中歐筆記 1｜歷史篇 Notes from Central Europe 1 | 走入歷史 Stepping Into History

English version below

文／Cathy Chen  July 26, 2026

走入歷史 Stepping Into History

*為什麼捷克人如此支持烏克蘭？

*為什麼希特勒的罪行，沒有擊垮今天歐洲對德國的信任？

*為什麼昔日不可一世的帝國，如今都消失了？

走完這趟中歐，我才發現，這些問題的答案，藏在歷史裡。

我和家人的中歐之旅，終於來到尾聲。短短十一天，我們穿越了中歐幾個世紀的歷史。從蒙古西征、神聖羅馬帝國，到奧匈帝國、兩次世界大戰，以及冷戰時期共產政權留下的痕跡，那些曾經課本裡難記的專有名詞，忽然跳脫了紙本與考試，化為眼前真實存在的城市、建築與故事。

布拉格──古蹟保存完整的美麗城市

旅程的第一站，是捷克共和國的首都布拉格。

捷克和斯洛伐克曾經同屬一個國家，直到 1993 年才和平分家，各自成為今天的捷克共和國與斯洛伐克。布拉格曾是神聖羅馬帝國的重要城市，也是宗教改革先驅揚・胡斯（Jan Hus）傳道與殉道的地方。他的思想，比馬丁路德早了一百多年，也深深影響後來的宗教改革。

由於第二次世界大戰期間，布拉格沒有遭受大規模轟炸，因此完整保存了大量中世紀、哥德式、文藝復興、巴洛克與新藝術風格的建築，也因此享有「百塔之城（City of a Hundred Spires）」的美譽。

我們漫步在布拉格老城廣場，走過查理大橋，俯瞰伏爾塔瓦河，感受這座城市數百年來累積的歷史韻味。讓我們印象最深刻的是，許多政府機關前都同時飄揚著兩面國旗：一面是捷克國旗，另一面則是烏克蘭國旗。

導遊告訴我們，捷克人民之所以如此支持烏克蘭，是因為他們親身經歷過大國政治帶來的傷痛。

1938 年，英國首相張伯倫與法國、德國、義大利四國領袖，在慕尼黑會議中同意將捷克斯洛伐克的蘇台德地區割讓給希特勒，希望以讓步換取和平，而捷克斯洛伐克甚至沒有被邀請參與談判。對許多捷克人而言，這場事件至今仍被稱為「慕尼黑背叛」。

因此，今天政府大樓前飄揚的烏克蘭國旗，不只是政治立場的表達，更是一段歷史記憶的延續，也是他們從共同傷痛中生出的理解與支持。

導遊本身是斯洛伐克人。她告訴我們，自己曾在共產政權下生活四十年，那段失去自由的歲月，至今仍歷歷在目：政府可以強制人民勞動，限制人民聚會和信仰的自由，生活中充斥著文宣；若違反規定，便可能受到處罰。她提到，自己的父親就曾因一句說錯的話而惹上麻煩。

這些經歷，對生活在自由社會的我而言，實在難以想像。

德國──在文明與黑暗之間

離開布拉格後，我們前往德國。

途中經過雷根斯堡，之後抵達巴伐利亞首府慕尼黑。我們先來到市中心的瑪利亞廣場，欣賞新市政廳鐘樓著名的木偶報時表演；隔天則參觀 BMW 總部，從現代工業的角度，認識這個以精密製造聞名的國家。

離開慕尼黑後，我們前往巴伐利亞國王路德維希二世建造的林德霍夫宮（Linderhof Palace）。

導遊告訴我們，路德維希二世醉心藝術與音樂，對政治並不熱衷，反而傾注大量心力，打造這座童話般的宮殿（金碧輝煌的裝飾、精緻的鏡廳，以及花園裡優美的噴泉），彷彿想藉此逃離現實世界。這次參觀時才知道，去年（2025）它被列入聯合國教科文組織世界文化遺產。

行程中，我們也經過紐倫堡。這裡曾是納粹舉辦大型集會的重要城市，也是第二次世界大戰結束後舉行紐倫堡大審判的地方。

這讓我想起最近看過的電影《紐倫堡》。電影描述盟軍如何一步步建立審判制度，使發動戰爭、迫害無辜的人接受法律制裁。這不只是為了懲罰罪犯，更是希望為歷史留下見證，提醒後人：人必須為自己的罪行負責，而這段歷史也不能被輕易翻過。

隔天，我們來到鷹巢。

站在群山環繞的山頂，眼前的景色令人屏息。然而，這裡曾是納粹政權的重要象徵，也是希特勒接待政要的場所之一。如此壯麗的景色，竟承載著人類歷史最黑暗的一頁，在我心中形成強烈的對比。

離開鷹巢後，我們來到薩爾斯堡。

這裡是莫札特的出生地，也是電影《真善美》的主要拍攝地之一。我從前一直以為《真善美》只是電影，這次才知道，原來是真人真事改編。電影中的馮．特拉普一家確有其人，後來搭火車離開奧地利，輾轉定居美國。

導遊特地在車上播放《真善美》的電影配樂，而車窗外正是電影中的山谷與湖泊。耳邊迴盪著〈The hills are alive with the sound of music. With songs, they have sun for a thousand years.... 群山充滿音樂的聲音，歌聲已流傳千年⋯⋯〉，眼前的風景與一路聽見的歷史和音樂彼此交織，讓電影中的故事忽然鮮活了起來。

聖沃夫岡湖──阿爾卑斯山下的湖光山色

第六天，我們來到奧地利薩爾茨卡默古特湖區的聖沃夫岡湖（Wolfgangsee）。

湖泊四周環繞著阿爾卑斯山，湖水清澈見底，一群群大型鱒魚圍著人悠閒游動，讓我們十分驚喜。

維也納──帝國曾經的榮耀

第七天，我們來到維也納，參觀著名的美泉宮（Schönbrunn Palace）。

這座宮殿曾是哈布斯堡王朝的夏宮。哈布斯堡家族曾統治中歐數百年，也是奧地利帝國與奧匈帝國的皇室。

當地導遊帶著我們參觀宮殿，講述幾位皇室人物的故事：從有「歐洲祖母」之稱的瑪麗亞．特蕾莎，到深受世人喜愛的茜茜公主，以及瑪麗亞．特蕾莎最小的女兒──最終在法國大革命中走上斷頭台的法國王后瑪麗．安東妮。

宮殿裡華麗的廳堂與擺設，見證了哈布斯堡王朝昔日的榮耀。第一次世界大戰後，奧匈帝國瓦解，曾經不可一世的帝國，如今只留下宮殿、教堂與博物館，靜靜述說著過去。

布達佩斯──多瑙河上的璀璨明珠

離開維也納後，我們來到旅程的最後一站──匈牙利的布達佩斯。

我第一次知道，今天的布達佩斯，是由多瑙河西岸的布達、舊布達，以及東岸的佩斯，在 1873 年正式合併而成。

過去這些天，我們從布拉格的伏爾塔瓦河，到奧地利與匈牙利的多瑙河，沿著蜿延河流，一路進入中歐數百年的歷史。

夜晚，我們搭乘多瑙河遊船。國會大廈、布達城堡和鏈橋，在金色燈光映照下倒映在河面，整座城市宛如一幅夢境般的畫作。我從來沒有想到，夜晚布達佩斯，竟然美成如此令人醉心。

歷史，觸動人的心弦

然而，這趟旅行真正觸動我的，不只是眼前的美景。

中歐之所以迷人，不只是因為保存了古老的建築，更因為每一座城市都沒有刻意抹去自己的歷史。無論光榮或羞辱，他們都選擇記錄下來，並一代又一代地傳承下去。

宮殿和教堂訴說著帝國昔日的榮耀；戰爭遺跡、紀念碑和博物館，則提醒人們曾經發生過的傷痛。忽然間，我發現，歷史不再只是課本上的年代，而是真實的人，用眼淚、犧牲、盼望與信念，一頁又一頁寫成的故事。

每一個民族，都有自己的傷痕。有些曾被侵略，有些曾失去自由；有些曾經成為受害者，也有些曾經成為加害者。今天我們所看見的一切，其實都是漫長歷史所累積的結果。若不知道那段歷史，我們很容易只看見今天的現象，卻無法理解人們為什麼作出今天的選擇。

站在布拉格政府前，看著飄揚的烏克蘭國旗，我體會到，一塊土地上人民的立場，不一定只是一時的政治決定，而是歷史記憶的延續。

站在鷹巢，我不禁思考：究竟是什麼原因，讓一個文明高度發展的民族，把如此殘忍的人推上權力的高峰？而在紐倫堡，我也看見另一群人努力撥亂反正，讓公義得以彰顯。

我開始相信，一群人之所以偉大，不是因為從未犯錯，而是在犯錯之後，是否願意誠實面對歷史、深刻反省，並竭力避免悲劇重演。

在更大的世界裡

正如傳道書所說：

現今的事早先就有了，將來的事早已也有了，並且神使已過的事重新回來。」（傳道書 3:15）

今日看似富裕強盛的大國，是否有一天，也會走向另一種命運？如果真是如此，我們又怎能因今天自己的富足與強大，而驕傲地輕看別人的弱小？又怎能帶著優越感，去評論另一個民族？

站在一座座擁有數百年、甚至上千年歷史的城市裡，聽著每一棟建築背後的故事，我愈來愈感受到自己的渺小。藉著走過一個一個城市，我走進的是一個個民族的記憶，及記憶深處對人性的提醒。

感謝主，在這趟旅程中，我在更大的世界裡，看見更小的自己。

而這份渺小，不但沒有讓我失望，反而成為一種自由。因為我知道，自己如今所擁有的一切，都不是理所當然，而是出於恩典。雖然我只是歷史長河中的一粒塵埃，但神卻親自創造我、愛我、揀選我，也在每一天帶領我的腳步。

Stepping Into History

By Cathy Chen | July 26, 2026

Why are the Czech people so supportive of Ukraine?
Why have Hitler’s crimes not destroyed Europe’s trust in Germany today?
Why have the once-mighty empires of the past all become history?

It was only after completing this journey through Central Europe that I realized the answers to these questions are not merely political. They are deeply rooted in history.

Our family’s journey through Central Europe finally came to an end. In just eleven days, we traveled through several centuries of Central European history.

From the westward expansion of the Mongol Empire and the Holy Roman Empire to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the two World Wars, and the traces left behind by communist regimes during the Cold War, names and events that had once been difficult to remember in textbooks suddenly stepped off the page. They became real cities, buildings, and stories standing right before our eyes.

Prague—A Beautiful City with Remarkably Preserved Historic Sites

The first stop on our journey was Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia were once part of the same country. It was not until 1993 that they peacefully separated and became the Czech Republic and Slovakia as we know them today.

Prague was once an important city in the Holy Roman Empire. It was also where Jan Hus, an early forerunner of the Protestant Reformation, preached and was eventually martyred. His teachings came more than a century before Martin Luther and had a profound influence on the Reformation that followed.

Because Prague did not suffer large-scale bombing during World War II, it has preserved an extraordinary number of medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau buildings. This has earned Prague its well-known nickname, the “City of a Hundred Spires.”

We walked through Prague’s Old Town Square, crossed the Charles Bridge, and looked out over the Vltava River, taking in the rich sense of history that has accumulated in this city over hundreds of years.

What left the strongest impression on us was that two national flags were flying in front of many government buildings: the Czech flag and the Ukrainian flag.

Our tour guide explained that the Czech people are so supportive of Ukraine because they have personally experienced the pain caused by the political decisions of powerful nations.

In 1938, at the Munich Conference, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the leaders of France, Germany, and Italy agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. They hoped that making concessions would preserve peace.

Czechoslovakia was not even invited to take part in the negotiations.

To many Czech people, this event is still remembered as the “Munich Betrayal.”

The Ukrainian flags flying in front of government buildings today are therefore more than an expression of a political position. They are also a continuation of historical memory—a sign of understanding and support born out of shared suffering.

Our tour guide herself was Slovak. She told us that she had lived under communist rule for forty years, and that the memories of those years without freedom were still vivid.

The government could force people to work and restrict their freedom to gather and practice their faith. Communist propaganda filled everyday life, and anyone who violated government regulations could be punished. She told us that her own father had once gotten into trouble simply because he said the wrong thing.

For someone like me, who has lived in a free society, these experiences were difficult to imagine.

Germany—Between Civilization and Darkness

After leaving Prague, we traveled to Germany.

Along the way, we passed through Regensburg before arriving in Munich, the capital of Bavaria.

We first visited Marienplatz in the heart of the city, where we watched the famous Glockenspiel performance in the tower of the New Town Hall. The next day, we visited the BMW headquarters and saw Germany from the perspective of modern industry—a country known for its precision manufacturing.

After leaving Munich, we traveled to Linderhof Palace, built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

Our tour guide told us that Ludwig II was deeply devoted to art and music but had little interest in politics. Instead, he poured much of his energy into creating this fairy-tale palace, with its lavish decorations, elegant Hall of Mirrors, and beautiful fountains in the gardens. It seemed almost as though he were trying to escape from the real world.

It was during this visit that I learned the palace had been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List just last year, in 2025.

During our journey, we also passed through Nuremberg. The city had once been an important location for large Nazi rallies, and after World War II, it became the site of the Nuremberg Trials.

It reminded me of the movie Nuremberg, which I had recently watched.

The film portrays how the Allies gradually established a system of trials so that those who had launched wars and persecuted innocent people could be held legally accountable.

The purpose was not only to punish the guilty, but also to leave a testimony for history—to remind future generations that people must answer for their crimes and that this chapter of history must not simply be brushed aside.

The next day, we visited the Eagle’s Nest.

Standing on the mountaintop surrounded by majestic peaks, the view was breathtaking. Yet this place had once been an important symbol of the Nazi regime and one of the locations where Hitler received political leaders and other dignitaries.

Such magnificent scenery carried the memory of one of the darkest chapters in human history. The contrast was overwhelming.

After leaving the Eagle’s Nest, we arrived in Salzburg.

Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and one of the main filming locations for The Sound of Music. I had always assumed that The Sound of Music was simply a fictional movie. It was only on this trip that I learned it had been adapted from a true story.

The Von Trapp family portrayed in the movie truly existed. They later left Austria by train and eventually settled in the United States.

Our guide played the soundtrack from The Sound of Music on the bus while the valleys and lakes from the movie passed outside our windows.

As the familiar words, “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” filled the bus, the scenery before us blended with the history and music we had heard throughout the journey. Suddenly, the story from the movie seemed to come alive.

Lake Wolfgang—Alpine Mountains and Beautiful Lake Views

On the sixth day, we visited Lake Wolfgang, or Wolfgangsee, in Austria’s Salzkammergut lake region.

The lake was surrounded by the Alps, and the water was so clear that we could see straight to the bottom. Schools of large trout swam leisurely around us, which was such a delightful surprise.

Vienna—The Former Glory of an Empire

On the seventh day, we arrived in Vienna and visited the famous Schönbrunn Palace.

The palace once served as the summer residence of the Habsburg dynasty. The Habsburg family ruled Central Europe for centuries and was the royal family of both the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Our local guide led us through the palace and told us stories about several members of the royal family—from Maria Theresa, known as the “Grandmother of Europe,” to the beloved Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sisi, and Maria Theresa’s youngest daughter, Marie Antoinette, the queen of France who was eventually sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution.

The magnificent rooms and furnishings of the palace bear witness to the former glory of the Habsburg dynasty.

After World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. The once-mighty empire is now gone, leaving behind its palaces, churches, and museums to quietly tell the stories of the past.

Budapest—A Shining Jewel on the Danube

After leaving Vienna, we arrived at the final stop of our journey: Budapest, Hungary.

For the first time, I learned that the Budapest we know today was officially formed in 1873 through the unification of Buda and Óbuda on the western bank of the Danube with Pest on the eastern bank.

Over the previous several days, we had traveled from the Vltava River in Prague to the Danube in Austria and Hungary. Following these winding rivers, we entered several centuries of Central European history.

That evening, we took a cruise on the Danube.

The Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle, and the Chain Bridge were illuminated in golden light, their reflections shimmering on the river. The entire city looked like a painting from a dream.

I had never imagined that Budapest at night could be so breathtakingly beautiful.

When History Touches the Heart

Yet what truly moved me on this journey was not only the beauty before my eyes.

What makes Central Europe so captivating is not simply that it has preserved its ancient buildings. It is that each city has chosen not to erase its own history.

Whether that history is glorious or shameful, they have chosen to record it and pass it down from one generation to the next.

Palaces and churches tell of the former glory of empires. Ruins from war, memorials, and museums remind people of the suffering that once took place.

Suddenly, I realized that history was no longer simply a collection of dates in a textbook. It was a story written one page at a time by real people—with their tears, sacrifices, hopes, and convictions.

Every nation has its own wounds.

Some have been invaded. Some have lost their freedom. Some have been victims, while others have become those who caused harm.

Everything we see today is the result of a long history that has accumulated over generations. Without knowing that history, it is easy to see only what is happening today without understanding why people make the choices they do.

Standing in front of the government buildings in Prague and watching the Ukrainian flags wave, I came to understand that the position taken by the people of a nation may not simply be a temporary political decision. It may be the continuation of a deeply rooted historical memory.

Standing at the Eagle’s Nest, I could not help but wonder: What could cause a highly developed and civilized nation to raise such a cruel man to the highest level of power?

Then, in Nuremberg, I also saw another group of people working to right what had gone terribly wrong so that justice could be upheld.

I began to believe that what makes a people great is not that they have never done wrong. It is whether, after doing wrong, they are willing to face their history honestly, reflect deeply, and do everything they can to prevent the tragedy from happening again.

In a Larger World

As Ecclesiastes says:

“What is now has already been, and what is yet to come has already been; and God calls the past back into account.”
—Ecclesiastes 3:15

Could the nations that appear wealthy and powerful today eventually face a very different future?

And if that is possible, how can we take pride in our present wealth and strength and look down on those who seem weaker? How can we view or judge another people with a sense of superiority?

Standing in cities with hundreds—and sometimes more than a thousand—years of history, and hearing the stories behind each building, I became increasingly aware of how small I am.

As I walked through city after city, I was also walking into the memories of different peoples—and into the warnings about human nature hidden deep within those memories.

I am grateful to the Lord that, through this journey, He allowed me to see how small I am in a much larger world.

That sense of smallness did not leave me discouraged. Instead, it gave me a sense of freedom.

I know that nothing I have today should be taken for granted. Everything I have is a gift of grace.

Though I am only a speck of dust in the long river of history, God Himself created me, loves me, chose me, and faithfully guides my steps each day.