EARLY YEARS

“First impressions are always unreliable.” ~Franz Kafka    
 
For his early education, his parents decided to send him to the German-speaking elementary school Deutsche Knabenschule on the street now known as Masná Street in Prague. After elementary school, he was admitted to the rigorous state gymnasium, Altstädter Deutsches Gymnasium, an academic secondary school where German was also the language of instruction, in the Old Town in Prague. In his leisurely time, Kafka enjoyed swimming, rowing, hiking, often taking his healthy activity to the extreme. In later years, he would go to sanatoriums for fresh air and naturalist remedies to deal with his ailing body. Besides outdoor activities, Kafka also liked to attend the cinema, seeing such films as the Western Slaves of Gold, Little Lolette and even Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid. In his early journals, he wrote about his fascination with cinema stating, "Went to the movies. Wept. Matchless entertainment." Above all else, though, he preferred quiet writing. This proved difficult when living with his father’s outbursts, a full household, and the family’s pet canaries. He often suffered from migraines and was extremely sensitive to noise.   

Photo: Kafka at around the age of 18 years old.