The John Lennon Wall – Prague by Maggie Pentek

While spending a weekend in the beautiful city of Prague, a stop at the legendary John Lennon wall was a must. As the FlorenceForFun guides lead us the this historical landmark my anticipation continued to grow! When I first saw it, I was extremely impressed with the vibrant colors of graffiti displayed across this long concrete wall . There was even a local guitarist playing songs in front of it which added a charm to the experience. After our group picture everyone started their own photo shoot, including myself, and enjoyed the rest of the time admiring the messages that were displayed.
This wall all started in the 80’s by college students protesting against the communist regime. The lyrics that the Beatle’s wrote expressed the type of freedom students were striving for during this era. This then gave them the idea to scrawl graffiti of phrases, odes to Lennon and feelings and dreams on the wall. The police tried to control the wall and clean it up, but each night new phrases were added and it was nearly impossible to control it.
When John Lennon was murdered, he became a sort of hero and his picture was painted on this wall. Students continued to praise their love of him and express their feelings about Lennon and his ideas for peace. This is how it transition from the Beatle’s to just the focus on Lennon. This monument of freedom, peace and love is an amazing part of the 80’s and still continues to grow to this day. I was extremely pleased that I was able to visit the John Lennon wall, view the creativity and positive energy it entails, and cross it off my bucket list.