Underground will sound
the upper harmonic registers
and the words will float like clouds,
across the information threshold,
up to the shallow sky (…)
and there will be
either a new form of life
or, possibly,
nothing.
— Miroslav Holub (Landscape with Poets
One of the most alluring aspects of Prague is the history, culture, and energy found beneath its streets. A very different city exists in the winding tunnels of Prague’s underground music clubs, restaurants, and bars—accessed by inconspicuous street-level entrances. These labyrinthine hangouts are filled with a more subdued Czech crowd immersed in quiet conversation. In many ways, the complex political history of the Czech Republic goes hand-in-hand with the modern-day ‘underground’ subterranean society of Prague, since the city is still recovering from the impact of life under a totalitarian government.
Prague was a much darker and quieter city when it was under the control of the Communist Regime from 1948-1989. During these oppressive times, an extensive group of thinkers and activists formed the Czech Underground, a movement to fight against the stifling authority of the government. Although relatively little information exists about this movement, including the meeting places or members of the group, its impact is undeniable and has manifested itself in published works of poetry, music, and other art forms.
As a young college student visiting Prague, heading down the narrow steps of the city’s many underground clubs might appear to be just an exciting change of scenery. But after living in Prague for a few months and learning about the very recent history of some of these places, these underground hang-outs have become much more interesting and steeped in history. As I sit, sipping my Pilsner and crammed into a long wooden bench deep within a cavernous underground bar called U Sudu, my mind wanders to how life in Prague would be under the Communist regime. Hanging out in these discretely designed, medieval-feeling underground clubs evokes a sense of modern-day rebellion and resistance, echoing the sentiment of students, thinkers, and activists living under the Communist regime just decades earlier.
Before getting any deeper into the ‘underground’ life of modern-day Prague, a quick overview of Prague’s splintered political situation might suffice. The topic of life under the stringent Communist regime in the Czech Republic is still a sensitive one, but one that deserves attention and understanding. A mass wave of nationalization of the industry and other areas of the economy took place soon after World War II, and nearly two million Germans were expelled from the country, their property confiscated by the state. The Communist Party seized complete power after the coup d’etat on February 25, 1948. This event marked the start of the totalitarian regime that lasted until the Velvet Revolution of 1989, which was a non-violent, student-driven protest to overthrow the government. Under Communism, there were a number of political trials, executions, and a mass disappearing of citizens. The economy steadily declined under this socialist regime, basic human rights were suppressed, and literature and artistic freedoms were censored. Life during this time for Czechoslovaks was filled with constant fear, unease, and hushed silence. Any sign of disapproval of the regime was punished, so opposition moved to the underground.
Many thinkers—playwrights, artists, musicians, authors, and poets—were able to create a subterranean creative environment despite the widespread suppression under the Communist Regime. The poet Miroslav Holub was one of the prominent members of the Czechoslovak Underground during these years, and his Landscape with Poets directly reacted to social problems including the creative suppression and overall sense of fear specific to this time. As famous Czech author Josef Škvorecký wrote in the 1960’s, “Popular mass art, like jazz, became mass protest.”
Fast forward to modern-day Prague, and remnants of this harsh political atmosphere remain in the collective consciousness of many Czechs. Outside of academic settings, it is sometimes difficult to ‘get the facts’ about life under the Communist Regime, as so much documentation is missing or is not asked about. Therefore, the topic remains ‘underground’—figuratively speaking.
Although these underground establishments are not directly connected to life under the Communist regime, a certain sense of secrecy and rebellion remains. These hangouts have an old-world feel since they are discretely tucked away from the mainstream hustle of the city. But there is something more alluring about these underground places, a deeper sense of mystery that is tangible upon discovering any one of these stairways. This sense of subterranean creativity and energy goes a bit more unnoticed at street-level, but if you stumble across the right entryway, it may lead you deep into the underground of Prague.
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