Poland (part 1)

When I decided I would be spending a semester in Prague with AIFS, I immediately became excited for my trip to Krakow. I am a quarter Polish and the first person to return since my family emigrated four generations ago.  

Krakow, unlike the majority of Poland, did not suffer much damage in WW2. As a result, the buildings are well preserved and original. Seeing the historic churches, beautiful market square and Wawel castle were only some of the highlights. Krakow was formally the capital of Poland and served as the center of art, science and culture. This is evident by the amazing artwork and incredible architecture literally everywhere you look.  For example, the altar in The Church of the Virgin Mary is said to be the world’s greatest gothic sculpture. It was made by the woodcarver Weit Stross in the 16^th century and is one of the most beautiful sculptures I have ever seen. The city is also home to the second oldest university in Central Europe (after Charles University in Prague).  

There were several things that really surprised me about Krakow.

First, I don’t know why, but I expected Krakow to be extremely traditional. I knew the city would be extremely beautiful, but the juxtaposition of modernity and gothic architecture caught me off guard. The city is surrounded by a huge gothic fortification system leading to a central market place, but the streets leading up to the central market are lined with stores such as H&M, Sephora and NIKE. I did not know Poland would have such modern stores. I felt like I could have been in any American mall, which disappointed me. I was hoping to see traditional Polish stores selling traditional Polish goods.

Second, I was beyond excited to try traditional Polish cuisine. On the bus to Krakow, I was shocked to discover that half the people on my program had never tried a pierogi. Pierogies are one of my favorite foods, so naturally I told everyone on the bus that they had to try them. I also added in that my mom made the best pierogies in the world. Little did I know that might actually be true! The pierogies and potato pancakes in Krakow were only okay-- definitely not anywhere near as good as my mother’s. Maybe they are just the type of food that are best made in the house by your mom… the type of food Polish people would never order out. Whatever the reasons for the subpar pierogis were, I am definitely looking forward to having some of my mom’s when I return home.

Third, I was surprised by how similar the Czech and Polish languages are. I probably should have seen this one coming. After two weeks of language instruction and two months in Prague, I could make out street signs and random words.  This made me feel connected to the Slavic culture and allowed me to get around town with ease.

As you can probably tell, one of my favorite parts of visiting new places is learning the unique stories that have been passed down through the generations. I feel these stories are an important part of the city’s psyche and crucial to understanding the history and culture of the city. Krakow is home to so many of these stories.  So I will conclude this post with a few for you.

The Church of the Virgin Mary, built in the 13th century, has two towers of differing heights. The towers were built by two brothers after the church was destroyed (along with the rest of the city) in the Tartar siege. In a typical sibling rivalry, the brothers competed to see who could make the bigger and better tower. When the left tower was declared better, the losing brother stabbed and killed the winning brother with a knife. This knife now hangs on a chain in the center of town in memory of the rivalry of the two brothers.

The Kazimierz  district of Krakow is home to the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland. It was built in the 1400’s and served as the center of Jewish life in Krakow until WW2. It now exists as a museum. The building is a reminder to many of the once thriving Jewish population of Krakow. Before WW2 over 3 million Jews lived in Poland, now only 5,000 to 10,000 people of Jewish faith reside in the country (mostly in Warsaw). 

To end on a lighter note, this statue of a dog tells a story of how faithful man’s best friend can truly be. Apparently a man was walking his dog in the park one day when he had a heart attack, was taken to the hospital and died. The dog refused to move from the spot where his master fell to the ground for a full year. Word of this faithful dog spread around Krakow, so many came to bring food and water. After a year the dog was adopted by another owner and lived happily ever after. The statue was built to commemorate the dog’s loyalty.

Where am I from?

My whole life I have lacked pride of nationality. While most of my friends from back home proudly displayed their Irish, Italian, Indian or Pakistani roots in the form of tattoos, t-shirts, and license plates, I sat quietly and avoided the “where am I from” question. Even though I am not the type of girl who would ever get a tattoo, I still felt like I was missing out. I was. Being Jewish, I assumed I was from somewhere in Eastern Europe, but none of my family ever bothered to tell me where. I never bothered to ask. As the prospect of study abroad morphed from dream to reality, I began to realize the extent of my ignorance. I truly wanted to study in a country that would connect me to my ancestors. But, one key question remained. Where am I from? 

I recently discovered the answer to that question is quite complex. Most of my family fled Central and Eastern Europe, attempting to avoid the anti-Semitic politics of the late 19th and early 20th century leaders. They witnessed governments that suppressed their culture and took away their rights. It is not like I never thought about my nationality. As I sat in European history class in seventh, ninth, and twelfth grade, I did wonder the role of my ancestors in history. When I read of the reforms of Joseph II and Ferdinand II, I thought of how they must have impacted the lives of Jews living in Austria-Hungary. As I learned about the Holocaust, I realized I have many relatives and ancestors that must have perished under Hitler’s rule. I now know I am Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Lithuanian and Austrian, but I still do not know why it took so long for me to learn this. I hoped my study abroad experience would help me define my identity. It has.

 I have found studying abroad in Prague to be the perfect vehicle for learning about my culture, my history, and myself. To walk in the footsteps of one’s ancestors is an eye-opening event that most government and history majors, and people, seldom have the opportunity to experience. These next few posts will be dedicated to places I have visited that relate to this quest. I hope you find these posts both enjoyable and educational.  

 

Home Sweet Prague

I have officially been in Prague for a month. It’s amazing. Each day I learn so many new things about Czech history and culture, life in Europe and myself. My study abroad experience has gone above and beyond my academic expectations for this semester. My classes are exciting and challenge me to think in new ways. The readings are fascinating and allow me to understand more fully the Czech reaction to various events in the history of the world.

When I sat down to write this blog, it just occurred to me that I have not yet told you what exactly I’m studying here in Prague. I am learning about the impact of World War II, communism and the Soviet invasion on the arts, culture and lives of the Czech people. As a result, my classes focus on the history of Prague, the politics of Eastern Europe, contemporary Czech literature and alternative lifestyles in Eastern Europe. What I really enjoy about this combination of history, government, and literature courses is that the classes allow me to see the topics I study at William and Mary from a Czech and European perspective. Also, the discussions in my small classes with European students and European Professors have made me realize how American my ways of thinking are. Studying abroad has proven to me the need to think outside the box.

I love the fact that I can read Prague’s newspaper (the English version) and relate it to class discussion, reading or previous courses I have taken at WM. Everything is so interesting. I just can’t get enough. I feel so much more at home in Prague now that I am familiar with the language and have studied the history of the country. Maybe this means I am finally immersed in the culture. Prague feels like home and I love it.