Reflections of Prague Journeys Through the 20th Century

by Margolius, Ivan

• ISBN13: 9780470022191
• ISBN10: 0470022191
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-18
• Publisher: WILEY

Summary

Reflections of Prague is the story of how a Czech Jewish family become embroiled in the most tragic and tumultuous episodes of the twentieth century. Through their eyes we see the history of their beloved Prague, a unique European city, and the wider, political forces that tear their lives apart. Their moving story traces the major events, turmoil, oppression and triumphs of Europe through the last hundred years - from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the First World War; from the vibrant artistic and intellectual life of Prague in the times of Kafka, the Capek Brothers and Masaryk to years of hunger in a Polish ghetto and the concentration camps of Hitler; from the tyrannous rule of Stalin to the rekindled hopes of Dubcek and the subsequent Soviet occupation to liberation under Havel. Told from Ivan's perspective, it is a poignant but uplifting tale that tells of life lived with purpose and conviction, in the face of personal suffering and sacrifice.'A remarkable book. This archetypical story of the twentieth century is intertwined with an almost stream-of-consciousness narrative of the history of the Czechs, of Prague, interspersed with samples of exquisite poetry by great contemporary poets. So the narrative flows like Eliot's sweet Thames full of the debris of tragic lives, of horrors, of moments of beauty and testimonies of love - all against the backdrop of man's inhumanity.' Josef Å kvorecký'A poignant and vivid m_moire of a child searching for traces of his father, lost in the murky ideologies of post war Central Europe. An engrossing book.' Sir John Tusa

Author Biography

Ivan Margolius was born in Prague, where he began studying architecture at the Czech Institute of Technology. In 1966 he arrived in the United Kingdom and completed his training, before practicing at Foster and Partners, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, and Yorke Rosenberg Mardall. He is the author and co-author of many award winning historical, architectural and design publications, including Prague – a guide to twentieth-century architecture, Tatra – The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka, Art + Architecture, Architects + Engineers = Structures and Czech Inspiration. He is the son of JUDr Rudolf Margolius, who was murdered as a results of the infamous Slánský Trial in Prague.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
1. Journey with my Lost Father	1	(15)
2. Lonely Times	16	(7)
3. The Safety of Bratislava	23	(7)
4. Rudolf	30	(11)
5. Heda	41	(12)
6. Rudolf: Into Adulthood	53	(7)
7. Heda: Life's Endings and Beginnings	60	(7)
8. Between the Wars	67	(11)
9. An Impotent Army	78	(5)
10. Chances of Survival	83	(16)
11. Transport to Lódz	99	(12)
12. A Stumble out of Auschwitz-Birkenau	111	(6)
13. Return to Prague	117	(10)
14. From Idealism into Self-Destruction	127	(14)
15. Politics Taking Over	141	(6)
16. Stranded in the Forcefully Distorted Economy	147	(4)
17. The Soviets Arrive	151	(5)
18. Journeys of Misunderstanding	156	(5)
19. Towards Manufactured Guilt	161	(13)
20. Ways into Detention	174	(14)
21. To Nowhere	188	(9)
22. In the Name of the Party	197	(5)
23. Making Trade	202	(6)
24. Ruzyne Interlude	208	(11)
25. The Theatre of Absurdity	219	(15)
26. A Trip to the Land of No Return	234	(7)
27. The Last Journey	241	(5)
28. Sinking Deeper	246	(7)
29. Towards Beauty	253	(6)
30. A Walk from School	259	(8)
31. Youthful Dreams	267	(7)
32. The Emergence of Truth	274	(13)
33. Living Anew	287	(15)
Appendices: Families and Friends, Artists and Writers, Defendants, Politicians and Interrogators	302	(6)
Notes	308	(3)
Index	311