About an hour north of Prague lies Terezin, two 18th century fortresses used by the Nazis as concentration camps during their occupation of Czechoslovakia. Buses run frequently from the bus terminal in Prague, and leave you at the entrance to the museum - part of the larger fortress - where you can see photos, documents and videos that provide a look at life in the camp. From there, you can walk around to different exhibits in various buildings, and on to the memorial cemetery. While Terezin wasn't a death camp, it was used as sort of a weigh station for Jews before they were sent to Auschwitz, Treblinka, and other death camps. In fact, the Nazis showed off Terezin to the American Red Cross an
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While Terezin wasn't a death camp, it was used as sort of a weigh station for Jews before they were sent to Auschwitz, Treblinka, and other death camps. In fact, the Nazis showed off Terezin to the American Red Cross and other organizations as "model communities" for Jews, though life there was nothing like the Nazis portrayed it.
The smaller fortress, about 1 km away, served as a prison for Jews and other detainees; if you were sent there, you weren't expected to survive. Existence there was much like at Birkenau in Poland - people slept six deep on palates of wood and stone, or hundreds were crowded into a single room with one toilet. If one didn't perish from disease, the Nazi firing squad would generally do the rest.
This was an emotional trip for me, in part because my great-grandmother was sent to Terezin in 1941. Thankfully, she survived, but could have easily died there or at some other camp.
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