Cynthia Paces, a history professor at The College of New Jersey, has published a new book titled “Prague: The Heart of Europe.” The book, released this fall by Oxford University Press, covers over 1,100 years of Prague’s development and aims to provide a comprehensive account of the city’s evolution.
Paces began her work not with traditional historical markers such as medieval rulers or landmarks but instead with the geological formation of the Vltava River during the Ice Age. She explained that grounding Prague’s history in its physical landscape helped reveal stories about those who built the city. “It’s a lot to take on,” she shared.
Though Paces specializes in 19th and 20th century European history, writing about earlier periods required additional research. “I knew the broad strokes,” she said, “but I had to learn a lot about how to write about earlier time periods that I had never really written about before.” She noted that one of the main challenges was dealing with uncertainties present in medieval history.
Paces aimed to go beyond recounting political events by highlighting everyday lives in Prague’s past. “One of my favorite discoveries was an English female poet living in Prague in the 16th century,” she said. “I didn’t want it to just be ‘this ruler did this.’ I wanted it to be about the people who lived there.” This approach allowed her to bring attention to individuals whose stories are often overlooked in conventional histories.
The project also held personal meaning for Paces, as her father was born in Prague during World War II. “I had to separate my own emotional tie to the city as a place my father and grandparents are from,” she said. Writing the book involved balancing these personal connections with an objective presentation of Prague’s complex past.
She stated one key aim was inclusivity: “What I really tried to do is make it accessible to a broad audience. And I feel like there’s something for everyone.”
“Prague: The Heart of Europe” highlights contributions from writers, artists, political figures, women, and many others throughout Prague’s long history.
