Literary Journey (IV) / Tracing Kafka’s Path in Prague, the Birthplace of Existentialism

Text by Li Xinyi, MOOK Travel Life Network, compiled and reported | Source: Moleskine Editorial Department

 

Franz Kafka (1883–1924) was Czechoslovakia’s most renowned literary figure, celebrated as a pioneer of 20th-century existentialism. During his lifetime, he was merely an obscure writer. Although he began creating works at an early age, relatively few were published before his death. His first work was released in 1907, followed by sporadic publications over the next 17 years. However, most of his writings were published posthumously. Though not a prolific author, his influence on later literature has been profound. Notable works include *America*, *The Metamorphosis*, *The Trial*, and *The Castle*.

 

Kafka had an intimate connection with Prague—he was born here, lived most of his life near the Old Town, and only moved to the Prague Castle area briefly before and after World War I. He rarely left his hometown and was eventually laid to rest in Prague’s Jewish Cemetery. Today, visitors can only step into his solitary world through certain landmarks.

 

1. Hotel Goldhammer

Located on the north side of Old Town Square, this building housed the first shop opened by Kafka’s father, Hermann Kafka, in 1882. That year, he had just married Kafka’s mother, Julie Löwy, and a year later, Kafka was born. The site is now occupied by Hotel Goldhammer.

 

2. The House of Kafka’s Birth

On July 3, 1883, Kafka was born on the second floor of this house, situated at the border between Prague’s Old Town and Jewish Quarter. A week later, his circumcision was performed here according to Jewish tradition. The building was constructed between 1717 and 1730, originally serving as offices for clergy at St. Nicholas Church. In 1787, under an order from Joseph II to improve conditions in the Jewish Quarter, it was converted into residential housing.

 

The Kafka family did not live in this apartment for long, moving out the following May. The building was severely damaged by fire in 1887 and was not reconstructed to its original design until 1902. In 1965, sculptor Karel Hládký created a bust of Kafka, which was embedded in the building’s corner, making it a pilgrimage site for fans. It also serves as the starting point for tours of the Jewish Quarter (Josefov). Today, the ground floor houses an art exhibition gallery named after Kafka.

 

3. House at the Sixt (Dům U Sixta)

This residential building on the south side of Old Town Square, known as the House at the Sixt, was where the Kafka family resided between 1888 and 1889. The door bears the inscription “1796,” though the house was actually built around 1220.

 

4. House at the Minute (Dům U Minuty)

This elaborately sgraffito-decorated building was the Kafka family’s home from 1889 to 1896. All three of Kafka’s sisters were born here and later perished in Nazi concentration camps. The name “House at the Minute” is intriguing, though its origin remains unclear. The sgraffito on the walls, created around 1615, depicts biblical stories and classical myths or legends. Though monochromatic, the interplay of light and shadow brings the figures to vivid life. A stone lion statue with outstretched front paws, known as the White Lion (At the White Lion), was added in 1712 by a pharmacist who moved into the building. The White Lion Pharmacy operated for 130 years before closing, after which the property was owned by a tobacco merchant before the Kafka family moved in.