Prague Journal

Friday, May 6, 2005.

We spent the day in Plzeň (Pilsen), 80 km SW of Prague, the easternmost city in then-Czechoslovakia that was liberated by General Patton’s Third Army before the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945. On May 4, 1945, General Patton gave the order to resume the offensive in West Bohemia, and the 2nd and 97th Infantry Divisions and the 16th Armored Division pushed forward in the direction of Plzeň. American tanks appeared on the streets of the city from eight o’clock on the morning of Sunday, May 6, to be greeted with immense enthusiasm by local inhabitants. Commemoration of the occasion was suppressed under the Communists, but Plzeň has put on ever-bigger celebrations since their departure. For this year’s 60th anniversary, Plzeň city officials have planned a week-long series of high-profile events, and have invited many U.S. veterans who participated in the historic liberation to participate in the celebrations today. The planned celebratory events include the annual “Convoy of Remembrance” parade of historic military vehicles, the grand opening of the newly-constructed Patton Memorial Plzen museum housing WWII historic artifacts, a concert of American classical music featuring U.S. conductor Paul Manfray, and reconstruction of a U.S. army camp outside the city limits. The U.S. military contributed fly-overs, military bands, marching units, honor guards and vehicle displays. The main event was a “Thank you America!” commemorative on Americky Square attended by Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic; Jiri Paroubek, the new prime minister of the Czech Republic (appointed just over a week ago to replace Stanislav Gross who resigned under immense pressure); and William Cabaniss, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Around the city center we saw many WWII reenactment camps, lots of memorials – most with wreaths – and numerous American flags. In between WWII commemorative events, we visited the Great Synagogue (we didn’t have time to see the old synagogue or the cemetery) which currently has an exhibition of after-the-war photographs (“There was a war here”) showing the devastation, especially in Germany, before reconstruction efforts. The synagogue here is the third largest in Europe, a Moorish style building that has not been renovated on the inside, but which still has original frescoes and ornamentation largely intact. Plzeň was one of the earliest Jewish communities in Bohemia, dating back to the 1300s. As of 1900, the Jewish community in Plzeň was one of the five largest in Bohemia. In 1930, there were about 2,800 Jews in the city (2.4% of the total population). After the German occupation in March, 1939, persecution of the Jews began. In 1942, more than 2,000 persons were deported to Nazi extermination camps. A Nazi plan to destroy the synagogue was given up, since it would have required the destruction of a city block. After the war, the community was reorganized by about 300 persons. The synagogue is still in use.
We spent part of the afternoon at the Pilsner Urquell brewery “Plzensky Prazdroj.” The Burgess (Burgher’s) Brewery in Pilsen brewed the first batch of pale lager on 5th October 1842, under the brands Plzensky pramen (The Spring of Pilsen), Prapramen (The Source of Sources), Mestanske zelene (The Burgess Green), Plzensky pravy zdroj (The Genuine Spring of Pilsen) until the end of the 19th century. The trademark Prazdroj was created in 1898. Until 1933, two breweries existed in Pilsen: the Burgess Brewery (Prazdoj) and Plzenske akciove pivovary (PAP; the Pilsen joint stock breweries). These two merged, with most of the PAP`s shares held by the Burgess Brewery. In 1945, Prazdoj and PAP (Gambrinus) were put under national administration, and the joint stock company Plzenske Pivovary (Pilsen Breweries) was created after privatization on May 1, 1992. The company was renamed Plzensky Prazdroj in 1994, and became part of South African Breweries Plc. after its merger with Radegast in 1999. Our tour took us underground to the many tunnels where barrels of beer once held the aging brew. Rick points out that this phase is what gives lager its name. Lager means to lay by or store in German; the corresponding Czech word is ležák. Lagers are to be distinguished from ales. Lagering is now done above ground in temperature-controlled stainless steel or copper vats. Only in Plzeň can one drink this beer unpasteurized and unfiltered.
Rick bypassed one of the wreath-laying ceremonies in favor of a short trip to the Brewery Museum, which is located in the original Pravovarecny House in the historic center of Plzeň, dating to 1492, although remains of late Gothic architecture belonging to a previous malt house confirm that the building’s foundations were laid much earlier.
References to the house’s use for brewing beer first appeared in 1520. The museum houses documents from the earliest licensed town brewers, which were preserved in burghers’ homes and in the Plzeň brewery, later Plzensky Prazdroj. The building was chosen to house the museum following WWII; at the time the house was in an advanced state of disrepair, but following its overhaul and the installation of the exhibition items the Brewery Museum had its official opening on May 8, 1959, on the 100th anniversary of the “Pilsner beer” trademark.
There were fireworks on the American Embankment in the evening, but Rick and I headed back after dinner on the 8pm bus (the last to Prague) before they started.

posted by JWinn @ 9:49 PM