"A comprehensive history of the Jews of the Bohemian Lands whose goal is to narrate and analyze the Jewish experience in the Bohemian Lands as an integral and inseparable part of the development of Central Europe and its peoples from the sixteenth century to the present day"--
Prague's magnificent synagogues and Old Jewish Cemetery attract millions of visitors each year, and travelers who venture beyond the capital find physical evidence of once vibrant Jewish communities in towns and villages throughout today's Czech Republic. For those seeking to learn more about the people who once lived and died at those sites, however, there has until now been no comprehensive account in English of the region's Jews. Prague and Beyond presents a new and accessible history of the Jews of the Bohemian Lands written by an international team of scholars. It offers a multifaceted account of the Jewish people in a region that has been, over the centuries, a part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy, was constituted as the democratic Czechoslovakia in the years following the First World War, became the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and later a postwar Communist state, and is today's Czech Republic. This ever-changing landscape provides the backdrop for a historical reinterpretation that emphasizes the rootedness of Jews in the Bohemian Lands, the intricate variety of their social, economic, and cultural relationships, their negotiations with state power, the connections that existed among Jewish communities, and the close, if often conflictual, ties between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors. Prague and Beyond is written in a narrative style with a focus on several unifying themes across the periods. These include migration and mobility; the shape of social networks; religious life and education; civic rights, citizenship, and Jewish autonomy; gender and the family; popular culture; and memory and commemorative practices. Collectively these perspectives work to revise conventional understandings of Central Europe's Jewish past and present, and more fully capture the diversity and multivalence of life in the Bohemian Lands.
Dramatic Gothic monuments, breathtaking castles, and fairytale spires: Take your time in this magical city with Moon Prague & Beyond. Explore In and Around the City: Get to know Prague's most interesting neighborhoods, like the Castle District, Old Town, and Lesser Town, and nearby areas, including Kutná Hora, Liberec, and the Moravian wine country Go at Your Own Pace: Choose from multiple itinerary options designed for foodies, history buffs, art lovers, outdoor adventurers, and more See the Sights: Stroll through the vast Vysehrad complex and relax in the beer garden, marvel at the medieval astronomical clock and the twisted Dancing House, or wander the winding streets of the Jewish Quarter. Climb the Charles Bridge towers, snap a photo in front of the John Lennon Wall, and watch the sunset from a riverside boardwalk Get Outside the City: Hike to Trosky Castle at the summit of a volcanic plug, grab a pint of Pilsner at Pilsen's namesake brewery, explore natural wine vineyards, or study the intricate Baroque monuments of Olomouc Savor the Flavors: Linger over coffee at a riverside café, enjoy a hearty dinner of meat and potatoes or a light lunch from a street stall, and snack on fried cheese and Czech sausage at a corner bar Experience the Nightlife: Savor a pivo in a beer garden, kick back at an Old Town pub, or see what's on tap at a microbrewery. Sample local, seasonal wines or catch a live music performance in a former army barracks. Sip Art Nouveau-inspired creations at a craft cocktail bar or soak up 360-degree views of the city from a rooftop bar Get to Know the Real Prague: Follow honest suggestions from Prague local Auburn Scallon Full-Color Photos and Detailed Maps, including a full-color foldout map Handy Tools: Background information on Prague's history and culture, plus tips on what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around Day trip itineraries, favorite local spots, and strategies to skip the crowds: Take your time with Moon Prague & Beyond. Exploring more of Eastern Europe? Check out Moon Budapest & Beyond.
The definitive work on the causes of the rural migration of the Czech people to the US in the 19th century, where they settled and why, and what their lives were like.
The phenomenon of national identities, always a key issue in the modern history of Bohemian Jewry, was particularly complex because of the marginal differences that existed between the available choices. Considerable overlap was evident in the programs of the various national movements and it was possible to change one's national identity or even to opt for more than one such identity without necessarily experiencing any far-reaching consequences in everyday life. Based on many hitherto unknown archival sources from the Czech Republic, Israel and Austria, the author's research reveals the inner dynamic of each of the national movements and maps out the three most important constructions of national identity within Bohemian Jewry - the German-Jewish, the Czech-Jewish and the Zionist. This book provides a needed framework for understanding the rich history of German- and Czech-Jewish politics and culture in Bohemia and is a notable contribution to the historiography of Bohemian, Czechoslovak and central European Jewry.
The Prague Cemetery is the #1 international bestselling historical novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco. Nineteenth-century Europe—from Turin to Prague to Paris—abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Jesuits plot against Freemasons. Italian republicans strangle priests with their own intestines. French criminals plan bombings by day and celebrate Black Masses at night. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. Conspiracies rule history. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if behind all of these conspiracies, both real and imagined, lay one lone man? “Choreographed by a truth that is itself so strange a novelist need hardly expand on it to produce a wondrous tale... Eco is to be applauded for bringing this stranger-than-fiction truth vividly to life.” —The New York Times
Beyond the Chestnut Trees, is a haunting and deeply personal memoir by Maria Bauer, who escaped Hitler’s invasion of Prague. After 40 years in exile, Bauer makes an unforgettable journey back to her homeland, searching for lost friends and lost loves, and finds the spirit of her beloved city forever changed. Through flashbacks, Bauer weaves the tale of her idyllic childhood, where she spent her summers at her family castle, with her harrowing flight through Europe on the last train leaving Nazi-occupied France. She paints a stirring picture of Prague, wistfully recalling the magical and mystical city of her youth. “I didn’t want to write about Prague’s sufferings under two occupations nor about its heroes and martyrs,” Bauer said. “Many books and movies have recorded them for posterity. But there is more to the story of a city than historical upheavals. Each city has its inner life; and Prague, in the era between the two world wars, had its unique character and a mysterious atmosphere that deeply affected those who grew up amidst its old stones.” This updated edition of Beyond the Chestnut Trees includes a foreword by critically-acclaimed author, Gail Godwin, as well as dozens of compelling photographs from Bauer’s family albums that powerfully reinvigorate her intimate memoir. With the release of this new digital edition, Bauer hopes that, “perhaps, the events that I have described might once again feel more immediate and intimate to my great grandchildren and their generation – and that our tragic and healing experiences will not be forgotten, but will continue to live on in their memories.”
Prague is at the core of everything both wonderful and terrible in Western history, but few people truly understand this city's unique culture. In Prague in Black and Gold, Peter Demetz strips away sentimentalities and distortions and shows how Czechs, Germans, Italians, and Jews have lived and worked together for over a thousand years.
Pragues old town and historical sights the West Bohemian spa region and the mountainous areas of the north and southwest are all explored in detail in this guide to a corner of Europe where west meets east