This year we commemorate the 140th anniversary of the birth of Franz Kafka, a Jewish writer who was born in Prague. Want to know some interesting facts about his life and the places where he drew his creative energy? As you visit them, you’ll understand why he said that for anyone who sets eyes on her, Prague will never let them go.
Franz Kafka known and unknown
His timeless work has made Franz Kafka famous all over the world. He was born on 3 July 1883 in Prague, the city he spent his whole life in and loved dearly. The city and its atmosphere inspired him, and you can still find traces of Franz Kafka in many of its places. During his lifetime he was mostly overlooked by the art world and did not make a living as a writer. He even begged one of his friends to burn all his manuscripts. Fortunately, he didn't listen, so we can still take a peek into his fantastic world and dark moods to this day. His literary legacy outlived him; he became far more famous after his death than during his lifetime.Places imbued with the spirit of Franz Kafka
A walk around the places that Franz Kafka used to visit is an unforgettable experience, not only for admirers of his work. Kafka, who was a practising Jew, often used to visit the Old-New Synagogue, loved walking across Charles Bridge, and felt an inextricable affinity for the Clementinum, where he attended lectures and went to the library as a student. He and his parents lived right next to the Old Town Hall, from where it was a short walk to the grammar school, situated in what is now the Kinsky Palace, today home to the National Gallery. From time to time, Kafka and his friends would also go for a coffee at the Café Savoy near Petřín or to the Café Louvre by the National Theatre. The atmosphere in these two historical cafés has been preserved over the ages and will whisk you back a hundred years into the past.Monument to Franz Kafka by sculptor Jaroslav Róna, Dušní street in Jewish Quarter