Dana Kratochvílová near the statue of Franz Kafka by Jaroslav Róna|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
Where to start our walk if not near the Old Town Square. Kafka lived in many places in Prague, but his childhood and his family’s life are closely linked to this historic part of the capital. We will talk about the writer’s youth with guide Dana Kratochvílová, who introduces Franz Kafka to foreign tourists, but also to Czechs:
“To tell the truth, Czechs know very little about Kafka. I’m always surprised to see that American teenagers, for example, have all read ‘The Metamorphosis’ and that Kafka’s world is a rather familiar subject for them. Currently, young Czechs are also learning about the work of the Prague writer, but for previous generations, including mine, it was a taboo subject under the communist regime. »
La place Franz Kafka|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
With Dana Kratochvílová, here we are on Franz Kafka Square, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Old Town Square. It is one of the smallest and newest squares in Prague – it was only named after the writer, born in one of the surrounding houses, in 2000.
Only the Baroque portal has been preserved from Franz Kafka’s birthplace|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
“This small square located in front of the entrance to St. Nicholas Church was called Kurný trh in the Middle Ages, because poultry was sold there. A relief by Franz Kafka, dating from 1966 (the installation of the work corresponds to the period of political thaw of the 1960s, editor’s note), commemorates his birthplace. But we cannot say that he was born precisely in this house on the corner of the street. In fact, the original building was demolished during the sanitation of the Jewish ghetto. Only the Baroque portal has been preserved from the writer’s birthplace, on the site of which a new building was built at the beginning of the 20th century. It has recently been renovated. There are cafes on the ground floor and apartments or offices upstairs. »
Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, into a German-speaking Jewish family. His father Hermann was from southern Bohemia. He came from a modest background. Arriving in Prague, he opened his first haberdashery on Dlouhá Street with the help of his cousins. Hermann Kafka quickly established himself as a competent merchant and notably succeeded in winning the heart of his future wife, Julie, who on the other hand came from a wealthy Prague Jewish family. Franz is the eldest of their six children, but his two brothers died at a young age.
From Franz Kafka Square we head towards Old Town Square, where the family moved with little Franz, then two years old. The Kafkas then settled, for seven years, in the beautiful medieval house called U Minuty (At the minute), where Kafka’s three sisters were born, Elli, Valli and the youngest, Ottla, who was closest to Franz. Decorated with magnificent Renaissance sgraffito from the 16th century, the U Minuty house is located right next to the Astronomical Clock of the Old Town Hall and currently houses the Scout Institute.
La maison U Minuty|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
The way to school through Old Town Square
The U Minuty house|Photo: Radio Prague International
“Kafka’s family moved in on the first floor. They had a large apartment, even with a maid’s room. At the age of six, Franz began his schooling. The new German school for boys he then attended was on Masná Street. He therefore had to cross the entire Old Town Square. He describes in his diary how stressful it was for him, as he was afraid of getting lost. He suggested that it would be possible to build a railing on the square, along which he could walk. »
La ruelle Týnská|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
“We now pass through Týnská lane, which is very narrow and dark, and through which Kafka went to school. He really didn’t like going through that. He would later remember that the cook accompanied him every day and dragged him more or less behind her, under the gaze of the local merchants. Every morning the same scene played out, and every day the cook threatened to tell the school how Franz had rebelled again. »
The building on Masná Street still houses a primary school|Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague Int.
If the building on Masná Street still houses a primary school, this is not the case for the German high school where Franz was able to continue his studies thanks to his excellent academic results, which however did not dispel the permanent doubts he had on his abilities. The high school was located in the Gotz-Kinský Palace on Old Town Square, which today houses the National Gallery. Hermann Kafka also had his shop at this prestigious address from 1912. With Dana Kratochvílová we are located not far away, on Celetná Street.
Le palais Gotz-Kinský|Photo: Magdalena Hrozínková, Radio Prague Int.
The house on Celetná Street, located just below the Church of Our Lady of Týn|Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague Int.
“We will first look at the house located just below the Church of Our Lady of Týn. Today it houses the Kodak Express store and a souvenir shop. This is where the Kafka family moved. Hermann Kafka had warehouses and a department store here – at the time he already employed several people, while his wife was a cashier. Franz Kafka lived here during his high school and even university studies. His bedroom window looked directly onto Týn Church. During the communist era, the room was used by the secret police who monitored people going to church through this window. When you enter the church, you can see at the top right this small window with a grill. So this is Franz Kafka’s bedroom window. »
“Another house on Celetná Street is also linked to the family of Franz Kafka. This is the Hrzánský Palace which once belonged to the noble family of Hrzán from Harasov. In this house, Hermann Kafka had a warehouse for textile products. It was already at the end of his successful business career, when he stopped selling over the counter and only supplied goods to stores in Prague and other cities. »
La rue Kamzíková|Photo: Kristýna Maková, Radio Prague Int.
After crossing the courtyard of the Hrzánský Palace, we arrive at the discreet Kamzíková Street, where the Red Peacock House was located, one of the most luxurious brothels in Prague. Many celebrities visited there, including German-speaking Prague writers, including Franz Kafka. Moreover, his university, called Charles Ferdinand University at the time, was just a stone’s throw from here.
From the Old Town to Wenceslas Square
“We are now in front of the Carolinum, where Kafka studied law. He initially opted for chemistry, but very quickly abandoned it. He then began his studies in 1901 and received his law degree in 1906.
The Assicurazioni Generali company has built a huge neo-baroque building on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Jindřišská Street|Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague Int.
“He wanted to go and live in Italy for a while, but this dream did not come true. In 1907, at the age of twenty-four, Kafka began working for the Prague branch of the Italian insurance company Assicurazioni Generali, based in Trieste. The company built a huge neo-Baroque building on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Jindřišská Street. At that time, with the emergence of many factories, issues related to work safety and employee insurance became very topical. Thanks to his training, Kafka was able to devote himself precisely to this field and its legal aspects. After two years, he joined the Work Accident Insurance Company located on Na Poříčí Street. He remained there until 1922, when, two years before his death, he abandoned his post due to ill health. He therefore spent his entire professional life within this insurance company and had a very respectable career there. »
The building of the Occupational Accident Insurance Company on Na Poříčí Street|Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague Int.
From his teenage years, Kafka wrote poems and stories. However, he kept most of his writings to himself and rarely shared them with the public during his lifetime. A hypersensitive writer, whose life in a tumultuous era was marked by a series of personal challenges, he also maintained an ambivalent relationship with his hometown.
We will continue our discovery of the places in Prague and in the provinces where Franz Kafka left his traces in the next episode of our series, in a week.