MSA Prague 2025 – City Walks and Trips

Join us for a series of guided city walks and excursions during the MSA 9th Annual Conference in Prague (July 13-19, 2025)! Discover the city’s rich history, memory sites, and hidden stories while connecting with fellow participants outside the conference rooms.

Program:

JULY 13, 2025 – SUNDAY

(De)colonial walk: Traces of coloniality in the Prague public space (3 hours) – (4-5:30 pm)

It may seem that to use the term “colonial” in the case of Czech history is a contradiction. After all, the inhabitants of Central Europe have never engaged in any successful colonial or imperial enterprise. In fact, they are more commonly viewed (and view themselves) as the objects of imperial ambitions and victims of conquest by more powerful neighbors. However, the Czechs were, like all other European nations, entangled in and benefitted from the complex web of economic, political, and cultural processes brought about by overseas colonization. Moreover, on a symbolic level, they wanted to align themselves with the most powerful nations of Western Europe and assert their own right to rule over others through a debasing imagery of non-Europeans. Colonialist disourses also left material traces in the public spaces. The guided walk will open the opportunity to discuss the specificities of Czech “colonialism without colonies” and the ways it still remains present until today.

JULY 14, 2025 – MONDAY

Communist Monuments (3 hours) – (9:30-12:30)

Guided city walk focuses on fate of the late socialist monuments around Prague. It delves into the circumstances of their erection as well as of their removal. After visiting places where they used to stand (Stalin Monument at Letná, Statue of Gottwald at Park Lanna, Brotherhood monument at Prague Main Station and others) the group visits the Depository of the Prague City Gallery, where number of the socialist statues found its new home. The walk is guided by historian Petra Hudek.

Women’s Anti-Nazi Resistance (3 hours) – (1-4 pm)

The walk in Prague district Vinohrady focuses on women’s Anti-Nazi resistance during WWII. The participants also visit the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror situated in the cathedral and the crypt of St Cyril and St Methodius Church. The tour is hosted by NGO Antikomplex and led by Tereza Štěpková and Michal Schuster.

Strahov Stadium and its history (3 hours) – (1:30-4:30 pm)

The Strahov Stadium is a cultural monument in the middle of the city, and at the same time a somewhat abandoned place that is trying to find a new identity. Walking visitors will learn about the essential historical moments of the largest stadium in the world, where all-Sokol gatherings, Spartakiads, student riots and violent crimes during the internment of Germans took place. more info: https://institut.pametnaroda.cz/komentovane-prochazky-stadion-strahov-a-jeho-historie/

JULY 17 – THURSDAY

Center for Memory and Dialog Bubny – (3-4:30 pm)

More Info Soon.

JULY 18 – FRIDAY

Silent Walking: Prague in WWII and beyond (3 hours) – (2-5 pm)

The walk guided by the urban landscape researcher Diana Salahieh focuses on the exploration of Prague’s important landmarks and sites with forgotten past related to WWII. It engages in critical and somaesthetical appreciation of the historical urban fabric with a possibility of recording the first impressions, observations, emotions and memories; reflecting on the slow/erupt changes. It aims on immersing participants in critical reflection on walkability between past and present.

JULY 19 – SATURDAY

Roma and Sinti Holocaust – A Guided Tour of the Lety Concentration Camp (full day trip) – (full day)

Join us for a full-day guided tour of the Lety u Písku concentration camp, a crucial yet often overlooked site of the Holocaust of the Roma and Sinti in Bohemia. Led by the Czech NGO Antikomplex, this tour will explore the history of the camp, the fate of its prisoners, and the broader context of Nazi racial persecution. Through expert insights and on-site discussions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of this dark chapter in European history and its lasting impact on the Roma and Sinti communities. More info: https://www.rommuz.cz/en/lety-u-pisku/

REGISTRATION FOR THE CITY WALKS/TRIPS WILL OPEN SOON!

🗓 Plan Your Stay
Registration for the MSA 2025 conference is open until March 31st! We encourage participants to arrive early and book accommodation starting from Sunday, July 13, to make the most of the pre-conference events.

For more information and to register, visit: MSA Prague 2025