Happy New Year! It is has been some time since I have last blogged (oops) but I thought I would jump back into it with a memory from my time in Prague! Prague has always held this magic and allure for me, so when I got the opportunity to visit during one of my breaks I was on cloud nine! When you think of Prague, you think of the Astronomical clock, the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and of course the Lennon Wall.
The is probably one of the most stereotypical things when you “study abroad in Europe” – to visit and tag the Lennon Wall. Well, I wasn’t studying abroad, I was working in Europe. And, we went to visit the wall, not tag it, it isn’t our fault that people gave us their extra paint/markers to let us write something! I did it at Abbey Road with my mom, aunt, and sister, so if I did it with my family there, I figured it would be okay to do it in Prague!
The wall started off as a place to write issues and grievances during the communist regime. Lennon became a hero to the Czech students in the 1980’s. Despite the police trying to paint over it, flowers, quotes, poems, and more would decorate the wall the next day. They finally gave up, while the people didn’t. While the original painting of Lennon is long gone, the ideals of peace, freedom, and love still exist.
Little did I know that the Lennon Wall would have a bigger impact on me later in life. Whilst I was living in Hong Kong, the “Umbrella Revolution” broke out and the people created their own version of the “Lennon Wall” using post it notes. It was just as powerful to them as this wall was in the 80’s.
The Lennon Wall in Prague is now a tourist staple for young travelers in Europe to come see it and leave a piece of themselves behind. While many do not know exactly what it stands for, for others it is a reminder of a not-so-distant past. While some tag their name, for others it is a symbol of the fight against oppression and freedom of speech. As touristy as it is, I definitely recommend checking it out (Czeching it out?? 😀 ).
Did you visit the Lennon Wall or write your own message? Share in the comments below!
