The Distant Past
On a cloudy day on my way to the funicular (an inclined cliff railway in which ascending and descending cars counterbalance each other) I came across statues that were eerie and seemingly melting. The statues are on an inclined concrete path and with every statue parts are “disappeared” more and more until on the very last statue all you can see is a foot. This is a memorial to victims of communism and it represents different stages of human destruction. It was installed in 2002 and on the placard it states, “The memorial to the victims of communism is dedicated to all victims. Not only those who were jailed or executed but also those whose lives were ruined by totalitarian despotism.” This spooky reminder of communism brings to light darker times in the Czech Republic. After WWII the Communist Party seized power and 95% of privately owned business became public. The economy went straight down and basic human rights were taken away. The 1960s were a period of change within the communist party, but every dissident was silenced to the point that one student from Charles University lit himself on fire at Wenceslas Square.
Not until 1989 after the Velvet Revolution did Czechoslovakia break from communism. Shortly after, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Czechs today do not like to reminisce on the days of Communism, and I can imagine the bad feelings the people who are old enough to remember feel whenever they see these spooky statues. I read George Orwell's 1984 in high school and these statues bring the feelings of creepiness and futility that I felt when I was reading the book about people being controlled in every aspect of their life. Today there are happier times, but the past must never be forgotten.
Communism Memorial, Prague
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