News
Set out in pursuit of Odradek
The outdoor game “In Search of Odradek” is based on one of Kafka’s short stories and is now ready to go! Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the Prague Jewish Quarter as it originally looked before its urban renewal at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
This game promises a journey of discovery through the streets of the Prague Jewish Quarter. You can print its instructions, download them to your phone, or just check them out online. The game is only available in the Czech language.
“In Search of Odradek” was created by Ondřej Buddeus and Hans-Gerd Koch.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FRANZ KAFKA WITH IWALKS
Developed by USC Shoah Foundation, IWalk is an educational app that connects concrete physical sites with survivor testimony relating to historical events that took place there. Among the thematic topics explored are the role of propaganda and the danger of prejudice and racism. You can also visit “Kafka sites” – including Kafka’s grave and Karel Projsa’s apartment in Vinohrady, where relatives of deported Jews were provided with food during the Nazi occupation.
Click here to download the app:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.illion.usc
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/cz/app/iwalk-usc-shoah-foundation/id1176057571
We are restoring a library that Franz Kafka used to visit
“A whole building of beautiful lecture halls, large library, quiet, well heated, few students and everything free of charge…” This is how Franz Kafka describes the Berlin Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums” (College for the Science of Judaism) to his friend Robert Klopstock in 1923. On Thursday April 11, the Jewish Museum in Prague will be presenting the “Library of Lost Books” project, which aims to find lost books from the library of this renowned college in Berlin. The museum, in cooperation with the Leo Baeck Institute, is working with other institutions from around the world in an endeavor to virtually reconstruct this library, which was destroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War.
A new short video about Franz Kafka
Pavlína Šulcová and the artist David Kalika (performing as Kakalík) are marking the centenary of Franz Kafka’s death with a video in honor of his life and work. For all those who wrongly see Kafka as a mere tourist attraction, this video also aims to highlight Kafka’s character.
You can watch this amusing short video on youtube.
The Jewish Museum library’s selection of books read by Kafka
The library of the Jewish Museum in Prague has recently put together a “Best of Franz Kafka” eye-catcher for its visitors. The selection of books are regularly changed and can be borrowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The Jewish Museum will be lending items for the exhibition “Through the Eyes of Franz Kafka”
In June, the West Bohemian Gallery in Pilsen will be showcasing works that reflect the writer Franz Kafka’s relationship to the visual arts and visual culture of his time. This exhibition (June 5 – October 28, 2024, venue: Masné krámy / Meat Market Exhibition Hall) will explore Kafka’s attitude towards his own drawings and towards the paintings made by his friends. The Jewish Museum in Prague is providing several items for the exhibition and is also involved in the preparation of an accompanying monograph, which will include 200 color reproductions.
Works by the Israeli typographer Oded Ezer coming to Prague
Oded Ezer is a Tel Aviv-based type designer, conceptual typographer and design educator who creates visual content and commentary around subjects such as science, anthropology, religion, history, sociology and politics. From June to the end of September, he will be showcasing the covers he created for the 24 unpublished books of Gregor Samsa, the main character in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. However, it is not entirely clear whether these books or their alleged author, Gregor Samsa, ever existed. Oded Ezer toys with this mystery in his imaginary scenario. Watch out for the exhibition!
The “KAFKA 100” project begins
The Jewish Museum in Prague is launching a year-long series of events in celebration of the life and work of Franz Kafka. Join us in celebrating this world-renowned writer. There will be a host of cultural and educational events.