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ShoreTrips says...

A visit to Terezin is important as a warning to prevent this reoccurrence in the future.

The short countryside drive from Prague to Terezin is lovely. Upon your arrival, you will see a huge red baroque fortress called Terezín. It was built in the 18th century, beside the Ohre River, north of Prague to help defend the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire against Prussia. Circumstances meant that the fortress never saw a battle, but it gained notoriety during WWII when it became a Jewish ghetto and prison; better known abroad by its old German name: Theresienstadt.

The history of the concentration camp will be shared with you, as well as the ghetto. There are two parts to Terezín: the large fortress and small fortress, and from above or on a map they both look like strange many-pointed ninja throwing stars, futuristic geometric flowers, or particularly dangerous Christmas decorations. These sharp angular buildings surrounded by moats represented the height of baroque fortress design. When tensions between Austria and Prussia were resolved, Theresienstadt’s smaller fortress became a prison and was considered the toughest in the empire.

The other thing that Terezín is known for is its role during WWII. Under Nazi occupation, the large fortress became a ghetto for Jews transported from across the Reich (Austria and Germany) and the protectorate (Bohemia and Moravia). Later, it also housed Jews from further afield including Belgium, Holland, and Russia.

There is a national cemetery memorial in front of the small fortress. The large and small fortresses are about 10 minutes walk apart, with the Ohre River and the national cemetery in between. In each fortress is a museum and you can explore the yards, barracks, cells, and tunnels of the small fortress. One of the huge barracks buildings within the large fortress is also a museum and a Jewish cemetery, crematorium and columbarium are accessible. While not especially cheerful, it’s a good daytrip from Prague, and even if the events and their scale are difficult to comprehend, making the effort is, in itself, worthwhile.