Category Archives: Europe

Jumping for Peace at the Lennon Wall

We had so much fun jumping at the Lennon Wall in Prague! What’s your signature pose when you visit new countries? Let’s go jumping for peace.

Jumping at the Lennon Wall in Prague!

The colorful Lennon Wall is one of Prague’s many attractions. I’ve already written about the rich history, so this post is on the photogenic background. Soak up the significance or just enjoy the colors of free speech!

Jumping for Peace Lennon Wall in Prague

What is the Lennon Wall?

The John Lennon Wall in Prague (Czech Republic) is named after former Beatles singer John Lennon. It’s been a home to messages of peace, free speech, and non-violent rebellion (as well as some Beatles lyrics) since the 1980’s.

Lennon’s message of free speech resonated with young Czechs, who made the wall into a tribute to Lennon. The government would paint it white, but within days it would be filled with more words of peace. I wrote about the history of the Lennon Wall here.

The Importance of Free Speech

As a travel writer and citizen, free speech is immensely important to me. I’ve been to places without free speech or freedom of the press. China might be the worst offender here. It was startling being in a place where people can’t say certain things in public, out of fear of punishment from the state. I can only imaging how significant the Lennon Wall is to people that grew up in Communist Czech.

Photos: Jumping for Peace at the Lennon Wall!

These jumps are in support of the Czech youth. They would sneak to the Lennon Wall in the night to put words of peace back on it, despite the risks of getting thrown in jail. In the meantime, enjoy some fun jumping photos at the Lennon Wall!

Everybody's Jumping for Peace in Prague

Jumping at the Lennon Wall in Prague

After a few jumps, everybody wanted in on the fun jumping photos. Come join!

Jumping with new friends at the Lennon Wall in Prague

Weeee! Jumping for Peace
Weeee!

Want more jumping photos?

Want to see more awesome jumping pics? There’s two places to go:

  1. I’ve put together all of my Jumping Photo posts at this link on the Visit50 travel blog. On here I include jumps from my travels. This includes both my jumps, as well as others that joined.
  2. If you’re on IG, check out @JumpingATW on Instagram for the best jumping photos from around the world. These are both of me and of others around the globe.  If you’d like to be featured, tag your Instagram posts with #jumpingatw on IG.  I include both photos of me jumping as well as feature posts that use my hashtag.

Lennon Wall in Prague Czech

For the rest of my posts on Prague and the Czech Republic, click on this link.

 

Lennon Wall in Prague

The John Lennon Wall in Prague is a memorial to singer John Lennon; it’s been a home to messages of peace, free speech, and non-violent rebellion (as well as some Beatles lyrics) since the 1980’s. The surprising part – Lennon never even visited Prague!

Why is there a Lennon Wall in Prague if Lennon never visited?

Lennon Wall in Prague - Laska means love. This was originally a white wall that said Wall is over.
Laska means love. This was originally a white wall that said Wall is over.

Peace at the Lennon Wall in PraguePeace at the Lennon Wall in Prague

While it was once just a regular wall, it was one of the few places in Prague where people could practice free speech under communism. Authorities often painted the wall white, but it would be filled up with free speech graffiti by the next day.  People posting political slogans under communism came to be known as “Lennonists.”

What does Lennon have to do with Prague? 

While Lennon never actually visited Prague, young pacifist Czechs view him as a hero. They view symbol of peace and free speech. Western pop songs were banned in Communist countries throughout the 1980’s.

Fascinating history explained:

When John Lennon was murdered in 1980 he became a sort of hero to some of the young and his picture was painted on this wall, for whatever reason right here, along with graffiti defying the authorities. Back then the Czech people had few opportunities to express their feelings with their lack of freedom. By doing this, those young activists risked prison for what authorities called “subversive activities against the state”.
But the threat of prison couldn’t keep people from slipping there at night to scrawl graffiti first in the form of Beatles lyrics and odes to Lennon, then they came to paint their own feelings and dreams on what came to be known as the Lennon Wall.

The Communist police tried repeatedly to whitewash over the portrait and messages of peace but they could never manage to keep the wall clean. On the second day it was again full of poems and flowers with paintings of Lennon. Even the installation of surveillance cameras and the posting of an overnight guard couldn’t stop the opinions from being expressed. [credit: Prague.net]

More photos of the Lennon Wall in Prague:

Panorama of the Lennon Wall in Prague
here’s the full panorama of the Lennon Wall in Prague from when I visited in 2015
Eve in Prague
street musicians often play Beatles songs as tourists take photos here. In the center of the photo is my friend Eve
Message of Peace at the Lennon Wall in Prague
Message of Peace at the Lennon Wall

 

Just around the corner are these locks of love
Just around the corner from the Lennon Wall are these locks of love

After soaking in the history and significance, it made a fun backdrop for jumping at the Lennon Wall.