Written in Stone: Monuments, Memory, and Meaning in Prague

Description: Prague has long captivated travelers, poets, and artists who describe the city as mystical,magical, a mother, or a lover. But what deeper truths lie beneath the cobblestone streets? Prague writer Ivan Klima argued, “The word ‘paradox’ also applies to the spirit of this city....A Czech writer today would hesitate to write that his city was ‘magical’ or ‘mystical.’” A Holocaust survivor and dissident during the Communist era, Klima cautioned against idealistic portrayals of the city.

About the speaker: Cynthia Paces is Professor of History at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Her new book, Prague: The Heart of Europe, uses Klima’s characterization of Prague as paradox to explore eleven centuries of the city’s history. Her talk will examine Prague's paradoxes by focusing on the tumultuous twentieth century, when the diverse city underwent staggering cultural and political changes. By focusing on contested “sites of memory”—monuments, memorials, and buildings—she will trace complex and conflicting narratives etched upon the stones. Her lecture will take the audience on a tour of Prague, through two world wars and the communist era to the present day.