Prague: A Symphony of Past and Present | SLICE TRAVEL | FULL DOC

Prague: A Symphony of Past and Present | SLICE TRAVEL | FULL DOC

Equidistant from the North Sea and the Mediterranean in the very heart of the European continent lies the former Czechoslovakia it split into two states and the Czech Republic became independent in 1993 with Prague as its capital Prague is part of bohemia a geographical and historical entity whose

Origins go back to the Middle Ages an extraordinary Heritage is the pride of this country which today is modernized and which for a long time was the only democracy in Central Europe in one of the richest Urban regions of Europe the city of Prague has stood for over a thousand years on the

Banks of the river Vava the castle and the cathedral Overlook the town and the river is crossed by a great number of bridges like the famous Charles bridge the continent Al climate is sometimes extreme in a town which seems to huddle beneath its roofs Prague is laid out to a complex typically medieval Street plan from

Which dozens of churches reach skywards a characteristic which is given rise to the name the city of a 100 spires at the crossroads of various European routs and of many different influences the town’s architecture is very eclectic and the Baro rubs shoulders with a bold a

Vard Prague in fact has put on many different faces during its History the face of the Nazis appeared in 1938 and stayed until the end of the second world war the face of Soviet communism at that time it was compulsory to learn Russian at school for 40 years and almost without interruption society and the life of the whole country were dominated by Big Brother

Russia a gigantic Monument was raised to the glory of Stalin a glory that turned out to be quite ephemeral the face of a brief Revolution crushed by Moscow the Soviet intervention was felt here like a brutal assault the face of dashed hopes and then freedom in 1989 a giant metronome erected on the

Plinth of the stalinium monument measures the passing of time and of Regimes only the Haggard faces of the victims remain in place today the values of Communism are laughed At the Czech Republic has 10 million inhabitants and 1/10th of the nation’s population are in the capital it’s a population heavily influenced by West culture we are very Happy Czech culture is present on every stage it’s expressed in the street and in the most prestigious places but wherever that culture takes shape it does so in a mixture of styles genres and periods culture in the city of prag is born by illustrious names France Kafka is one of them and is

Certainly one of the major writers of the 20th century another great name of Czech culture is exhibited in the museum devoted to him alons mha he used a special technique he photographed his many models including his wife before painting them very true to life his portraits form a seductive

Encyclopedia of feminine Elegance at the end of the the 19th century mha became famous in Paris first in print with his sweeping lines mha is one of the Prime exponents of AR Nuuvo art is everywhere in Prague and with the freedom to express itself on all subjects and in every medium artistic creation gives the city a real personality the Prov itive sculptor David Cherney can even deride his country by casting in bronze his very personal Opinions yes art is everywhere it disrupts proportions and changes perspectives but the finest example of artistic Vitality is provided by the architecture the town was spared the massive destruction of the second world war and so a remarkable Heritage has survived intact through the history of its architecture

All the great periods are represented in prague’s carefully preserved buildings moreover the town planning decisions taken were never too risky the result brings out a Harmony in spite of the Differences religious faiths also Express themselves in a country where religious practice is the weakest in Europe which doesn’t prevent the diversity of Worship the Czechs are Keener on practicing the religion of sport in Prague alone there are two great clubs that spark people’s passion Sparta and slavia are of course Rivals Public transport starts running very early there are even some trams that run all night it’s even better to take the metro if you want to get around it’s quick and simple in Prague more people use the Metro than any other form of transport The town looks after its colors it looks after its Heritage and its equipment even at Night the capital gets very little rest bite because it exerts a very strong force of attraction over the whole country Prague is a very busy Crossroads for traffic and everything is done to discourage vehicles from coming into the historic Center which is often snarled Up 4 million tourists visit Prague every year a figure that is rising and is equal to four times the town’s population this is an influx that justifies the determination to give the Streets back to The Pedestrian it also explains the success of alternative means of transport The city respects its past and is renovating it very successfully it even gives a new life to some real National Legends Vladimir kozubik so this gu this this car this original model scoda was built in 1931 and this car is an original Model the vava is the vital artery in Prague indeed very early on the town grew on both sides of the river it made it possible to trade with the outside world it’s an affluent of the elb that flows into the North Sea fed by water from the river a man-made Canal flows into the Town the Mills were used for grinding corn at first people had to cross the river by a Ford the first Bridge the Charles bridge was built in the 14th century and for four centuries was the town’s only Bridge the bridge is always swarming with visitors this is the price of success for such a symbolic place that is known and recognized throughout the world There are Street vendors and artists of every kind on the Charles bridge here imagination and relaxation are the order of the Day Touching some of the Bronze Statues brings good Luck the Charles bridge was a strategic point in Prague at each end there’s a Gothic tower that guarded the access to the Bridge from the tops of the towers there’s an uninterrupted view of the town’s Rooftops on w/ Square everyone stops to look at the equestrian statue of the famous Duke of bohemia he is highly venerated by the chicks assassinated by his own brother he was the country’s first Martyr Yan palak also died a martyr this is where he set fire to himself in protest against the Soviet invasion in 1969 he was 21 wesla square is lined with buildings offering a surprising mixture of architectural Styles the square that was once a horse Market has become become a highly important Heritage Center the town’s architecture encourages various vocations but there are other reasons for the diversity of styles Michelle cut teaches architecture Architects and uh Builders coming from different also from different regions of Europe we have people coming from France uh like matash from of Aras uh we have

We were we had Builders um coming from Germany we had Builders coming from a lot there was an influx con constant influx of people coming from Italy so you have many many influences here wies square is sometimes compared to the Sha it’s almost a kilometer long and is

Indeed more like an Avenue than a square near the square people of the high Society used to frequent the lucerna palace a masterpiece of late AR nuuvo from the first half of the 20th century covered arcades were very much in Vogue it was designed in its entirety

By the architect grandfather of VAV havl the great Czech writer and Statesman in towns that were built in the Middle Ages the dimensions of the streets are sometimes surprising pedestrians are warned before entering the narrowest street in Prague It’s not possible for two pedestrians to pass each other you have to alternate the traffic and ask for permission to go Through behind the renovated facade of her former Barracks an ultramodern commercial center has been built preserving the historical Heritage while at the same time modernizing the town is one of the major preoccupations of town planners like everywhere else commercial centers are mushrooming in Prague contemporary architecture looks for new Lines In the Carlin District some buildings have opted for the slim [Applause] Line back to the values of the Country the old industrial suburb has today taken on the appearance of a small provincial town with its fresh produce the carlen market also offers many articles of craft Work all the flavors of the Czech Countryside and traditional recipes are found on the stores this is the chance to taste food that is quite unusual I’m selling pumpkins and soup of pumpkins very good very healthy do you know what is it reddish Chinese redish very Afrc meat and shakuri have a very important place in the diet of the Czech people pork is prepared with many different sources this is a pork turnover it’s grilled pork with sauerkraut in a potato pancake it’s far from light but it is so good in the pastry line the Czechs also

Have a vast repertoire even their Austrian and Hungarian neighbors have borrowed a few ideas from them for regulars at the carlen market Grandma’s good old recipes are the most sought After these are traditional cakes made from magdalina dor ROV recipes you have to prepare the yeast first and then the dough which you allow to rise four times It’s difficult to keep your figure in Prague and curves can follow the creative urge the dancers Fred AER and Ginger Rogers inspired the dancing House speaking of celebrities Beethoven lived on kns of Malta Square the famous Soldier monks owned a prior there in the middle of the 12th Century in the Middle Ages Merchants were already well established in the arcades today artists and Craftsman carry on the Tradition In Prague art is also in the street on one of the walls of the grand prior Square an anonymous artist drew the portrait of John lenon shortly after his death in 1980 the pacifist ideas of the famous Beetle didn’t pleasee the Communist authorities and the portrait was erased but it very soon

Reappeared every time it was erased it reappeared straight away since then things have changed and the wall is permanently covered with messages of Tolerance love and [Applause] Liberty the town is Rich with symbols and people in love adore them a little bridge over the canal is one such symbol Prague is a romantic town it’s also a photogenic town and many places lend themselves to daydreaming the town has inspired many artists painters musicians writers and film directors

Prague is open to Artistic Creation in all Fields marionette theater has an important place it’s a medium for the national language a whole different aspect of culture Sara aova so maret has a very long history because when in history was two people poor they take a piece of wood and carve

Some marionet and play the perfect perment or sell them the marionettes are made from a variety of very different materials these marionet are made from more material one of the material is wood or plaster or the keramic and uh they are very difficult to make in a carpentry Workshop the

Tools can also be turned to different uses Martin rosika makes marionettes it’s a profession but it’s also his passion I mean it’s really different because for example the small ones it’s this small dead Joker or dead Pinocchio for example or even a life Pinocchio and then I also

Make life Joker so I can make six piece a week but uh I mean it depends of course there are marionet that take you two weeks to make this the big ones and is the difficult mechanism to move and uh like for professional Playing you can see a many different characters but the most popular character is a Jester because it’s a character or person who started every performance and introduce the Show [Applause] Don Giovani the famous opera has been a success as a marionette show since [Applause] 1991 the marionette theater is an ancient tradition in Czech countries and it dates back to the time of the Czech National Revival it exists everywhere in the Czech Republic the world premiere of donovani directed by Mozart himself took

Place here in Prague at the states theater just near here and in 1990 they had the idea of putting on a shorten version with [Applause] [Applause] Marionet we have a school that specializes in the art of the marionette it’s the the higher School of alternative art and the Art of the marionette I got my diploma there there’s also the academy of performing Arts rhythms and costumes from elsewhere this Sunday the island of Campa is unusually Lively some are concentrating on the Exotic and others on local Traditions from the region called horco which is sou part of Moravia it gathers together 10 small villages Moravia is a region in the east of the country Many Moravian folk groups were created during the Communist era it was a way of conserving Traditions but also of upholding the regional identity [Applause] [Applause] at the bottom of wesla square Craftsmen are keeping up other Traditions the trdelnik of Scala is a pastry cooked on a spit and spiced with cinnamon blacksmiths beat medieval coin today is the 28th of September the Czech people’s national day it’s St wesl day he was the country’s first king and they

Pay tribute to him with festivities dating from his time you mustn’t forget to polish the horse’s Hooves everything has to be perfect down to the Last Detail the King has come to make sure the people enjoy themselves everyone going to have a good time in Prague today we’re going to play for you to entertain You s Francis where the Duke of bohemia but above all was the country’s patron Saint why is he so well known well he did so much for the country and for his people that’s also why he was canonized When reigned in the 10th Century the Czechs uphold his memory with Recreations that are very Realistic Near the town another historical Recreation is more like a Hollywood super production for the young and old the show attracts an audience that’s mad keen on history and that loves piping hot telic a great battle is about to take place Martin chinski everything is ready for the reenactment of the battle we’ve also

Organized a big Market with a lot of entertainment all around it there are more than 800 people taking part from all over Europe who play the artillery the Cavalry the Infantry more than 250 Musketeers and there are also a lot of explosive effects after the blessing hostilities may

Commence they are reenacting the battle of white mountain in the 17th century in which Catholics who had sided with the Emperor of Germany fought against Czech Protestants the victory of the German Catholics put an end to the independence of bohemia it was the start of the terrible 30 Years

War a historic defeat for the Czechs but today a huge popular [Applause] success yes I think that in the Czech Republic historical reenactments are quite popular as is history in general because of their geographical position the Czech regions have always been at the heart of Europe they’ve literally seen history march across

Their land many times there was the 30 Years War and many other conflicts it’s also an opportunity to remember the part that France played in the history of Europe Entry to Golden Lane is regulated because so many people flock here to walk down this well-known tiny Street in Old Prague originally the very small houses were reserved for the king’s guards but they have since had many different tenants including some celebrities France Kafka lived at number

22 golden Lane knowes its name to the Alchemists who used to live there they were seeking the secret of the philosopher stone for the king and how to change lead into Gold the Protestant leaders beaten in the Battle of White Mountain were executed on the Old Town Square One of the major historical sites in Prague the square and the adjacent streets are also a veritable collection of architectural gems the Tower of the former Town Hall has housed a remarkable astronomical

Clock since the 15th century Prague was a multicultural City and three different times were shown Bohemian time German time and Babylonian time every hour different characters come to life around the Clock and at the top behind two windows the 12 apostles walk by with their symbols after they were burnt at the end of the second world war the wooden statues were replaced antonine baloon actually in the medieval times each City used to have one astronomical

Clock this is the prag clock and in the medieval times each person was able to read the symbolism of the clock although nowadays it’s kind of difficult nearby you can enter the buildings of the former Town Hall the old Town’s Independence was recognized from the 13th century the district where mainly

Wealthy merchants and upper middle classes lived kept its autonomy for 5 centuries on the Town Hall’s Clock Tower a Trumpeter sounds the hour this is a tradition that’s come straight down from the Middle Ages in those days people didn’t have watches so with the trumpet they could

Know what time it was 1:00 2:00 3:00 there are plenty of landmarks on the Square like the Prague Meridian drawn on the Ground the Old Town Square is the place where all events take place whether they are joyful or more Momentous there are several historic monuments around the square it’s a continuous procession through history from one to the Other to protect its wealth Prague was fortified access was only possible through Gates like the powder tower inside various collector’s items seem to have come straight out of medieval times the powder gate is an important vestage of the past it was in fact very close to the Palace of the Kings of

Bohemia but this is no longer There the Catholic Church used various methods in the fight against Protestant Reform one of the most spectacular was Barack art St Nicholas church is the finest example in Prague in the mastana district Barack is triumphant here we’re a long way from the austerity of the Protestants so Nicholas church is

Considered to be one of the great successes of Barack and religious architecture in Europe organ concerts set the Tone the richness of the deor and the refinement are also very visible in a rather fashionable Street Paris street it’s an appointment with Elegance the City of Gold lives up to its name in this District that is devoted to luxury Shopping France Kafka was born in the center of brague a museum has been set up in in his memory here you can discover the life and work of an author who published very little during his lifetime indeed he had asked one of his friends to destroy all his manuscripts cfco wrote in German

Because at that time his country was part of the austr Hungarian Empire his complex relationships with women and his conflicts with his father had a great influence on a body of work where the individual is crushed by overwhelming forces An absurd and Anonymous world where man remains forever misunderstood and finally excluded you cannot visit the Prague of Kafka because that is a town that existed only in his Mind kfka was Jewish and his community is one of the oldest in Europe the presence of Jews in the city has been recorded since the 9th century and nine centuries later Prague was to become the biggest Jewish town in the Christian world but the Jewish District that kfka knew has changed a

Lot the old ghetto has virtually disappeared destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century for reasons of Hygiene the Spanish synagogue takes its inspiration from moric architecture it shows the diversity of cultures within the same Jewish Community very early on Jews were obliged to identify themselves by wearing a distinctive sign but contrary to popular belief the Nazis did not invent the infamous yellow star it

Already existed here in the middle of the 16th century in the pinka synagogue the walls are covered with many many names there are almost 880,000 of them they are the names of all the country’s Jews who fell victim to the Nazis nearby is the old Jewish cemetery there are thousands of

Tombstones in a small area because of the lack of space the tombs are very close to each other and are sometimes even piled up burials have been banned since the end of the 18th Century Prague castle at the top of the harad chani hill reserves a musical welcome for [Applause] Visitors all the national leaders Dukes Kings Emperors and presidents have had their headquarters in the castle it is a prestigious place and one that commands respect especially during The Changing of the Guard this is a high Precision exercise that happens every hour the uniforms were designed by the

Wardrobe Master of the famous Czech film director Milos Foreman Prag Castle is a vast complex where buildings of different styles and works of art are brought together on a hill overlooking the town the site is easy to defend and has been inhabited since the dawn of Time within the walls of the castle stands the St guy Cathedral a masterpiece of gothic art it took nearly six centuries to build while Romanesque art was trying to impress and frighten the faithful gothic art sought to seduce and educate them through historical or biblical scenes the sculptures as well as the

Very high stained glass windows all have a dactic Function two historical characters buried in the cathedral the holy king wlas and in a solid silver tomb sent John nepom musin who was martyred because he had protected the king’s Wife the castle stretches for nearly 600 M and is one of the biggest in the world below the castle tribute is paid to the architect who designed the Sumptuous Gardens the garden was originally a shooting range but came to be used for holding open air receptions here there’s a presentation

Of birds of prey that live in the Czech forests there are some very useful daytime and nocturnal Predators this is a very beautiful tonny owl it’s my Favorite we can only touch it here because all the birds of prey and all the owls also have a special powder which is impermeable yeah impermeable Prague Castle is also well known for its Vineyard the nature of the soil the slope and the exposition are perfectly

Suited to the vine which has been grown here since the 10th Century Two grape varieties are grown a white and a red the red is a Pinon NOA from from France originally The Grapes were used to make communion wine for the churches of Prague today the local wine has many

Supporters the petrin hill is a Haven of greenery in the middle of the Town a funicular Railway goes up to the summit the apparatus was installed at the end of the 19th century but it has been renovated several Times the Funicula partly owes its acccess to the amateur astronomers who like the remote open spot to carry out their nighttime observations a metal tower has been erected at The Summit a smaller copy of the Eiffel Tower but the people of Prague say that by adding

The height of the hill to their Tower they beat the height of the Tower in Paris the zizov district has given its name to another Tower huge crawling babies have been added by of course the sculptor David chery the artist is omnipresent in PR with quite often provocative works but their humor provokes smiles more than disapproval the zizov tower is used for telecommunications and affords a

Panoramic view of the city it dates from the 1980s during the Soviet period at that time people complained that it spoiled the view of the landscape but they eventually got used to it they also finally adopted the Great chubby cheeked babies Luc at the beginning the babies were put

There as an experiment to see how the public would react and as they were quite popular it was decided to leave them there permanently it was Mr Cherney who created them who had the idea of putting them on the television Tower another peculiarity is the one

Room hotel that has been created in the tower it’s a good idea to make a reservation to come back down to earth is not far and is easily accomplished by Metro both day and night life in Prague is intense the black theater is a Czech tradition it was invented in in the 1950s it’s a mixture of traditional theater ballet mime and optical Illusion and then he Me the optical effects lead The Spectator into a world of fantasy that’s full of Surprises this kind of show exists elsewhere in the world but it’s in the Czech Republic that we took out a patent on what we call the line that underlines the Contour and gives form to the subject At the end of the show the artists reveal to the audience the techniques they use it’s a simple but effective way of creating [Applause] [Applause] dreams [Applause] Prague has a feeling for entertainment Czech theater is intimately linked to the country’s identity it’s even one of its emblems after all the Statesman VAV harval was first known as a playwright On the Prague stage dancing is so exuberant that it spills out onto the [Applause] Streets the concert halls in Prague have received the greatest Czech composers like vorak and SMA monuments of the music world have come in person to conduct their Works Richard Strauss Gustaf Mala and Mozart himself the Italian jpe Verde never went to Prague but his Rigoletto always features in the operatic Reper [Applause] [Applause] up when night falls on wesl Square the show is in the street in a set composed of gems of architecture street performers Step Into the Spotlight in the area around the square there’s no shortage of places to be entertained beer flows freely and sometimes the pumps are set up on the tables the checks are said to be the greatest beer drinkers in the world and beer is part of their culture beer was brewed in this country

Before the year 1000 and the industry produced most of the income for the towns it is said that here ordinary beer costs less than water some breweries are part of the National Heritage Lis love Vis Che Republic because it’s it’s old this is a very old establishment and we used old

Technology like old barrels such as these and fermentation Vats made of oak I I think it’s interesting because nobody uses this technique anymore except perhaps a very few Breweries the bars try to outdo each other with ways to attract the customer here you get served by an electric [Applause] train not only does the train bring the full glasses it takes away the Empties as a throwback to the Soviet era there are always fans of Cuban music but the revolution is a thing of the past and now Prague drinks to the icons of Communism and forgetting Them the Soviet era is part of the scenery it’s now seen as ancient History night is almost endless in Prague and there are plenty of places to live it to the Full as for music the town does it on a big Scale W Square 1:00 in the morning it’s the moment to relax to a little Jazz even in the middle of the night the town Bears the marks of its long history in the soft light all the ages seem to blend but Prague will always follow the course of its River as it reflects the very heart of Europe

At the geographic centre of Europe, Prague boasts an incredible wealth of culture. Nestling amidst the meanders of the Vltava river, the old city is a stone’s throw from the ultra-modern district of Karlin.

The Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, Art Nouveau and the communist regime have in turn left their mark on the city’s physiognomy. Mozart, Kafka, Mucha and many others have also left traces of their talent.

Alternating cultural heritage with more contemporary themes, Pierre Brouwers shows us that Prague is anything but a museum city.

Documentary : Discovering the World – Prague, At the Heart of Europe (2013)
Direction : Pierre Brouwers
Production : MEDIA 9

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