The best part of any trip is the unexpected- the John Lennon Wall in Prague was certainly that. John Lennon? You have to be kidding me... what does he have to do with a wall in Prague...he never lived there?
Since the 1980s this wall opposite the French Embassy in Prague, located in a quiet square, has been filled with John Lennon inspired graffiti and lyrics from the Beatles hits. A blaze of colour greeted me – a modern feel in the midst of a city with stunning ancient architecture and history flowing through its veins.
This wall was created as a kind of memorial to Lennon in the days following his death and filled with short messages and lyrics. Western music was banned in the Czech Republic at that time and Czech musicians who played western music were imprisoned. The communist government saw it as a symbol of Western ideals, and whitewashed the wall. This started a rebellion, where every night, people put up new markings, left flowers and candles. A guard was posted, cameras were set up but nothing worked. The wall slowly became a symbol of non violent opposition against the regime.
The wall is today owned by the Knights of the Maltese cross, who have no option but to allow the graffiti to continue...Today the wall is used to spread messages of peace and love and the potent political messages of the 80s lie buried under tourist graffiti.
I spent a lot of time here reading the messages and looking at the pictures. There were tourists galore posing against their favourite lyrics. I wish I had a can of spray paint and could have added my own message. That’s what next times are for, right?
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