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| Tram in Brno |
After
we left Prague we headed to Brno. It was miserably hot when we arrived and we
only stayed for one full day, so I do not feel that I was able to fully
experience and appreciate Brno. However, I was happy to visit and I enjoyed the
sights we were able to see.
The aspect of Brno’s geography that
I found the most interesting was the effects of globalization on this Moravian
city. Brno is actually considered the capital of Moravia, which is in what is
now the Eastern portion of the Czech Republic. While globalization was present
in every city we visited, I noticed it particularly in Brno. Brno was not as
much of a tourist or “global” city as the other areas we visited. Here, we saw
much more about what life is like for average Czech citizens living outside of
the major urban center of Prague. This includes the massive impact of
international brands and chain stores. For instance, after arriving in Brno, I
went to a Tesco store to pick up some items that I needed. This Tesco, which is
a British-owned chain, sold both groceries and other general merchandise. Many
of the brands were familiar and I could recognize many products that I use at
home. While globalization had been prevalent everywhere, I was much more struck
by it in Brno because there was not a large tourist crowd demanding
international brands. Globalized products has simply become a part of regular
life in the Czech Republic.
My favorite academic experience in
Brno was our trip to the Roma Musuem. This Museum focused on the experiences
and history of the Roma people in Europe. This group has faced many hardships
and persecutions throughout time. Besides being often treated as outsiders and
forced to move from place to place, these individuals also faced terrible
discrimination. The Many Roma became victims of the Holocaust because they were
viewed as “undesirable” by the Nazi Regime. I had very little knowledge about
the history and struggles of the Roma people before visiting this excellent
museum. We had a guided tour and our guide was fantastic. What struck me most
was the discrimination that the Roma people still face. The vast majority of
Roma are working members of society. However, many of Europe’s poorest citizens
are Roma and stereotypes about the Roma continue to persist. I believe this evident
discrimination is one of Europe’s major problems going forward.
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| Abbey where Gregor Mendel Lived |
My favorite extra-curricular
activity in Brno was the trip I took to the Gregor Mendel Museum. I had learned
about Gregor Mendel in my high school Biology classes, so to see the place
where he lived and worked was quite interesting. Mendel is considered the
father of modern day genetics. His careful recordings of his experiments with
the cross-breeding of pea plants resulted in much further study about how genes
are transmitted from one generation to the next. His work was incredibly
instrumental in early genetics. He was a monk who was later made Abbott. The
museum dedicated to him is now in the Abbey where he once resides. The museum
featured many of Mendel’s belongings as well as several original documents. I
had a great time visiting this museum and it was air-conditioned! It was a
great place to learn about Gregor Mendel and beat the heat.
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| Gregor Mendel |
As for my food recommendation for
Brno is a visit to a beer garden. We visited this beer garden for our group
dinner in Brno. I am not certain of the official name of the beer garden. I
believe it is called either Rosnicka or Plzensky Dvur. Both of those are beer
gardens in Brno with excellent reviews. The service was very friendly and the
food was excellent. I recommend the grilled barbeque ribs. There was so much
food it was almost impossible to finish. I highly recommend visiting a beer
garden while in Brno. It was a great place to unwind and forget about the heat.
I did not have enough time in Brno
to really get as much of a feel of the city as the larger cities where we stayed
longer. However, I still greatly enjoyed every place I visited. Next entry I
will be discussing my experiences in Vienna.
References:
Czech4you.
“List of Beer Gardens.” Accessed July 14, 2014.
http://czech4you.com/index.php?menuitem=150.
Mendel
Museum. “The Exhibition Online: Introduction.” Accessed July 14, 2014.
http://www.mendel-museum.com/eng/1online/.
Museum
of Roma Culture. “About Us.” Accessed July 14, 2014.
http://www.rommuz.cz/o-nas-2/.
Tesco.
“Tesco Czech Republic.” Accessed July 14, 2014.
http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=332.
Picture
References:
1.
Emily
Herkert. A Tram in Brno. June 10,
2014. Brno, Czech Republic.
2.
Emily
Herkert. Muzeum Romanske Kultury.
June 10, 2014. Brno, Czech Republic.
3.
Emily
Herkert. Gregor Mendel’s Abbey. June
10, 2014. Brno, Czech Republic.
4.
Emily
Herkert. Gregor Mendel Statue. June
10, 2014. Brno, Czech Republic.
