EDITH KURZWEIL
553
the Czechoslovak Republic in 1950 when, in connection with the beginning of
the building-up of a developed socialist society, the Czechoslovak socialist
state itself took over the task of caring for museum collections and other cul–
tural values in order that they might be widely accessible to the public and
exploited for cultural-political and scientific purposes." On the same day, the
Herald Tribune
carried an article, "A Polish Anomaly: Anti-Semitism With–
out Jews." But rather than an anomaly, I thought to myself, anti-Semitism
without Jews seems to have been the norm in the entire Soviet empire.
What have Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg, and Karl Liebknecht been thinking in
their graves? And how will it be possible to reeducate populations for whom
bigotry has become ingrained? In any event, the Jewish community ulti–
mately will benefit: the Soviet propagandists cared for the magnificent
Torahs and other religious relics for which it will be able to collect admission
fees from the many tourists who are beginning to flock to Prague.
For the moment, Prague attracts young and impecunious tourists,
backpackers, East Germans and Hungarians who are eager to travel but
can't pay Western prices. For those who have come to shop, the pickings are
slim. The lines in front of the stores selling Bohemian crystal and porcelain
are long; the service is inefficient. After a two-hour wait, the American in
line behind me remarked that he would tell his friends to bypass Prague "until
they shape up." Over dinner that night I asked Arita why they don't employ
more sales clerks and simplify the system - which also would get them more
foreign currency. "Before we do that, we have to change our production: our
machines are working at full capacity, and are close to falling apart; our fac–
tories are inefficient;
if
we were to sell more than we do on anyone day we
would have to close shop the next one; and we would have more unem–
ployment." Similar conditions exist everywhere - in steel plants and
automobile plants, in the manufacture ofconsumer goods, hospital and office
equipment. Hospitals lack medicine and equipment; doctors are underpaid,
overworked; patients must go to district physicians. "Yes, we need help," said
Minister Uhde, "but we also have to do things ourselves, we must become
competent"
Upon my return to Vienna there was much criticism of President
Havel's trip to Salzburg, of his meeting with the nefarious President Wald–
heim. Havel stated that he had decided to attend the
Festspiele
before being
elected President and therefore would stick to his plan. His critics implied that
he was becoming a politician. Maybe. He, however, might argue once again
- laughingly - that "there is always something suspect about an intelletual on
the winning side," and that, "like Sisyphus he has remained undefeated de–
spite
all
his defeats." At least until now. But he must produce another miracle
- by propelling Czechoslovakia into the democratic orbit without losing any of
his
Czechs, his Bohemians, or his Slovaks.
