弗朗茨-卡夫卡与布拉格的迷宫：与卡夫卡之城交织的一生

介绍

弗朗茨-卡夫卡（1883-1924 年）是 20 世纪最有影响力的文学家之一，他的作品深刻 地捕捉到了现代人的焦虑和荒诞。他的叙事通常以疏离感、负罪感和官僚主义纠葛为主题，因此 "卡夫卡式"（Kafkaesque）1 一词广为人知。这一描述不仅渗透到文学话语中，也渗透到大众文化中，代表着一种由个人无法控制的荒诞境遇引发的普遍颓废感。

卡夫卡的遗产与布拉格密不可分，他的出生地布拉格几乎是他度过一生的地方。1 尽管卡夫卡本人与这座城市的关系错综复杂，时常矛盾重重，他曾有一句名言："布拉格不会放手。我俩谁也不放过谁。这个老妪有爪子。3 现在，布拉格经常被称为 "K 之城"。3 这一称谓是为了颂扬他在布拉格的街道、广场和文化机构中无处不在的身影。本报告将深入探讨弗朗茨-卡夫卡与布拉格之间错综复杂的关系，展示这座城市独特的社会文化、政治和建筑景观如何成为卡夫卡世界观的熔炉，塑造了他的个人奋斗历程，进而深刻影响了他独特的文学声音和永恒的主题。

I.扎根老城：卡夫卡在布拉格的早期生活和成长经历

出生和家庭背景

弗朗茨-卡夫卡于 1883 年 7 月 3 日出生在布拉格的一个德裔犹太人家庭。4 当时，布拉格是庞大的奥匈帝国波希米亚的一个组成部分。5 他的家庭居住在布拉格的犹太人聚居区，即 Josefov，这是一个经常面临经济和社会不利条件的社区。尽管卡夫卡一家信奉德国文化，但他们发现自己在很大程度上被排除在与布拉格更广泛的德国少数民族建立有意义的关系之外。4 这种文化上一致但社会上排斥的早期经历为卡夫卡形成身份认同感奠定了基础。

父亲的阴影

弗朗茨的父亲赫尔曼-卡夫卡在家庭中拥有 "极大的权威 "4 。弗朗茨形容他 "大嗓门、不耐烦、不近人情、令人生畏 "5 。这种专横跋扈的形象深深地影响了年幼的弗朗茨，甚至在他自己的家庭中，也培养了一种根深蒂固的 "陌生人 "的感觉4 。在卡夫卡童年的一段特别深刻的记忆中，有这样一件事：他的父亲为了回应他对水的反复呼喊，将他带到阳台上，并将他锁在屋外。这件事困扰了卡夫卡多年，后来他在自己的作品中讲述了这件事。

给父亲的信卡夫卡的父母主要将时间和精力投入到他们在犹太人聚居区5 的干货批发店中，卡夫卡的成长在很大程度上委托给了女仆和家庭教师。

教育与早期智力开发

卡夫卡开始接受教育后，与父母分离的情况更加严重。布拉格的体育学校每年开课十个月，功课繁多，使他的学生生活 "艰苦而艰难"。1893 年至 1901 年，卡夫卡在老城广场的金斯基宫就读德语文法学校。10 这些教育机构专门将儿童培养成 "帝国日益繁荣的官僚机构的工作人员"。5 卡夫卡经常在自我认知和成绩上挣扎，只有通过 "不懈的学习，以及在严格的期末考试中作弊 "才能完成学业。

尽管父亲极力反对并希望他加入家族企业，卡夫卡还是于 1901 年进入位于布拉格的一所德国学校--费迪南-卡尔斯大学学习。5 他最初打算学习哲学，后来短暂地转向化学，然后是德语研究和艺术史，最终于 1906 年回到并完成了法律学位的学习。在大学里，他与知识分子和有抱负的艺术家建立了关系，其中包括他的终身好友马克斯-布罗德（Max Brod）。3 他们经常一起光顾布拉格的众多咖啡馆和妓院，并参加戏剧演出和讲座，沉浸在这座城市充满活力的文化氛围中。

卡夫卡早年生活在布拉格，在一个多民族、充满民族主义色彩的环境中，他的德裔犹太人身份以及父亲的专制，培养了他深刻的局外人意识。这种 "倍感自己是个外国人 "的感觉--无论是在他的家庭中还是在他自己的城市里4--不仅仅是一种个人情绪，而是这些相互交织的压力的直接后果。这种破碎的身份认同，再加上他父亲的暴政，成为他后来文学作品中异化和个人与压倒性的、往往是不可捉摸的力量抗争等主题的基础元素。他早年接受的教育体系是以培养官僚官员为目标的，再加上后来接受的法律培训，使他对后来批判的制度有了真切的了解。这种身临其境的官僚体制结构和思维方式的经历，为他在文学作品中对非人性的、压迫性的制度进行深刻的探索奠定了基础，使他在作品中的描写如

试用 和 城堡 深有体会和共鸣。

早期的健康问题和个人焦虑

到 1905 年，卡夫卡生活的艰辛开始影响到他的健康，需要在疗养院休养一段时 间。5 1906 年左右，肺结核的早期症状开始显现，这不幸导致他英年早逝，年仅 41 岁。除肺结核外，他还患有失眠症、严重的噪音不耐症、疖肿、气喘、便秘和各种神经-植物神经紊乱。4 这些身体上的疾病往往与他的精神状态和普遍的焦虑有着内在的联系，说明他的痛苦是心理层面的。

II.布拉格的坩埚：城市对卡夫卡世界观的影响

流动的城市

卡夫卡的一生是在布拉格展开的，当时正值 19 世纪末 20 世纪初社会、文化和政 治发生深刻变革的时期。9 布拉格是一个多元文化的国际大都市，也是德国和捷克文 学的重要中心。反犹太主义 "在整个东欧盛行 "5 ，布拉格的犹太人经常被边缘化。

19 世纪和 20 世纪初，布拉格和波希米亚各地的捷克人和日耳曼人之间的民族冲突不断升级。1861 年，捷克民族党在该市获得多数席位，使布拉格成为捷克文化和政治生活的中心。1918 年后，布拉格成为捷克斯洛伐克的首都，与哈布斯堡统治有关的纪念碑被有计划地从公共场所移除。7 这种以 "政治动荡 "8 为特征的充满活力且经常动荡不安的环境对卡夫卡产生了深远的影响，他以诗人的敏感性学会了 "既爱又怕"。

官僚迷宫

卡夫卡在查尔斯大学学习法律，这使他初步接触到官僚机构的复杂性。1 毕业后，他曾为当地的一名律师短暂工作过5 ，之后于 1908 年与波希米亚王国工人事故保险协会签订了一份合同。4 他在这个职位上一直工作到去世，他的工作时间很固定--通常从早上 8 点到下午 2 点--这使他可以利用下午的时间写作。尽管公司存在潜在的反犹主义，但卡夫卡作为 250 名员工中的第二名犹太人，很快就承担起了重要责任，甚至还撰写了关于事故预防的技术文章5。

他的工作涉及监管工作场所的安全，并对 "不情愿的工业雇主 "实施法律，这些雇主 "质疑他们的风险分类，无视他们的安全规范，试图阻挠工厂检查，并逃避他们的保险费支付"。他的职业生活绝不仅仅是一个背景，而是他 "卡夫卡式 "主题的深刻来源。他每天接触的事故预防工作中的 "深奥细节 "和 "清晰的表述 "5，与他所观察到的 "不情愿的企业雇主 "和 "无意识的官僚程序 "并列13，加深了他对既有内在逻辑的合理性，又有对人的影响的荒谬性的系统的理解。这段经历使官僚主义的概念在他的小说中从一个抽象概念变成了一种有形的、压迫性的力量。他在这份 "官僚工作 "9 中的经历使他理解了 "谎言 "是如何在法律12 中 "成为一种普遍的制度 "的，而这一概念正是小说的核心。

试用.

多元文化挂毯

4 虽然他同情捷克人的政治和文化愿望，但他的主要认同仍然是德国文化。9 不过，他经常参加捷克戏剧演出和讲座，成为 "两种地方文化之间的纽带"，而这两种文化经常被咄咄逼人的民族主义所分裂。

他的父母在波希米亚农村讲意第绪语方言长大，搬到布拉格后基本上不理会犹太人的风俗习惯。15 卡夫卡本人最初也对犹太人持负面看法，他在日记中写道："我与犹太人有什么共同之处？15 然而，1910 年他对意第绪语戏剧的兴趣成为了一个重要的转折点。他结识了剧团成员，观看了萨瓦咖啡馆（Café Savoy）10 的约 20 场演出，发现演员们都是 "特别纯粹的犹太人"。15 这促使他开始了为期 11 个月的意第绪语和意第绪文化强化学习，从而得以探索父亲所厌恶的其祖先和民族的方方面面。布拉格激烈的民族冲突和讲德语的犹太人在其中岌岌可危的地位7 加深了卡夫卡的社会孤立感和 "无根感"。9 他对意第绪语戏剧的深深迷恋不仅仅是文化上的好奇，而是他个人对更 "纯粹 "或更真实的犹太身份的深刻追寻，是对他被同化的家庭和充满冲突的德国-捷克环境的一种反衬。这种在支离破碎的城市中寻求归属感的内心挣扎，助长了他笔下人物在冷漠世界中对意义和认同的普遍追求。

布拉格的建筑与氛围

卡夫卡叙事中 "超现实和梦幻般的特质 "直接受到布拉格 "错综复杂的建筑 "和 "奥匈帝国压抑的官僚体制 "的启发1。"他故乡老城复杂、迷宫般的建筑"、"充满活力、有时超现实的犹太社区 "以及 "伏尔塔瓦河的忧郁之美 "在他的作品中都有生动的描绘或影射。卡夫卡对孤独和人际关系困难的深刻感受，反映在他以布拉格为灵感的叙事中对疏离和官僚纠葛的描绘上。

III.文学成果：卡夫卡的主要作品和永恒主题

小说

卡夫卡的三部主要（尽管未完成）小说是 试用 (1925), 城堡 (1926年），以及 美国 (1927年，原名 Der Verschollene 5 这些开创性的作品由他的朋友马克斯-布罗德（Max Brod）在卡夫卡死后出版。

试用 12 这一叙事探讨了有罪、权威的不可捉摸性以及个人在不透明的法律制度面前的无能为力等深刻主题。

城堡 该片讲述了土地测量员K.在一个被神秘城堡统治的村庄里，为进入模糊的上级机构而进行的绝望但最终徒劳无功的尝试。

美国又称 失踪的人卡夫卡于 1912 年在一家疗养院开始创作这部小说。

小说和短篇小说

卡夫卡多产的短篇小说包括以下开创性作品 判决 (1913), 在刑罚殖民地 (1914), 变形记 (1915), 乡村医生 (1916), 学院报告 (1919), 饥饿艺术家 (1924), and Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk (1924).16

变形记 is arguably his most famous novella, in which traveling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a “hideous insect”.4 This work profoundly reflects Kafka’s sense of being a stranger, burdened by familial and societal expectations, and explores themes of shame, self-disgust, isolation, and the dehumanizing effects of an indifferent world.4 Notably, the novella was written at Pařížská 36, where the arrangement of the rooms in the story matched the building’s layout.10

判决, written in a single evening and dedicated to his fiancée Felice Bauer, incisively renders the father-son conflict that profoundly affected his personal life.5 In the tale, the protagonist, Georg Bendemann, is condemned to drown by his totalitarian father.1

在刑罚殖民地 stands as one of Kafka’s most disturbing works, centering on a mechanistic torture device that inscribes proclamations onto victims’ flesh.5 It has been interpreted as an expression of Kafka’s susceptibility to self-punishment.5

乡村医生, which Kafka wrote while renting a small house in Golden Lane 10, recounts a doctor’s gruesome, surreal experience on a snowy evening.5

饥饿艺术家 is a tragic, comedic, and absurd tale about a professional faster whose celebrity wanes, culminating in a grim explanation for his fasting: he simply could not find palatable food.5

Letters and Diaries

Kafka’s extensive correspondence and diaries provide invaluable insights into his inner world and complex personal relationships. Letters to His Father (1919), though never delivered, tirelessly examines the failings of his relationship with his domineering father, decrying him as inconsiderate and dictatorial, while simultaneously revealing Kafka’s profound self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy.4 His

Letters to Milena (1952) and Letters to Felice (1967) offer a glimpse into his “complicated love life, with failed engagements” 1 and his “neurotically disturbed” relationships 18, reflecting his deep insecurity and his internal conflict between the dread of losing freedom and the fear of being left alone.4

The “Kafkaesque” Style and Themes

Kafka’s works are renowned for their unique, unsettling narratives that explore universal themes of alienation, anxiety, guilt, and the absurdity of existence.1 His characters are frequently depicted as “gloomily alone, affected by a sense of guilt which crushes them”.4 The “Kafkaesque” sensibility is characterized by individuals trapped in nightmarish situations, grappling with “impersonal, labyrinthine systems that seem to operate independently of human control or understanding”.1 This encompasses “government oppressive behavior through official processes that result in absurdities, offensiveness, charades, shams, bureaucratic pretentiousness, deceit, trickery, and duplicity”.2

His signature style is often described as “terse, detached, and unsettling” 1, frequently featuring a “dreamlike, surreal quality” 1 with vivid imagery and a distinctive blend of humor and existential dread.1 He employs a “seemingly matter-of-fact and austere style” 20 even when depicting fantastical or grotesque events. Kafka’s works are also considered Expressionist, integrating elements of Surrealism and motifs from the absurd.20 While he rarely mentions Prague directly in his fiction 8, the city’s “cultural complexities and the existential anxieties” profoundly shaped his literary vision.1

Kafka’s personal anxieties and traumas, particularly his “domineering father” 4 and “troubled relationship with his father” 1, are not merely reflected in his fiction but are transformed into universal themes of alienation, guilt, and the individual’s struggle against inscrutable, overwhelming authority. The transformation of Gregor Samsa and Josef K.’s trial become allegories for the human condition, making his deeply personal struggles resonate globally. For instance, the “root idea” for

变形记 was a concept Kafka attributed to his father—”an invitation to think of himself as verminous”.5 This illustrates how his specific, intense personal dynamic became the template for the power imbalances, feelings of worthlessness, and existential dread experienced by his characters. His internal world, shaped by Prague and his family, thus served as the blueprint for his fictional universes, imbuing them with their unique “Kafkaesque” quality and universal appeal by translating deeply personal suffering into broadly relatable human experiences.

Furthermore, Kafka’s distinctive style—terse, detached, unsettling, and blending the normal with the fantastic—is not just an aesthetic choice but a deliberate narrative strategy to evoke the “disorientation and powerlessness” central to his themes.1 By withholding clear explanations, such as the nature of Josef K.’s crime in

试用 12, Kafka intentionally forces the reader into the same state of uncertainty and anxiety as his characters. This makes the “Kafkaesque” a visceral experience rather than a mere description. The “absurdity” in his works is not confined to plot events but is deeply embedded in the very way the story is told, creating a profound, unsettling, and highly immersive experience for the reader, which contributes significantly to the unique impact of his literary output.

IV. Kafka’s Prague: A Guide to His Footsteps

Franz Kafka’s life was intimately woven into the fabric of Prague, with numerous locations across the city bearing witness to his personal, educational, and professional journey.

Key Residences

Kafka was born in the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) in Prague.8 He lived at

Dům U minuty on Old Town Square from June 1889 to September 1896, a period during which his three sisters were born.10 His family later resided on the top floor of

Oppeltův dům, located at the corner of Pařížská Street and Old Town Square, from November 1913.10 Kafka rented a room at

Dlouhá 16 (known as U Zlaté štiky, or “at the golden pike”) from 1915 to early 1917, an Art Nouveau building he found notably noisy due to its elevator.8 The seminal novella

变形记 was written at Pařížská 36 (Zum Schiff, or “at the ship”), a house whose room arrangement notably matched the story’s layout.10

In mid-1907, his family moved to a new building in a razed part of the ghetto. To Kafka’s dismay, his bedroom was situated between the living room and his parents’ bedroom, offering minimal privacy and exposing him to all household noises and conversations.5 This spatial arrangement directly contributed to his “hypersensitive” nature and the feeling of being perpetually exposed, a sensation that permeates his narratives, where characters often lack agency or privacy. The physical layout of his homes literally mirrored his internal psychological landscape, where relaxation and writing proved extremely difficult.5 He later moved to a sister’s vacated apartment and then rented his own flat in March 1917.5 Towards the end of his life, he lived with Dora Dymant in Berlin-Steglitz, before returning to his parents’ home in Prague when his health severely declined.5

He particularly enjoyed and rented a tiny house at number 22 in the Golden Lane (Zlatá ulička) at Prague Castle with his sister Ottla from 1916 to summer 1917. It was here that he wrote almost all the stories that were later published in the 1920 collection 乡村医生.8

Educational and Professional Hubs

Kafka attended German grammar school at the Kinský Palace (Old Town Square 12) from 1893 to 1901.10 His father also maintained a haberdashery shop on the ground floor of this same palace from 1912 to 1918.10 He pursued his law studies at

查尔斯大学 (Ovocný trh 3-5) from 1901 to 1906.3 One of his initial professional engagements was at Richard Löwy’s legal practice, located adjacent to Kinský Palace at number 16.10 He attended elementary school at

Masná 18 and an evening course on worker’s insurance at the former German Business Academy at Masná 8.10 His most significant professional role was at the

Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia (Na Poříčí 7), where he worked from 1908 until his death.5 Additionally, from 1912 to 1917, Kafka and his family owned an asbestos factory at

Bořivojova 27 in Žižkov, where he also worked after his insurance job, further contributing to his demanding schedule.5

Social Haunts

Kafka’s social and intellectual life also revolved around specific Prague locations. 卢浮宫咖啡厅 (Národní 22), with its majestic halls, was a favored meeting point for German-speaking intellectuals, including Kafka and his friends.3 He met his love interest Milena Jesenská at

Café Arco (Hybernská 16), a popular spot for artists and writers.10

萨沃伊咖啡馆 (Vězeňská 11), now Pastacaffé, famously hosted Yiddish theater presentations, which Kafka frequented, attending approximately 20 performances and forming a friendship with the leading actor Jizchak Löwy.3 Kafka gave his only known public reading of one of his works,

判决, on December 4, 1912, at the 埃弗罗帕大酒店 (Václavské náměstí 19), then known as Hotel Erzherzog Stephan.8 He also regularly read the German-language newspaper

Prager Tagblatt, whose newsroom was at Panská 8, and occasionally contributed short stories and reviews.10

Other Significant Locations

这 犹太区（约瑟夫区）, Kafka’s birthplace, is regarded as a “Mecca” for his admirers today.8 Kafka’s tomb is located in the

新犹太公墓.1 The

Franz Kafka Museum (Hergetova Cihelna, Cihelná 2b) opened in 2005 on the Lesser Town bank of the Vltava River, offering an immersive glimpse into his life and work through historical documents, photographs, manuscripts, and audiovisual installations.6 A prominent

Franz Kafka Monument by Jaroslav Róna, depicting Kafka riding on the shoulders of a headless figure, was erected in the Jewish Quarter.3

Franz Kafka Square (Náměstí Franze Kafky) also commemorates him.8 Beyond specific buildings, the

Vltava River, Old Town, Vyšehrad Hills, and Castle Hill are all integral parts of Prague’s landscape that implicitly influenced his narratives.1

The proliferation of Kafka-related landmarks, museums, and monuments in contemporary Prague signifies the city’s conscious effort to reclaim and leverage his legacy after decades of “active disdain” 3 and “deliberate erasure” 21 under Communist rule. This transformation from an overlooked writer to a major tourist attraction demonstrates how a city’s cultural identity can be fluid and strategically “reinvented” 21 to align with economic and political shifts, turning Kafka’s complex “love-hate relationship” with Prague 3 into a powerful cultural and economic asset.

Table: Key Prague Locations in Franz Kafka’s Life

V. The Enduring Legacy: Kafka’s Presence in Modern Prague and Beyond

From Ambivalence to Icon

Kafka himself harbored a “love-hate relationship” with Prague 3, often feeling like a “stranger” in his own city.4 For decades after his death, Prague’s relationship with Kafka remained complex and often ambivalent. In the 1930s, he was largely overlooked by the Czech intelligentsia, only to emerge as a hero during the reformist period of the 1960s. However, this recognition was short-lived, as he was deliberately erased from public memory by the Soviet-backed regime following the 1968 invasion.21 After World War II, under Communist Party rule, his works were treated with “active disdain” due to prevailing anti-German sentiment.3 It was only after the fall of the Iron Curtain, with the subsequent influx of tourism, that Kafka was fully celebrated as one of the Czech Republic’s most beloved sons.3

Memorials and Institutions

Today, Franz Kafka’s presence is “ubiquitous” in Prague.3 The

Franz Kafka Museum, which opened in 2005 on the Lesser Town bank of the Vltava River, offers a compelling glimpse into his life and work through historical documents, photographs, manuscripts, and audiovisual installations.6 Notable public monuments include the

Franz Kafka Monument by Jaroslav Róna in the Jewish Quarter, depicting Kafka riding on the shoulders of a headless figure 3, and David Černý’s rotating mirrored bust of Kafka located downtown.3 Other institutions such as the

Franz Kafka Society 和 Franz Kafka Bookstore further solidify his legacy, while streets, squares, and plaques across the city are adorned with elements that reflect his enduring connection to Prague.3

Cultural Impact

Kafka’s global literary renown is largely attributable to the unwavering dedication of his friend and literary executor, Max Brod. Brod famously defied Kafka’s dying wish to destroy his incomplete manuscripts.3 This act of preservation, which some might consider a “betrayal,” allowed Kafka’s “timeless literary quality” 20 to transcend his personal anxieties and the specific historical context of Prague. Brod’s persistence in publishing works like

试用, 城堡， 和 美国 posthumously “single-handedly expanded Kafka’s fame” 3, transforming him from a tormented, self-doubting writer into a universal symbol of modern alienation and bureaucratic absurdity. The profound irony lies in the fact that his enduring legacy, which he himself attempted to suppress, is now a cornerstone of Prague’s cultural identity.

Kafka’s works garnered international acclaim, profoundly influencing existentialists and absurdists such as Jorge Luis Borges, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre.3 The term “Kafkaesque” has become common vernacular in literary circles and beyond, describing “frustratingly and pointlessly bureaucratic” or “nightmarish” situations where individuals experience malaise, disorientation, and powerlessness in the face of unfathomable forces.1 Kafka’s themes of alienation, isolation, and questions of identity remain profoundly relevant today, resonating with young people who often feel lost or in conflict with authority.11 His work is considered a central component of Prague German literature, categorized as Expressionist, with elements of Surrealism and the absurd.20

Prague as the “City of K”

The evocative phrase “Franz Kafka is the soul of Prague and Prague is the soul of Kafka” 8 encapsulates their inseparable connection. While he rarely directly referenced the city in his works, the political turmoil and unique atmosphere of the Czech capital form a large feature of his literary productions.1 Prague’s journey from suppressing Kafka’s memory to celebrating him as a “major cultural icon” 21 reflects not only a post-Communist embrace of Western cultural figures but also a strategic “political-cultural self-fashioning and economic calculation”.21 The city’s current “Kafkaesque” identity 1 is a constructed narrative that leverages his universal themes to attract tourism and define its modern persona. This demonstrates how a city’s historical memory can be selectively curated and commodified, transforming a complex, conflicted historical relationship into a simplified, marketable narrative.

结论

Franz Kafka’s life was profoundly intertwined with Prague, a city that served as both his physical home and the metaphorical landscape for his literary imagination. From his birth in the Jewish Ghetto and his challenging upbringing under a domineering father, to his arduous education and professional immersion in the city’s burgeoning bureaucracy, Prague’s unique socio-cultural and political environment directly shaped his worldview and personal anxieties. The pervasive sense of being an outsider, the weight of paternal authority, and the bewildering nature of bureaucratic systems, all deeply experienced within Prague, became the raw material for his creative output.

These deeply personal struggles, particularly his feelings of alienation, rootlessness, and the oppressive weight of authority, were meticulously translated into his iconic “Kafkaesque” works such as 试用, 变形记， 和 城堡. Through his terse, dreamlike prose and a deliberate narrative strategy of ambiguity, Kafka universalized his individual torment, creating narratives that resonate with timeless themes of human vulnerability in the face of inscrutable systems. His unique style forces the reader into the same state of uncertainty as his characters, making the “Kafkaesque” a visceral and universally relatable experience.

Today, Prague has fully embraced its most famous literary son. The city, once ambivalent or even suppressive of his memory, now proudly positions itself as the “City of K,” with museums, monuments, and landmarks inviting visitors to walk in his footsteps. This transformation underscores not only Kafka’s enduring global relevance—a testament to Max Brod’s pivotal decision to preserve his works—but also how a city’s identity can evolve, strategically curating its past to define its present and future. Ultimately, Kafka’s profound connection to Prague ensures that his legacy, a powerful exploration of the human condition, continues to captivate and challenge readers worldwide.

Works cited

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