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Franz Kafka Museum

barbara
barbara
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
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1
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Franz Kafka Museum

  • April 9, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by barbara from Atlanta, Georgia
While walking around the Old Town, we saw a small exhibit for Franz Kafka. It was cheap and small and not worth very much. Not that I'm a huge Kafka fan, but he IS a pretty major writer. What a let down.

So, when we happened to walk in a different direction towards the heart of the Mala Strana district and saw the new Kafka museum--behind a hilarious fountain of two men peeing in a pool, no less--we had to give Prague another chance at showing off one of her most famous sons.

Funny thing about that...

Kafka was virtually unknown for many years in the Czech Republic because his ideas were banned by the communists in control.... The interest of Western tourists is what put the guy's face on a t-shirt. The Czechs themselves are just beginning to really appreciate and enjoy his work.

So I begin to walk through the bilingual exhibits, reading excerpts of the writer's work, learning more about the history that contributed to his views as an existentialist.

One section of the museum is floor to ceiling filing cabinets... the occasional drawer is open so that you can look inside at a quote from a partial manuscript.... a piece of biography.... a photograph.

Wow.

Nicely done.

Kafka once said that his whole life was contained in a small circle of Prague.

Seeing this city, going to this museum, made me remember the bits and pieces of Kafka I had read in high school.... and appreciate it more. I could see how the architecture of Prague, the winding streets, the Jewish Ghetto, the Czech legends had all left their mark...

By the end of my visit, I knew I understood Kafka better. Or at least I think I understand an impulse in Kafka when he wrote in his diary: "I am nothing but literature and can (and want to be) nothing else."

Yeah.

I get that.

After the museum, we were hungry, so we took a stroll to the Malostranska Pivnice, a nearby restaurant at Cihlena 3, Praha 1. It had the long wooden tables I always think about in German beer tents. Pretzels were hanging from wooden stands on the tables. The butter yellow walls decorated with so many metal keg taps gave a warm feel to the long dining room that ended in a bar. We pulled up some menus.

In truth, we found the prices here to be a little steep compared to other places where we ate in Prague. So we ordered some beer and each got a bowl of goulash potato soup. THIS was pretty good. Not a bad place for a light bite... or a drink. The service was quick, the soup was filling, and there's a lot to be said for that. If you want a heavier meal, it's my feeling that you can find better value for money.

Kafka Museum Particulars
Open daily from 10-6.
Telephone: +420 221 451 400
Website: www.kafkamuseum.cz
Price in April 2007: 120 Kc (About $6)

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