Olomouc's Proletarian Clock

After one has seen numerous other astronomical clocks in other cities, all featuring saints and kings and jousting knights and dancing apprentices, the clock in Olomouc is a breath of fresh air. The Germans wrecked the 16th century Olomouc clock as they retreated from then-Czechslovakia, apparently thinking the Red Army hot on their heels would not be able to tell time and would get confused. Anyhow, the town rebuilt the clock in 1953, this time featuring workers and comrades and other aspects of Marxist ethos. As I said, after months of kings, saints, knights, et al., it was truly refreshing, and well worth the drive, to see normal people thus enshrined.

The astronomical clock at Olomouc, just

before high noon, Sunday

Such clocks would be termed "multi-functional" today;

they tell the time, of course; the date; the moon phase;

the zodiac sign; and of course, which saint to pray to on

each day of the year; the communists cleverly added,

in red, the birthdays of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, et al.

At the stroke of 12, it all comes to life

Mother and child, welder, baker, athlete, musicians,

teacher...

Mechanics, professors, farm workers...

Et al.

Oh well, back to the world of kings and saints and

emperors and generals; en route to Prague, the "monument"

at Austerlitz, from the Napoleonic wars