Kafka Museum

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Prague can be different: refined, aristocratic high with its cathedrals and town halls, noisy, animated, musical with squares and streets, and maybe strange , incomprehensible, painful, shocking. Do you know such a Prague? This is Prague Kafka, and her topography is simple - the work of an immortal writer who loved and hated his city at the same time

Today you can get acquainted with this Prague in the Franz Kafka Museum, telling not only about the life and work of the great writer, but also about life in general and about life in Prague in particular.

Kafka Museum is a squat, long house that was once a brick factory, on the low bank of the Vltava River - almost under the Charles Bridge. The first thing you see in the courtyard of the museum is a huge K book, and next to it the fountain of the hand of the provocateur sculptor is two men peeing on the map of the Czech Republic

The creator of the Kafka Museum is Joan Insua of the Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture , who invented a whole series of exhibitions "Cities and their Writers."

The exposition "The City of K. Franz Kafka and Prague" was opened in 1999 in Barcelona, in 2002 moved to New York, and since 2005, finally settled where it was supposed to be - in Prague.

The first thing you see in the courtyard of the museum is a huge one, like a book By iteration, and next to it a fountain hand-provocateur sculptor -. two men urinating on the map of Czech Republic

Franz Kafka was born in Prague, July 3, 1883, he died June 3, 1924-th. For the whole world, he became a writer whose works are permeated with fear and despair, where mysticism mixes with reality, absurdity with a profound philosophical understanding of what is happening. After spending his entire life in Prague, he described it in his works and tried to leave the city forever.

The exposition of the Kafka Museum is divided into two parts: existential space and imaginary topography.

Existential space is the first stage of entering the world of Kafka. You will see not Kafka in Prague, but Prague in Kafka, the way she shapes his life, leaving behind her footprints in numerous works and quotes that seem to be suspended around the museum.

Kafka Museum

Sculptures at the Kafka Museum

Here you can see photos of Kafka's family, friends, women, correspondence, drafts , the first publications, drawings. The whole interior with its dark walls, gibbet-like beams, small windows opens the door to Prague that you do not know yet.

A photo of those Prague places where Franz K. visited was stacked on a black and white pebble in an endless row - At the bottom of the "river", covered with glass. Under the glass, over the pebbles, over the black and white houses of old Prague, the water is flowing slowly (real!), Blurring the outlines of the streets, rippling over the cobblestones of the pavements.

On a huge screen, the guests see a looped film about Prague between the two world wars .Black and white shots: trams, towers, men in funny hats, important ladies, cyclists, angels, kings ... Gradually this entire chronicle begins to refract, stream, fracture ... The distorted faces of angels and kings flutter, houses roll over the pavement and crumble . A caption arises: "Prague will not let you go any more . None of us . This old crown has claws" . The image turns yellow at the edges, turns black, cringes until there is only a black stain, after which the screen goes blank . @ And in a moment everything, as always, begins again . You did not know such a P raga, right?

The visitor does not just guess the familiar places - St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, Old Town - but sees them differently, from the inside, with the view of the great Prague.

The fountain in the courtyard of the Kafka Museum

The second part of the exposition is an imaginary topography. This is Kafka in Prague, but there are not any more mysteries here: in his novels and stories Kafka, with rare exceptions, does not name the place, but describes it. And the visitor, getting involved in this process, begins not only to guess the places familiar to guides and excursions - St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, Old Town - but to see them differently, from the inside, with the glance of the great Pragueite.

Especially for the exhibition prepared unique 3D artifacts and audio recordings of the writer's works. Among the best works in the museum are "Meditation", "Court", as well as "Process", "America" and "Castle", and a shop is opened where you can buy any work by Franz Kafka.

How to get here

Museum address : Cihelná 2, Prague 1, telephone: +420 221-451-400. By the way, he works every day from 10 to 18.

Souvenir shop in the Kafka Museum

Inside the Kafka Museum

Reviews of the Kafka Museum (5)

Evaluation 3

Strange and incomprehensible museum 03 December 2014

Tatiana

was here in November 2014

In the courtyard of the museum Kafka came in earlier, very much attracted here visitors fountain "peeing men", everyone is trying to photograph them and they are known for and all went to Prague, can not be said about the museum. The admission ticket costs 200 kroons, which translates into rubles for about 450 rubles, a lot by the Prague standards. I did not like that I had to climb up a rather narrow wooden staircase. I will say at once - I was not familiar with the creativity of this writer, therefore exhibited ... Read the whole review

Evaluation 10

The amazing Prague of the writer Franz Kafka 22 May 2014

Inna

was here in June 2013

Walking through the Malostransky streets it is impossible to pass by the Kafka museum. Rather, at first all the tourists are attracted by mechanical green men with diligence writing out letters with interesting tools, and then they will already know that the museum of the famous writer is located here. For admirers of Kafka's creativity, I think it will be interesting to see the first editions of his works, because he started publishing only after his death. The exposition includes diaries, letters, manuscripts, photographs of the writer. There is an audio guide ... Read full review

@ Evaluation 10

Solid mysticism April 29, 2014

Len_Chik

was here in June 2012

The museum is located near the Charles Bridge, on the left the banks of the Vltava. If you go by subway, you need to go to the station "Malostranska."
In the courtyard of the museum there is a fountain with two "pissing boys". In the fountain, everyone is happy to wash their hands, someone even drinks water. Mirror fountain under the feet of these giants - the territory of the Czech Republic. We go to the cashier, buy tickets. There is also a small souvenir shop near the ticket offices: you can buy Kafka's works or a T-shirt with a cool print.
In the museum - photos, ... Read the whole review

Evaluation 8

Extraordinary museum April 21, 2014

MariaSmart

was here in October 2013

Franz Kafka is a unique writer, a genius strange to ordinary people. He lived in Prague, which is why there is an interesting museum in this city dedicated to Kafka. I decided to visit him, but before I went inside, my attention was attracted by a strange fountain. The two men are absolutely naked, stand facing each other, and they pee on the map of the Czech Republic. The figures are inside the map and fill it with water. They write, of course, with water. What is strange is that these figures moved. The pelvis. The colors were also ... Read the full review

Evaluation 7

In the Kafka museum, the reality is lost November 20, 2013

Vitalina

was here in June 2012

At our Kafka museum our group went not in full force. Most of her along with the guide preferred to stay in the nearest pub. But I'm a stubborn girl, and, since I came to Prague, I decided to see everything.
To say that I regretted going to this museum is to say nothing. One gets the impression that not quite a healthy person created artifacts, but geniuses are not judged. And if the Kafka museum is still working, then there are people who understand this art. My opinion is very, very subjective, ... Read the whole review