Living in Prague makes it easy to forget our communist past...the streets are clean, most of the buildings are renovated, life is good...for the most part...
On Saturday we visited the northern part of Bohemia, near the German border. Beautiful part of my country. Germans and Czechs used to live here side by side ..then came the WWII.And then came the communists. And everything changed...the region is still beautiful, but is is a sad , hear breaking beauty...15 gothic churches were completely demolished by the communist alone in this small region... And the remaining churches were often used as store houses or stables. It will take a long time to heal the wounds
Photos from the church in Verneřovice.

Yeah it is a sad story saw the same in Romania, Georgia and Laetvia GKorts · 2010-06-13: 13:17

This is truly heartbreaking. How can they destroy such incredible structures. ????? · 2010-06-13: 14:06

touching snaps! foxtalbot · 2010-06-13: 17:40

Thoughtful and touching fine post. That's very sad. I wonder if it's easier to forget the past when all the survivors will be dead. I remember the impressions in listening and watching my maternal grandmother telling about her life during the WW2. When you see the pain on a loved face it's striking and very touching... And humans get the lessons then?? Hmmm... we had a war in the heart of Europe: the Genocide committed by the Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica in 1995 for example... I was shocked. I don't want to be cynical, but I'm not optimistic... if I take a look around. ????? · 2010-06-13: 17:42

Sad to see the destroying of beautiful work! finbarr · 2010-06-13: 18:24

Earthquake in Catedral ! Shaparak · 2010-06-13: 23:04

wow! that first shot is amazing! how sad it is when such beauty is destroyed! ????? · 2010-06-14: 10:46

errrrr why are they demolishing this? are your govt atheist? that's sad tho , i thought freedom of religion are practice everywhere in the world? my best wishes , rob blackhawk1552 · 2010-06-14: 15:26

Very sad story, but thankfully, that era is one that is vanishing. I hope this church gets restored. MelanieO · 2010-06-14: 23:18

How sad that these beautiful buildings have been left in this state. Let's hope they can be restored soon. girafferacing · 2010-06-15: 15:22