The DDR Museum, to my disappointment, but not to my surprise, did not consist of arcade games and dance moves, but instead focused on the lifestyles and cultures of people living in East Germany after World War 2. I have heard much about the harsh conditions that sparked open riots, which were violently surpressed., but never had I seen so in depth a look at how people lived I this part of the world, completely walled off from everyone else. Everything was detailed here, from the traditional trabak cars, built for two, to the nude beaches which miraculously thrived while under the Soviet supervision. Yes you heard that last part right. Nude beaches were common in East Germany. Which is especially surprising given the Soviet’s strong stance against the influence of radical west cultural ideals. Nude beaches were definitely not considered traditional.

The anti western movement was on full display here in the museum. I fact, come to mention it, so far, while I’ve been in Germany, anything at all having to do with either the wall or East Germany division, has always been spun to have the westerners be portrayed as the good guys or the heroes with the right ideals, while the east, communists, Russians and so on, are depicted as evil. I am aware that building a wall was definitely extreme, but it is incorrect to assume that this whole side of the wall was hidden in a shadow. Here, though, most likely to accommodate the constant influx of American tourists, the west is victorious and claims the right to portray the east as less than ideal. The room with the interrogator was a great example of this. Yes there were prisoners taken, yes they were mistreated, but when is this not the case in any radical social movement? The American Government has claimed responsibility for torturing prisoners at Guantanamo, yet we will probably never hear from their perspectives. This may be an extreme point, but it is one of the best examples that I can really think of.

Other examples of culture on display were the musical movements, the prevalence of rock and roll surely did its part to disrupt the soviets vice grip on Berlin. While people were taught and raised to do the specific waltz, which was clean and fluid, westerners when wild, let their hair grow out and headbanger their brains out. Maybe that wasn’t this time period quite yet, but you get the point.

How can one summarize Prague after spending only one weekend there? First of all let me start by saying that I have been missing Prague ever since I left. It has taken me more than a week to fully gather myself, mentally and physically after being barraged by its beauty to finally be able to put the details of mythoughtd into words to attempt to discuss the city that I will never forget.

Having to survive in Berlin without knowing very much German is already quite difficult, but to survive in Prague without knowing, literally, any Czech is impossible. And thus I would not say that my time in Prague was spent surviving but rather living. Caution was thrown to the wind as we, as a class collectively, were released from the confines of a classroom and given instead as human sacrifices to the city. During our first night, after we all finished eating, we made our way back through the heart of the city on a busy Saturday night. After seeing the popular destinations in the day, I was not prepared for the lush nightlife that was thriving right when we stepped outside the door. The crowds were thick and the aroma of mischief and scandal gripped me as I struggled to keep up with the the rest of my American brethren. The city was truly alive at night. During the day it hides itself in disguise as a polite and classy city with beautiful red tiled roofs as far as the eye can see. It’s bridges seem to be from antiquity until you see a tram pass over it by the other tourists. At night, though, the lights come out. The churches are on top of their game as people thrive in their presence guided by the streetlights with old hues vibrating from them.

What sets Prague apart from the rest of the continent? Why would Prague be the place to go over the more familiar destinations of Paris and London? I have never been to either of these, but I will offer my opinion. Prague has managed to maintain its old age charms while still being swept up in the tide of cultural and societal evolution. I won’t deny it, the city smells of American capitalism around every corner, the constant presence of sex shops and naked women on public news fliers attest to this. It would normally be a shame  to see a beautiful old city fall victim to this new era of civilization. However, in his case, Prague seems to own these details and make a so much a part of its culture that you feel as if they belong there and should come as no surprise. I hesitate apply a nick name that I know nothing about seeing as how I have never been there either, but I would venture to claim that Prague is the Vegas of Europe. The cit is much smaller than say Berlin, but still big and populated. Over the lack of overs infancy makes it easier to enjoy all that Prague has to offer, at least along the borders of the beautiful river that flows right through the middle of it.

On our first day, we spent most of the time touring around the old, famous castle on the nearby hill that overlooks the whole city. There were lots of people, but it was by no means crowded. On that same night, I decided to go for a night run to try and claim a little more familiarity with the the city. I got lost and eventually found myself at this same cattle from earlier, the only thing was there was no one there. I mean no one. Throughout the whole surrounding neighborhood on the hill, there was nary a soul in sight. Only occasionally did I jog passed a small group of people dressed up from the medieval fair earlier in the day, who had no business otherwise to be there. This is an area of beautiful small buildings and tight alleys, cobblestone roads everywhere. I kept on trying to find a restaurant or a cafe that would be open at this hour, but there was nothing. This struck me as special in two ways. First that a whole neighborhood in such a dense city could maintain such an absence of night life. Secondly, that this absence, I believe, was due out of an old respect for the castle, church and other old traditional buildings in that area. It is no secret that Prague has become an increasingly touristy city. The locals know his and, in order to preserve the dignit of these sacred places, want to avoid having people get drunk on its premises and thus risking turning the place into a sty either through garbage or drunkenly damaging the property.