Prague in Danger: The Years of German Occupation, 1939-45: Memories and History, Terror and Resistance, Theater and Jazz, Film and Poetry, Politics and War

by Peter Demetz

A dramatic account of life in Czechoslovakia's great capital during the Nazi Protectorate With this successor book to Prague in Black and Gold, his account of more than a thousand years of Central European history, the great scholar Peter Demetz focuses on just six short years--a tormented, tragic, and unforgettable time. He was living in Prague then--a "first-degree half-Jew," according to the Nazis' terrible categories--and here he joins his objective chronicle of the city under German occupation with his personal memories of that from the bitter morning of March 15, 1939, when Hitler arrived from Berlin to set his seal on the Nazi takeover of the Czechoslovak government, until the liberation of Bohemia in April 1945, after long seasons of unimaginable suffering and pain. Demetz expertly interweaves a superb account of the German authorities' diplomatic, financial, and military machinations with a brilliant description of Prague's evolving resistance and underground opposition. Along with his private experiences, he offers the heretofore untold history of an effervescent, unstoppable Prague whose urbane heart went on beating despite the deportations, murders, cruelties, and a Prague that kept its German- and Czech-language theaters open, its fabled film studios functioning, its young people in school and at work, and its newspapers on press. This complex, continually surprising book is filled with rare human detail and warmth, the gripping story of a great city meeting the dual challenge of occupation and of war.

Genres: History, Czech Literature, World War II, War, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2008

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decently written, informative account of the Nazi occupation of Prague during WWII. Demetz includes personal accounts (he was there, a teenage half-Jew) as well as literary-historical accounts (this is his academic focus as a prof in the States). Both are insightful and fun to read, but both seem a bit on the apocryphal side and some of his efforts to mix teenage whimsy and sexual awkwardness into his personal story seem strained, overly self-conscious, and ultimately superfluous. After reading so much Kundera also, I wonder if there's a 'thing' about Czech males of this generation?

Anyway, I found his deeply erudite and well-researched discussions of the contemporary musical, poetic and literary movements and figures really fascinating; I am always interested to see how folks navigate these exceedingly difficult social and political circumstances artistically. There was mention of two until-recently-obscure composers (both killed in camps) whose music I have played and who have been the focus of study by former teachers of mine. Nice to see them getting this kind of attention. Alexander Zemlinsky (R. Strauss-esque operas) and Erwin Schulhoff (socialist-realist symphonic) are both worth checking out if anyone's interested. From these two familiar examples I can only assume that the myriad names Demetz drops in this and other genres are also worth investigating further. This is definitely one of those books in which you really want to dig through the bibliography.

Also the detailed accounts of the political intrigues behind the governance of the 'Protectorate' by the Reich are very interesting. Demetz does an admirable job as an erstwhile biographer in his humane discussion of the lives of many of the German leaders in Prague at the time.

Demetz unfortunately commits the cardinal sin of making many insinuations about future events to be covered later, the fates of various individuals, etc., without the followups he leads you to expect. Because of this the history he unravels begins to seem incomplete, speculative, and sloppy.

There have been SO many attempts to write about the subject of art under political repression, and SO many of them have such glaring, disappointing shortcomings. A strange trend for a subject with such potential for a tight fusion of drama and historical fact. Of the books on this subject that I have worked through, only "The Captive Mind" by Czeslaw Milosz is, in the end, worth recommending. I'm going to keep looking though. Anybody have any ideas for me?

[David Canford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of the Nazi occupation of Prague by someone who lived through it. Incredibly interesting and nicely done with purely factual chapters and chapters about the author's own personal experience. However, I did find some of the chapters on culture - jazz, cinema, etc- a bit too detailed for me. It is balanced account, highlighting not only Nazi brutality but the anti-semitism of many Czechs and the brutal treatment of the city's German population after the war ended, albeit after what the Czechs had endured their reaction was hardly surprising. I was lucky enough to visit the city just before the pandemic. Not only does it have such incredible architecture - baroque, gothic, art nouveau, cubism - but it’s history is fascinating. Achieving independence in 1918, it was only free for 20 years until invaded by the Nazis and then spent 40 years under Soviet domination. Check out my blog of what to see and do in Prague if you’re thinking of going or would just like to see some photos of it https://davidcanford.squarespace.com/...

[Doug Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been to Prague twice, and it still amazes me just how much the city was spared during the chaos of World War II. Demetz's book is an incredible story of what it was like to be there during the years of German occupation in the City of 1000 Spires. The author talks about his own experiences during occupation, his time in a small labor camp, the fate of several other Czech authors and poets, his friends and family, and at times the book elicits some truly emotional imagery.
A must-read for any history buff or the casual student of 20th Eastern European history.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting mix of historical and personal views

While sometimes the name dropping of "famous" Czech figures is often a bit dense, the personal recollections mixed with the historical record is an interesting documentation of a life and country upended.

[Doug Garnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. A superb combination of reviewing the cultural history of Prague under the German occupation. But also, personal stories from Peter Demetz that added a level of fascination I hadn’t expected. And, kept it from being a dull cultural history - but an excellent history book.

Highly recommended.

[Loring Wirbel · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the correct ingredients are in this memoir - a rare look inside Nazi-occupied Prague, a discussion of how the Prague avant-garde of the 1930s and 1940s morphed into the post-WW2 Czech experimental art scene, and some personal family anecdotes from a man that helped define Czech literature. Unfortunately, the elements simply don't come together in fully coherent fashion. Demetz's stories of growing up a jazz-loving teen in occupied Prague make this book worth the effort, and he also explains how the Czech and Slovak segments of Czechoslovakia were severed through Nazi perfidy. Too bad Demetz didn't have a better editor to weave all these elements together more effectively.