Description from Prague TV
One of Prague's more unusual attractions, the Lennon Wall is in Malá Strana, not far from the French Embassy.

This otherwise ordinary wall began to be filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and lines from Beatles songs after the singer's death in 1981.

Western pop music was largely banned by the Communist authorities and Lennon's songs praising freedom were especially controversial but, despite this, the former Beatle became a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe.

The police tried repeatedly to whitewash over the portrait and messages of peace but they couldn't manage to keep the wall clean, even after surveillance cameras were installed and the wall was placed under an overnight watch.

In 1998, almost a decade after the fall of Communism, the local "John Lennon Peace Club" began working with the wall's owners, the Knights of Malta, to reconstruct the crumbling wall.

Controversially, the stone recess that had formed Lennon's original mock grave was covered with a larger cement "tombstone" bearing the words "John Winston Lennon: October 9 1940 - Dec. 8, 1980."

The wall's original plaster, damaged by souvenir-hunting tourists, was replaced and a "happening" was organized at which young Czechs and Western backpackers could add new messages, replacing the dissidents' original graffiti.

There are several reasons why this particular spot became a spontaneous memorial in the first place.

The tombstone shape of the original Gothic recess must have played an important role.

There also is a centuries-old connection between the square and the name "John." At the time of the First Holy Crusade, The Knights of Malta were originally known as The Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem.

Also, in nearby Maltézské náměstí ("Maltese Square"), just around the corner from the Lennon Wall, there's a statue of St. John the Baptist.

Most importantly, perhaps, the Lennon Wall is just a short walk from Kampa park , which has long been a popular gathering place for Prague youth.

Irene Carpintero