I think I may still be in denial about being back in America and not being able to spend 24/7 with 26 of my new favorite people. However, as depressing as it may be, it is good to be back in a country where the water is free and the language is one that I can understand. I am so thankful for this experience and all of the wonderful memories that I have made during this trip. I could not think of a better way to spend my Winter Term and I can’t thank the professors and everyone on the trip enough for making it so unforgettable. Now on to the questions….
The first question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, How has Wenceslas Square transformed or commemorated the outcome and events of the Velvet Revolution from 1989?
The second question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, What are the most significant impacts and changes upon the citizens of the Czech Republic from the communist way of life to a democratic lifestyle?
The third question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, How was Vaclav Havel's playwright background significant in the new wave of media (including theater and spokesmen) brought through the democratic changes?
Something new that I experienced during the course that I want to explore further would probably be Dachau. Visiting Dachau was an eye opening experience that I feel everyone should do at some point in their life. You learn all about the holocaust in school but learning about it from textbooks and teachers is a completely different experience from actually visiting a concentration camp. Visiting Dachau made me want to go to Auschwitz and many other concentration camps because I think it is important for us to educate ourselves and learn as much about the holocaust as we can in order to ensure that an atrocity like this NEVER happens again. Additionally, along the same lines of Dachau, I would like to explore the topic of Nazi propaganda further. I want to learn more about how people could believe such lies that the Nazi party put out and why they were so believable.
-Kelsey Krug
The first question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, How has Wenceslas Square transformed or commemorated the outcome and events of the Velvet Revolution from 1989?
- It was so cool to be able to visit Wenceslas square while we were in Prague because that was where most of the Velvet Revolution took place and forever changed history. However, visiting there today, you would never know that this was the same place. Wenceslas square today is filled with restaurants, clothing stores, and souvenir shops, just like any other touristy city. There wasn’t a whole lot to commemorate the Velvet Revolution in Wenceslas square, at least not as much as I thought there would be. They had the Museum of Communism, which we visited, that explained Czechoslovakia’s communist history and how they came to be a democratic country. There was also a big picture of Vaclav Havel on one of the big buildings in the center of Wenceslas square that you can’t miss. Vaclav Havel was an important part of Prague’s Velvet Revolution and was the first democratic president of the Czech Republic so it was cool to see that they pretty much worship him for all that he has done for the country.
The second question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, What are the most significant impacts and changes upon the citizens of the Czech Republic from the communist way of life to a democratic lifestyle?
- The most significant impacts and changes upon the citizens of the Czech Republic has a lot to do with freedom, freedom to make their own decisions, and freedom to live life how they want to. One thing I found interesting was when we went on a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter our tour guide told us that the majority of the population in Prague were atheist. This is because now that they are a democratic country the people are now free to be whatever religion they choose and are not forced to be catholic like they were for so long. The change from a communist government to a democratic government impacted the citizens of the Czech Republic in so many ways. The citizens are now free to do whatever they want, they are no longer under limitations from the government and can make their own decisions about money, education, religion, and so much more. These are probably the most significant changes for the citizens.
The third question that my group and I came up with in the Fall was, How was Vaclav Havel's playwright background significant in the new wave of media (including theater and spokesmen) brought through the democratic changes?
- This question still remains somewhat unanswered. We did not learn directly about Havel’s influence on the new wave of media after Czechoslovakia became democratic. However, after Czechoslovakia became democratic, the government no longer controlled the media and that was due to Vaclav Havel’s huge role in the Velvet Revolution, ending communism.
Something new that I experienced during the course that I want to explore further would probably be Dachau. Visiting Dachau was an eye opening experience that I feel everyone should do at some point in their life. You learn all about the holocaust in school but learning about it from textbooks and teachers is a completely different experience from actually visiting a concentration camp. Visiting Dachau made me want to go to Auschwitz and many other concentration camps because I think it is important for us to educate ourselves and learn as much about the holocaust as we can in order to ensure that an atrocity like this NEVER happens again. Additionally, along the same lines of Dachau, I would like to explore the topic of Nazi propaganda further. I want to learn more about how people could believe such lies that the Nazi party put out and why they were so believable.
-Kelsey Krug