The John Lennon Wall in Prague Still Remains a Symbol of Freedom

The John Lennon Wall in Prague is becoming a tourist attraction in itself. But only for those who are willing to find it. It’s in a quiet and secluded area where I was the only tourist when I found it.

This is just a regular wall (or maybe a fence?) painted with the lyrics of the songs from The Beatles. Obviously, John Lennon’s face is on it. You can’t even call this a mural, but more of graffiti to me.

The Origin of the Wall

It has been said that this wall’s origin was way back when John Lennon was assassinated in 1980. One unknown artist started to paint the wall with the image of John Lennon and some song lyrics.

The Politics Behind John Lennon Wall

This might be a wall full of graffiti, but this wall has led to protests in Prague’s politics. In 1988, the wall was a place for young citizens to write all their grievances/complaints about their government.

Thus, it became a constant source of resentment for the communist rule of Gustav Husak. Because communists are not really good at taking people’s opinions, the criticisms on the wall led to a confrontation between security police and hundreds of students on the nearby historical Charles Bridge. The young protestors called this movement “Lennonism” while the communist regime called them as “mentally deranged, alcoholics, sociopathic, and agents of western capitalism.”

Today, the Lennon Wall doesn’t just have song lyrics from The Beatles and messages of hope, peace, and love.

It still remains a wall to express your freedom of expression. The politics is still there, and it won’t go away.

The original image of John Lennon is gone, but someone gets to paint his image over and over again.

The best thing about this wall is that – it’s never static. There’s constant change happening here. The wall you saw last month is different this month. Locals and visitors seem to leave messages whenever they can.

Nearby, you find a canal with a small bridge where lovers leave love locks.

Look over the canal, and you’ll find this figure. I’m interested to know. 😉

And a few steps from the bridge, you’ll find these sculpted faces attached to a residential wall.

Across, you’ll find the Lennon Bar.

Related Posts: 40 Photos of the Berlin Wall Today

Hotel / Hostel in Prague – Where to Stay

Look no further – stay at RoadHouse Prague, especially when you are staying for 2 days/1 night only. It’s in downtown Prague, and you can walk to the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge. Famous landmarks like the St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, and Strahov Monastery Library are less than 2 kilometers on foot. You can book it via Booking, HostelWorld, and Expedia.