Die Volksoper

Today was a roller coaster of emotions! We started our day and tour in the Jewish Quarter of Prague, and learned about their history. The first Jews to settle in Prague were from southern Spain, and other parts of the Mediterranean, escaping persecution. The varying governing forces in Prague, and their history includes a lot, had different views of the way to treat the Jewish population. For a time, hundreds of years ago, they were forced to wear yellow hats, both to distinguish themselves and to be humiliated, and were only allowed out of the ghettos for certain hours if the day. One king discovered that the Jewish people had higher than average incomes, so he taxed them more, impoverishing the community. It was also an extremely crowded section of the city; naturally over-population caused a lot of sickness. The space was so limited, that the cemetery  has 10 to 12 layers, as they had no choice but to keep building up. Even being that the current roads are far higher than the ground level about a millennium ago, the cemetery has created a hill about 15 feet higher than the current road in some places. About 90,000 people are estimated to be buried in the cemetery. 

One of the Hapsburg rulers, Franz Josef, had a lot of interest in social reform, and instituted religious freedom, so the ghettos were finally destroyed. However, the Jewish population continued to struggle against unfair treatment. During World War II, about two-thirds of the Jewish people in Prague were killed in concentration camps. Many of the synagogues and other monuments in the Jewish quarter of Prague were also destroyed during the war. 

After that aspect of the tour this morning, people were clearly exhausted and a bit more serious. The rest of the morning tour was lighter and involved more walking through historical and current highlights. After lunch, which concluded with a delicious chocolate cake, I decided to use my free time back at the hotel. I needed a little down-time!

This evening, and our stay in Prague was concluded with my first Opera! It was 'The Bartered Bride,' a modern Czech comedic opera. I really enjoyed it! The set was intriguing, and the story was sweet (similar to 'The Fiddler on the Roof'). I'm glad my first opera was of the comedic variety!