I hope it won’t sound too pretentious if I say that Kathy and I love Prague. It’s not like we vacation there every Easter – but I’ve been there twice and my wife three times – and if there is any place in Europe that tugs at our heart strings and calls us back for a return visit, it’s Prague. I think Kathy’s affection for the place is even deeper than mine because her first visit there was with the Carthage Choir back in 1982, when the city (and that whole nation) was still under the gray, joyless yoke of Communism. Sixteen years later, she was back with the Carthage Alumni Choir (with me along) and she could not believe how vibrant and lively the city and its citizens had become. Three years later, she and I were back- this time with the Carthage Choir under my direction- and now, ten years since that last visit, we are longing for the day when our schedules and finances will allow us to go back.
This past Friday, between our trip to the Amana Colonies and the beginning of my Grace Institute gig in Dubuque, we had a few free hours in Cedar Rapids – not exactly the Sun and Fun Capitol of the Midwest, and I think we were both a little worried that we end up touring the National Insecticide Museum. But in fact there were some very intriguing possibilities from which to choose. What looked most promising to me was something called Czech Village- which was described in one book as “a charming and friendly complex of Old World-style shops and cafes evoking the spirit of Prague,” and at its heart was something called the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, which then-President Bill Clinton and his Czech counterpart helped dedicate back in the early 90’s. That’s what we decided on.
But then I came across something which mentioned that the Museum had been forced to relocate because of the devastating flood of 2008 – which spurred me to do a bit more digging around on the internet. It didn’t take long to learn that all of Czech Village and the neighborhood adjoining it were all but destroyed by the flood, with widespread damage very much still evident and much rebuilding still needed. Which begged the question- what would we find if we paid a visit as we had planned? Was anything still open? Or would we find a block of boarded-up, empty storefronts? (It’s hard to know what to believe in tourist publications and websites, which obviously exist to drum up business . . . and it is in their own interest to be as positive as possible.)
I ended up sending an email to a Luther classmate of mine who’s also a Facebook friend – Marilee Reinertson Torres – who lives in Cedar Rapids and is the kind of person who cares deeply about her community and has her finger on its collective pulse. (She has a Cedar Rapids-based webcast on urbancoolradio.com.) She told us that the neighborhood, including Czech Village, had indeed been devastated by the flood- with most of its structures almost completely underwater- but that it was attempting to rebuild. She strongly encouraged us to visit, to see the rebuilding efforts for ourselves, and to offer our support simply by patronizing the few businesses whose doors are open. And suddenly, what was going to be a pleasant little diversion became something else entirely – more like a mission.
To make a long story not quite so long (it’s already too late to make this a short story) we did make our way to Czech Village, which is a couple blocks long- anchored at one end by a stone tower and bridge that were patterned after the famous Charles Bridge and Tower in Prague. You could tell how lovely it was before the flood, and although more than half of the stores were shuttered (one hopes only temporarily) you couldn’t help but be inspired by those which had managed to reopen. First stop was the Sykora Bakery, where we indulged in some pastries and bought a cookbook. . . neither of which we particularly needed or wanted, but it was just our little vote of confidence for the folks behind the counter of this charming bakery.
Then we headed down the block to the new location of the National Czech and Slovak Museum, where we happily bought two admission tickets in order to view their exhibit called “Rising Above: The Story of a People and the Flood.” The exhibit takes you through those harrowing days and shows the unprecedented severity of the flood in some striking ways. . . beginning with a golden line painted on the wall of the lobby showing how high the waters were at the height of the flood: 31 feet, 12 inches- 11 feet higher than the previous record set back in 1929. It was staggering to imagine such a thing. But this display was about much more than floodwaters- it was also about the extraordinary courage of this community’s citizens, their frantic efforts to safeguard what they could (including much of what was housed at the imperiled museum) and their determined efforts to rebuild in the aftermath of the disaster. One of my favorite elements in the exhibit was a traditional Czech apron rescued from the museum- with one half of it left in its damaged state and the other half restored to its previous beauty and brilliance. That in a nutshell is what this story is all about.
By the way, we made a point of visiting the gift shop afterwards and purchased a beautiful Christmas tree ornament (blown glass from the Czech Republic) which we will hang proudly on our tree as a reminder to us of those brave folks of Czech Village. . . and for that matter, everyone in Cedar Rapids who was touched by the Flood of 2008.
A last note: When I posted on Facebook about our visit to Czech Village and the purchases we’d made there, my brother Steve (the smart aleck) took me to task for acting like buying a couple of pastries was humanitarian work that Albert Schweitzer himself would have applauded. And he was right that I had managed to blow our modest little good deed way out of proportion. It actually had very little to do with buying pastries; I guess I was just proud that we decided to bypass the bright and shiny shopping mall in favor of visiting a neighborhood badly battered but proudly unbowed. And that’s why those pastries tasted so exceptionally delicious and why our new ornament will be the loveliest thing hanging on our tree this Christmas.
pictured above: Kathy looks at part of the “Rising Above” exhibit. If you follow the yellow line on the wall, you’ll see the peak just to Kathy’s left- and that marks how high the floodwaters were at their highest. (The high mark basically aligns with the top edge of the highest photos in the exhibit.) Imagining that amount of water in that building and throughout the neighborhood really helped us understand just how terrible this flood was.