Have you been to Budapest? I found the Jewish history there - and the way it is marked through tourism - even more disturbing, precisely in the way you describe. Thanks for this.
There is a very good reason why most Czechs prefer not to have anything to do with any form of organized religion and it's too simplistic to put that down to the 40 years of socialism imported from the Soviet Union after World War 2. The roots go far deeper. After all, the 30 Year War, which completely ravaged Europe, started with the Habsburg invasion of Bohemia in 1620. Czechs were a bit too early to discover that the Catholic Church was completely corrupt and protestant thought flourished for a while, until it was put down by the Habsburgs and a forceful recatholicization won the day. This is just a case in point that the country was raped too many times by too many masters and overseers, each one with a different political agenda and a somewhat different brand of religion or ideology.
As a Czech myself, I am proud of the liberal, tolerant society that was able to eventually rise from those unhappy historical circumstances and do sincerely hope that my countrymen won't ever fall again for any brand of fanaticism, whether monotheistic-religious or secular-ideological.
Tucked away in a corner of Prague railway station, there's a statue of Nicholas Winton, who organized trains of Jewish kids out of Prague in 1939. He didn't need any religion to do what be did - in fact, he was an agnostic (though he was too modest to advertise it anywhere) and acted out of simple humanity. He represents what I would like my country to stand for much better than the selfie-worthy cathedrals.
Russ, did you accidentally omit "not" from the line below?
> In 2021, 48% said they did have a religion.
Either way, thank you for these thought-provoking--and nuanced--reflections.
WIth respect to what inspires great works: I wonder how much overlap of inspiration there is between the people envisioning and designing the architecture and art, the people developing and extrapolating the theology and ethics, and the people policing the boundaries and ideological / social purity.
And whatever the degree of overlap of the religious inspiration: how much of the art, of the ideological development, and of the boundary policing is motivated by personal drives & personal character that is independent of (and layered on top of) the religion?
This isn't a rhetorical question. And I think it's relevant to any religion, in fact to any social institution.
Russ, you may be interested in reading some Rod Dreher: he's an American expat living in Hungary and often writes on the rapidly fading shadow of Christianity in Europe.
I love your writing. But I wonder if the beauty of the art was worth the ugliness of the actions. Maybe the ugliness was inevitable. If you’re going to murder Jews anyway with the right hand, why not make some nice music with the left? The artists don’t do the murdering, but the murderers can appreciate the art and even calm their conscience (such as it was).
Still, I deeply understand the sense of loss, of what might have been, if those people had not been murdered.
I have some thoughts but will share most privately except to say that the line about the Nazis and communists and developers is you at your best.
Have you been to Budapest? I found the Jewish history there - and the way it is marked through tourism - even more disturbing, precisely in the way you describe. Thanks for this.
No, but soon, I hope.
There is a very good reason why most Czechs prefer not to have anything to do with any form of organized religion and it's too simplistic to put that down to the 40 years of socialism imported from the Soviet Union after World War 2. The roots go far deeper. After all, the 30 Year War, which completely ravaged Europe, started with the Habsburg invasion of Bohemia in 1620. Czechs were a bit too early to discover that the Catholic Church was completely corrupt and protestant thought flourished for a while, until it was put down by the Habsburgs and a forceful recatholicization won the day. This is just a case in point that the country was raped too many times by too many masters and overseers, each one with a different political agenda and a somewhat different brand of religion or ideology.
As a Czech myself, I am proud of the liberal, tolerant society that was able to eventually rise from those unhappy historical circumstances and do sincerely hope that my countrymen won't ever fall again for any brand of fanaticism, whether monotheistic-religious or secular-ideological.
Tucked away in a corner of Prague railway station, there's a statue of Nicholas Winton, who organized trains of Jewish kids out of Prague in 1939. He didn't need any religion to do what be did - in fact, he was an agnostic (though he was too modest to advertise it anywhere) and acted out of simple humanity. He represents what I would like my country to stand for much better than the selfie-worthy cathedrals.
Russ, did you accidentally omit "not" from the line below?
> In 2021, 48% said they did have a religion.
Either way, thank you for these thought-provoking--and nuanced--reflections.
WIth respect to what inspires great works: I wonder how much overlap of inspiration there is between the people envisioning and designing the architecture and art, the people developing and extrapolating the theology and ethics, and the people policing the boundaries and ideological / social purity.
And whatever the degree of overlap of the religious inspiration: how much of the art, of the ideological development, and of the boundary policing is motivated by personal drives & personal character that is independent of (and layered on top of) the religion?
This isn't a rhetorical question. And I think it's relevant to any religion, in fact to any social institution.
Shabbat Shalom.
Russ, you may be interested in reading some Rod Dreher: he's an American expat living in Hungary and often writes on the rapidly fading shadow of Christianity in Europe.
Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I will now add Prague to my list of future destinations. I'll also need to study-up before I go.
I love your writing. But I wonder if the beauty of the art was worth the ugliness of the actions. Maybe the ugliness was inevitable. If you’re going to murder Jews anyway with the right hand, why not make some nice music with the left? The artists don’t do the murdering, but the murderers can appreciate the art and even calm their conscience (such as it was).
Still, I deeply understand the sense of loss, of what might have been, if those people had not been murdered.