(in)famous ghettoes I read so much about studying German literature. I had always imagined a ghetto American-style, a place hideously poor, ugly and lonely and was astonished and intrigued to see that it is in many respects the most beautiful part of Prague. It is PACKED with university buildings, concert centers and libraries. The Klementinum is just on the edge of The Jewish Quarter and it is now the National Library. It is a hideous building on the outside but apparently stunning on the inside and only just shy of being as big as the Hrad. Here is a lovely neighborhood street.
Here is the Philharmonia Concert Hall--will Thomas someday play the gong (or, perhaps, the triangle) here?
One of the most important features of the Old Jewish Quarter is the cemetary, which holds (allegedly) all the bodies of the Jews that have died here (not all in terrible circumstances). One reason this cemetary is quite important is that it is one of the few that was not desecrated by Nazis. The area it covers is quite small but the stones (and bodies) are packed in tight. This is only one corner and you can see how well used the space is. Inside the memorial building is a room with all the names of all Jews known to have been killed by Nazis written on the walls from floor to ceiling--undramatic yet quite affecting.
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