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Nazi - Communist Oppression in Prague
Item 13 of 18
The John Lennon Wall, also simply known as the Lennon Wall is literally a wall near the French Embassy in the Malá Strana area of Prague 1, Czech Republic. When John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, an unknown artist painted his portrait on the wall with lyrics in remembrance of him and was soon followed by many others. During communism, this wall was a piece of public art covered in graffiti expressing protestations against the government. It has been repainted several times by authorities, but there is always more graffiti and art by the very next day. Upon our visit in the summer of 2019, the Lennon wall represents a place promoting love, peace, and occasionally celebrating anniversaries, like that of the Velvet Revolution, or themed protests related to climate change, such as on Earth Day of the same year. And of course, it contains a Beatles reference or two...

Overview including a partial portrait of Lennon

Overview including a partial portrait of Lennon

Lyrics from "Imagine"

Lyrics from "Imagine"

My favorite piece of artwork from the wall

My favorite piece of artwork from the wall

My own signature on the wall

My own signature on the wall

Appliqué Vinyl Record Mosaic of the Abbey Road cover art (though someone peeled Ringo off!) You have to look very closely for their outlines, as they were, of course, painted over.

Appliqué Vinyl Record Mosaic of the Abbey Road cover art (though someone peeled Ringo off!) You have to look very closely for their outlines, as they were, of course, painted over.
Why I chose this site
I am fairly sure that I am named for a Beatles album, though my father denies this upon my asking.
Evidence:
  • My name is Abbey, not Abigail
  • My dad is a huge Beatles fan
  • They have an album called Abbey Road.
I don't think it's that much of a stretch, and I thought it would be a travesty not to visit this location once I learned about it.
  • The assassination of John Lennon: When John Lennon died, it rocked the world (no pun intended). So many people were moved by his passing that monuments and mementos were everywhere. However, this particular spot has managed to stay maintained by the public and his fans from all over the world to this day.
  • Lennonism and Communism: The Lennon Wall gave birth to a movement of people that fought to express John's ideas, primarily circulating around peace, love, and peaceful activism. This became especially important during Communist Rule in the Czech Republic.
  • How this demonstrates oppression: The wall was painted over by the government several times in an attempt to stifle public protest.
  • Climate Change: This past Earth Day, an organization orchestrated a full cover of the wall to spread awareness about climate change and environmental activism. The wall has also been used by organizations to commemorate important historical anniversaries, like that of the Velvet Revolution.