Darkness and light

I love learning, but it has to be relevant and experiential, otherwise my attention span is equal to that of a goldfish. I don’t recall much from the history classes I took in college, there were too many facts and dates to remember and it all seemed pretty boring. However, today I learned that Czechoslovakia emerged from WW1 a democratic state after the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed. I have a vague memory of writing a (terrible) essay about this empire at school that the teacher covered with giant red question marks. Today he would just write WTF. I also learned that Czechoslovakia then lost some of its territory to Germany because its leader didn’t go to the meeting where it was discussed (those of you working in a corporate will shake your head because this still happens just not with countries). Germany then rudely occupied it in WW2 and introduced their programme; it was finally liberated by the Soviet Union who then established the communist party and made life really really shit for everyone for 45 years; until 1993 when after several years of uprising, democracy was reestablished and the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Boom that’s got to be at least a B for me 🙂 Unless I have my facts wrong in which case just send me a private message 🙂 🙂

The source of my learning today was the Museum of Communism in Prague. It’s a fantastic museum that sets out a frank and open account of Czech history prior to German occupation, through the entire period of communist rule, and the impact this had on peoples lives. The museum slogan is ‘Communism – the dream, the reality, the nightmare’, and it was so interesting. And sometimes terrifying. And very very humbling. Especially the real life accounts from people who lived through this time. I cannot imagine enduring it. From the photos that are on display I can see many parts of the city look the same now as they did in the 1930s. Except in the museum photos there are German army cars lining the streets, or Hitler is standing on the tower platform I was on yesterday, or the square I walk through on my way home is overflowing with people asking for their freedom, or it is filled with communist troops forcefully establishing their rule. I am very grateful that it is 2019, and to call NZ my home.

There is also a wonderful irreverence in many of the displays, which spills into other parts of the city. If only college had been more interactive and interesting I might have paid more attention 🙂

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