Teresienstadt Concentration Camp

Terezín is a small town, 60 km away from Prague.

The fortress which was built here in the 17th century was a complete state of the art of that time, but for a long time it served as a prison, and after the Word war I as a political prison camp.

But the darkest period in the history of Terezín is the World war II, when the town changed its face completely and a “model” Jewish settlement was built there in order to deceive the public of the democratic countries. In 1941 all the non-Jewish population was evicted from the town, and the first thousands of Jews were sent there. Jews from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and other countries occupied by the Nazis were transported to Terezín, which at first was presented as an “imperial asylum” and as a transit point for the propaganda purposes.

In reality, however, it was nothing else but a concentration camp under control of SS, guarded by Czech policemen. The inmates were shut in the camp, and the conditions were the same as in other Nazi camps, but despite it all, cultural life thrived there, teachers taught, doctors cured, artists painted, musicians played music. It was their silent riot. Till the end of the war Jews were deported to Terezín, and then transported to extermination camps (Auschwitz and Treblinka) and killed. Out of 140 thousand of Jews who were transported to Terezín, 88 thousand were deported to extermination camps and 33 thousand died in Terezín camp as a result of epidemics, whish raged there because of poor conditions and overpopulation.

Today the territory of the former concentration camp is a memorial, commemorating the tragic destiny of ghetto inmates, as a reminder of the horrors of war.

Check out our Terezín private tour offer or book a private tour online.

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