“In Search of Odradek” is an outdoor game based on one of Kafka’s short stories. It involves a search for a mythical creature about whose appearance, purpose and movements in the Prague Jewish Quarter we know relatively little from Kafka’s work. The game invites visitors of all ages to explore the Jewish Quarter as it originally looked (before its urban renewal) and to set out in pursuit of this mysterious creature.
Kafka’s work reveals relatively little about Odradek’s appearance, purpose and movements in the Prague Jewish Quarter. According to Kafka’s description, Odradek “resides alternately in the attic, in the stairwell, in the corridors, in the entrance hall”, and is “extraordinarily nimble and impossible to catch”.
Visitors to the center of Prague will be able to set out in pursuit of this mysterious creature with the help of the Kafka100 website where you can find the instructions for the game. Visually, it will transport you back to the time of Franz Kafka’s childhood in Prague’s Jewish Quarter before its original character was destroyed during urban renewal. The game takes you back to a time when your ancestors may have strolled through the center of Prague… and may even have caught sight of Odradek there.
Take a wander around the Prague district of Josefov.
“In Search of Odradek” was created by Ondřej Buddeus and Hans-Gerd Koch.
Photo: View of House No. 27 (Mojžíš Reach’s Junk Shop) in Josefovská Street before its demolition in 1908 ©City of Prague Archives, Photography Collection, Call N0. VI 47/45
The project is financially supported by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague and the Municipal Authority of Prague 1
