Prague and Terezin

Our morning walking tour showed us the grandeur of Prague.  We visited the castles, presidents residents, and jewish quarter and central square. The architecture was so beautiful at every single turn.

In the afternoon we took a tour to terezin, only 60 km from Prague, and close to the German border.
It was originally built as a military base in 1760, a fortification against invasion from Germany. Since it already existed and the buildings had water, heat and plumbing, the nazis felt it was the perfect place to "resettle" Jews from Czech, Germany, holland, Austria etc. in 1941.   The 7000 people who were living there were moved out, and transported Jews were moved in. Now 46000 people were crammed into this perfectly symmetrical "village". They were used for labor for Nazi interests. According to the Red Cross, they were "well" treated, but by 1942 86,000 were transported to death camps. By then 35,000 had died of disease, starvation and torture.

 

A rabbi had built an underground shul where others would gather in prayer. Their living conditions were small. The museum displayed the many drawings done by children who had such high hopes for a good life on the outside of terezin.

Such a shocking site was the mass field of 10,000 graves, representing Jews, resistance fighters, communists, intellectuals, and dissenters. It had been a pit, where bodies had been thrown - and this powerful memorial had been erected to remember those lost.

So terezin is now inhabited by 2,000 residents who have moved back and living in the buildings. It was an eerie feeling to think people can live here.

Such a very different camp than aushwitz. Hard to believe mans inhumanity to man.