Week 3: Debriefing My Trip to Prague!

I got back from the Czech Republic last night and I couldn’t be happier with the research material I uncovered there. Being in Prague felt like stepping into the history I’ve been studying, and it made everything much more real.

The highlight of the trip was a tour with a local historian, Jiří Klůc, which I recorded for my project. Our tour started outside the National Museum where the funeral of Reinhard Heydrich took place. I learned about the accidental bombing of Prague by the Americans in 1945 and how that devastated the city. We also visited the very spot where Operation Anthropoid took place as well as the church where Josef Gabčík, Jan Kubiš and more were hiding for three weeks following the assaination. Hearing about resistance networks and intelligence efforts straight from the source helped me better understand how information was gathered and used under extreme conditions. It was a surreal experience to visit the very spots where these Czech heroes saved the lives of another 5 million Jews that were supposed to be killed under Heydrich’s orders. 

This week, I’m focusing on organizing my notes and using what I learned in Prague to strengthen my comparison with other countries. This trip definitely made my project feel more real and meaningful.