Visiting Prague

Summary: life and work of one of the greatest world known writers of the XIX century and early XX, Kafka.

Franz Kafka was born in Prague in 3rd of July of the year of 1883 in an educated and middle-class Jewish family. His father was Hermann Kafka, a heavy character in Franz life. His predominant character worked as an oppressing force in to Franz to whom he wrote a letter describing him as “huge, selfish, overbearing businessman”, although the father never got to read the letter. Hermann after working as a traveling sales representative, he established himself as an independent retailer of men’s and women’s fancy goods and accessories where Franz mother, Julie helped for 12 hours a day.
Kafka had two younger brothers Georg and Heinrich who died at the age of fifteen and six months. Kafka had also three younger sisters Gabriele (1889–1941), Valerie (1890–1942), and Ottilie (1891–1943), all of them died in concentration camps during the Nazi occupation.
Kafka studied in the Deutsche Knabenschule, the boys’ elementary school at the Masný trh/Fleischmarkt. He already was fluent of Czech and German language. Then he entered the state gymnasium, Altstädter Deutsches Gymnasium, in German. His religious education was given by his father when they both when together to the synagogue. After his secondary school Kafka was admitted to the German Charles-Ferdinad University of Prague where he studied law, he also learned Art History and German Studies. During his university time he entered the literary group called Lese- und Redehalle der Deutschen Studenten where he met two of his great friends for life Max Brod and Felix Weltsch. Kafka graduated form Law in 1906.
After working pro-bono as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts for a year he become an employee of an Italian insurance company although tha job never made him happy. Therefore Kafka connected himself to the employment of the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia. During his time with the workers Kafka invented the first civilian hard hat and for that he received a medal in 1912 because he reduced Bohemian steel mill deaths to fewer than 25 per thousand employees. After this he worked with his brother-in-law in his privet business.
Kafka had many lovers although he never got married. His first love was Felice Bauer in 1912. In 1917 the disease that killed him began, tuberculosis. Despite his fear of being physically and mentally repulsive, he impressed others with his boyish, efficient, and austere good looks, a quiet and cool character, obvious intelligence and dry sense of humor. Later in 1921 he fell in love with the journalist Milena Jesenská. After moving to Berlin to concentrate in his writing he met Dora Diamant, his lover from the 1923.
His depression and social anxiety were a great contribution of the way his work is directed. He also suffered form insomnia usually brought on by excessive stresses and strains. Therefore he decided to cure himself with a regimen of naturopathic treatments. The advanced state of his disease sent him to Dr. Hoffmann sanatorium where he died in 1924.
During his life only few short stories were published. He hasn’t finished many of his novels. Kafka’s work only began to be known after his death, and for this reason he asked Max Brod to destroy all of his work after he dies. Although neither his friend of his last lover Dora respected his wish. Brod was responsible for the publication of most of Kafka’s work. His most famous books are The Metamorphosis, The Trial, The Castle and the Letter to His Father. All of his books were written originally in German and with an intentional use of ambiguous terms or of words that have several meanings. Soon after the publication of his work the critics were extraordinary classifying his work as modernist or magical realism. The so often feeling of hopelessness and absurdity in his book are related to a considerable problem of existentialism.

Kafka Museum is one of the most visited museums in Prague. Hotel near where you can stay.

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