Kafka’s birthplace

“Destroy yourself to know yourself. Build yourself to surprise yourself. The important thing is not to be, but to become.” How many of you can guess the brilliant mind behind this beautiful proverb? A tricky question—unless you’re a connoisseur of Czech literature and, more specifically, of Franz Kafka. This Jewish Austro-Hungarian writer is part of the city’s fabric. Born in this very house in 1883, Kafka was a hypersensitive and solitary child who would grow into one of the greatest writers in the 20th century. The plaque decorating the façade serves as a reminder of his ever-lasting impact on the city’s history, whether that is his famous works on guilt, loss of identity, or bodily transformation.