Page 26 - EXPOTIME!Sept2017

Museums in Eastern Europe

A multi-cultural life Town (Masný Trh), the German State Gigh School at
Goltz-Kinský Palace, The German Charles-Ferdinand Uni-
To misuse Kafka for nationalist monkey business locks up versity in Husova Street, the Berta Fanta’s salon in Old
the access to an essential source of his literature: the Town Square 17 or the Jewish Town Hall in Maiselova
Jewish Prague and its place in the modern world. When Street.
Kafka was born in 1883, Prague and Bohemia belonged
to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austro-Hungarian During Kafka’s lifespan, about 30,000 Jews lived in
Empire came into being in 1867 when a constitutional Prague, most of them spoke German and mainly identi-
compromise between the Austrian Empire and Hungary fied with the German-speaking culture. They lived a sec-
was reached. This compromise meant that Hungary ularized, mostly bourgeois lifestyle and distanced them-
would continue to acknowledge the rule of the Austrian selves from the Jews living in “Schtetls”, small towns in
emperor, but was autonomous in all political issues ex- Eastern Europe. Yiddish, the language most often con-
cept war and foreign relations. nected to eastern European Jews, was unknown to
them. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Prague’s
Born and buried in Prague Jewish population consisted of 92,000 people, one of
the largest in Europe. 60% of them are estimated to have
Kafka’s birthplace is situated near to the Church of St perished in the Holocaust, and some of the survivors
Nicholas (Náměstí Franze Kafky 3). The original door still found a safe place in the USA. Today, approximately
exists and the house was rebuilt and hosts today a small 5,000 Jews live in Prague. 2
exhibition about the author’s life and work.
The world-known writer was buried in the New Jewish
Many places of Kafka’s life are situated in Prague, for cemetery. Visitors find the grave following the main
example the German Boy’s Elementary School in Old walkway east, turn right at row 21 and then left. They
will find the grave at the end of this area. It is easy to
find because they are signs. On June 3, the day of Kaf-
ka‘s death, admirers of him use to travel to commemo-
rate his death.

The Franz Kafka Museum

Kafka was so connected to Prague that it was a good
idea to open a museum which devotes itself totally to
the author and his work. The museum, situated in the
former Herget Brickworks factory, focusses in the per-
manent exhibition on “The City of K. ‒ Franz Kafka and
Prague“. The exhibition opened first in Barcelona and
moved 2002 / 2003 to the Jewish Museum in New York.
2005 it found its way back to Kafka‘s city.

The Existencial space

The permanent exhibition is organized in two parts, the
“Existential space"and "Imaginary Topography“. Differ-
ent to conventional museums, the environment refers to
the dark atmosphere of Kafka‘s tales and worldview.

In the yard, two oversized black "K"characters introduce
into the topic. They try to draw the visitor‘s attention to
the essentials. Two sculptures of urinating men looking at
each other generate a second moment of positive uncer-
tainty.

The part “Existential space"shows how the City of Prague
influenced Kafka. It outlines the surreal mood in Jewish
Prague of Kafka‘s lifetime which affected him like a magic
open air museum of frozen time while at the same time
Prague had a “metamorphosing power"on him which both
found his impression in his story “The Metamorpho-
M. Klempfner, Studio photo of Franz Kafka, 1888.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. sis"where the textile merchand Gregor Samsa finds him

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EXPOTIME!, issue August/September 2017