Czechoslovakia’s experience during World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation was marked by trauma, occupation, and political upheaval. After the Munich Agreement of 1938 allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland (which was land on the border of Czechoslovakia with lots of German ) Hitler quickly escalated his ambitions. In March 1939, German forces invaded and occupied the remaining parts of Czechoslovakia, creating the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia under strict Nazi control. During this time, resistance was brutally suppressed, and many citizens were imprisoned, sent to concentration camps, or executed, including members of the Czechoslovak resistance and Jewish communities. The assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in 1942 led to horrific reprisals, including the complete destruction of the village of Lidice.

Following the Allied victory in 1945, Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia, which then fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. The communist coup of 1948 brought Czechoslovakia fully under Soviet-style rule, creating a tightly controlled, one-party state. Life under Soviet-backed communist rule was marked by censorship, restrictions on freedom, and widespread surveillance. The government operated secret police, silencing any form of dissent and promoting a culture of fear, in which even family members could be compelled to report one another. The suppression reached its peak during the Prague Spring of 1968, when Soviet tanks invaded to crush reform movements aimed at creating “socialism with a human face.” The years that followed, known as “Normalization,” saw further repression, purges, and hardship for those who had hoped for a more liberal society. For decades, Czechoslovakians lived under the constant watch of the Soviet-backed state, enduring restrictions on expression, movement, and individual freedoms until the Velvet Revolution of 1989 finally ended Soviet dominance.