This is a collection of Jan Neruda's intimate, wry, bittersweet stories of life among the inhabitants of the Little Quarter of nineteenth-century Prague. These finely tuned and varied vignettes established Neruda as the quintessential Czech nineteenth-century realist, the Charles Dickens of a Prague becoming ever more aware of itself as a Czech rather than an Austrian city. Prague Tales is a classic by a writer whose influence has been acknowledged by generations of Czech writers, including Ivan Klíma, who contributes an introduction to this new translation.
For more than eight centuries, the Jews of Prague lived in the Prague ghetto. During that time, Jewish Prague had always been a place of much mystery to outsiders, even to the closest Christian neighbors. Uncover the secrets of this long forgotten world. Learn about how the famous Old-New Synagogue received its name; about the four words that saved the Prague Jews in the Middle Ages; about Rabbi Loew and his Golem who could be brought to life by inserting a magic card into his mouth; about the Candelabra of Jerusalem finding its way to Prague; about hard-working Maisel and his inheritance; about how the faith of Pinkas was tried; about learned Rabbi Rashi's grave; and about much more.
A dramatic account of life in Czechoslovakia's great capital during the Nazi Protectorate With this successor book to Prague in Black and Gold, his account of more than a thousand years of Central European history, the great scholar Peter Demetz focuses on just six short years—a tormented, tragic, and unforgettable time. He was living in Prague then—a "first-degree half-Jew," according to the Nazis' terrible categories—and here he joins his objective chronicle of the city under German occupation with his personal memories of that period: from the bitter morning of March 15, 1939, when Hitler arrived from Berlin to set his seal on the Nazi takeover of the Czechoslovak government, until the liberation of Bohemia in April 1945, after long seasons of unimaginable suffering and pain. Demetz expertly interweaves a superb account of the German authorities' diplomatic, financial, and military machinations with a brilliant description of Prague's evolving resistance and underground opposition. Along with his private experiences, he offers the heretofore untold history of an effervescent, unstoppable Prague whose urbane heart went on beating despite the deportations, murders, cruelties, and violence: a Prague that kept its German- and Czech-language theaters open, its fabled film studios functioning, its young people in school and at work, and its newspapers on press. This complex, continually surprising book is filled with rare human detail and warmth, the gripping story of a great city meeting the dual challenge of occupation and of war.
Prague is the most haunted of places. It is a city where magic and mystery can be found at every turn. The thirty-nine supernatural legends in this book, all but one associated with notable tourist attractions, are more than fascinating stories set in Prague. They also capture the city's images and imagination better than any guidebook or history book. This is not a collection of folktales, but only of supernatural legends for which Prague is unsurpassed. The writing is original, and the setting of each tale is described in detail to allow even an armchair traveler a magical tour of this captivating city. The stories also serve as the framework for providing an overview of Czech history and culture as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the First Czechoslovak Republic.
“A riveting tale of her family’s experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority. . . . More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action, a chronicle of a war in progress from a partisan faithful to the idea of Czechoslovakian democracy.” -- Los Angeles Times Drawn from her own memory, her parents’ written reflections, and interviews with contemporaries, the former US Secretary of State and New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Albright's tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring Before she turned twelve, Madeleine Albright’s life was shaken by some of the most cataclysmic events of the 20th century: the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, the Battle of Britain, the attempted genocide of European Jewry, the allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. In Prague Winter, Albright reflects on her discovery of her family’s Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech homeland’s tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her parents and their generation. Often relying on eyewitness descriptions, she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exile leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims and killers. These events of enormous complexity are shaped by concepts familiar to any growing child: fear, trust, adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, the quest for independence, and the difference between right and wrong. Prague Winter is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind, a journey with universal lessons that is simultaneously a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history. It serves as a guide to the future through the lessons of the past, as seen through the eyes of one of the international community’s most respected and fascinating figures in history. Albright and her family’s experiences provide an intensely human lens through which to view the most political and tumultuous years in modern history.
Experience the wonder and beauty of the the world`s largest open-air gallery - Prague’s Charles Bridge like never before. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through time and art with our audio-visual smartphone-friendly guide. Our guides are unlike anything you've seen before! Key Features: 🔎 Comprehensive guide to the sculptures of Charles Bridge.🎨 Fascinating stories behind the Baroque sculptures and their creators.😇 Lives of the saints and what they are patron saints of. 🎵 Audio commentary for each sculpture.*) 🔷 User-friendly design for easy navigation on smartphones. 🎥 More than 130 stunning pictures. As you stroll along the bridge, you'll find that most of the statues are those of saints who can serve as intercessors in specific situations in life. Our guide provides information on which saints to turn to for help in finding lost items, happy marriages, safe travels, hopeless situations and many more. Discover these fascinating facts and more in our guide optimized for mobile viewing. Our guide feels more like a sleek app than a traditional e-book. ❓ Did you know that Saint John of Nepomuk, the statue of whom is the most famous statue on Charles Bridge and has been replicated over 60,000 times around the world, did not actually live the life of a saint. ❓Or that Saint Wenceslaus, known from the carol "Good King Wenceslas," has three depictions on the bridge ❓But it's not just the saints that have fascinating stories about them. The Turk sculpture on the Prague Bridge, which guards Christian captives, is ironically the most popular statue for domestic visitors. ❓Find out why and understand the meaning behind the proverb "He stood there like a Turk on the (Prague) Bridge". ⭕️ Charles Bridge, the iconic structure of Prague, which has been on the UNESCO list for more than thirty years, is not only the most famous building in Central Europe, but also the largest outdoor gallery with more than 30 sculptures and 70 figures. Our guide is designed to help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and instead make an informed decision about which sculptures to see and why they're important. ❗️Our guide is designed for reading on a smartphone screen and includes 55 audio commentaries *) for added convenience. Interactive links make navigation a breeze, and underlined text links lead to different sections of the guide, including lists of sculptures, statues, sculptors, and donors. Experience the Charles Bridge like never before and create unforgettable memories with our guide. Unlock the full experience and download our sample today! *) Audio commentaries are included in the GOLD and BLUE editions
