Terezín (Theresienstadt)

48km (30 miles) NW of Prague

Noticing that northwest Bohemia was susceptible to Prussian attacks, Joseph II, the son of Maria Teresa, decided to build Terezín to ward off further offensives. Two fortresses were built, but the Prussian army bypassed the area during the last Austro-Prussian conflict and in 1866 attacked Prague anyway. That spelled the end of Terezín's fortress charter, which was repealed in 1888. More than 50 years later, the fortifications were just what occupying Nazi forces needed.

When people around the world talk of Nazi atrocities during World War II, the name Terezín (Theresienstadt in German) rarely comes up. At the so-called Paradise Ghetto, there were no gas chambers, no mass machine-gun executions, and no medical testing rooms. Terezín wasn't used to exterminate the Jews, gays, Gypsies, and political prisoners it held. Rather, the occupying Nazi forces used it as a transit camp. About 140,000 people passed though Terezín's gates; more than half ended up at the death camps of Auschwitz and Treblinka.

Instead, Terezín will live in infamy for the cruel trick that SS chief Heinrich Himmler played on the world within its walls. On June 23, 1944, three foreign observers -- two from the Red Cross -- came to Terezín to find out if the rumors of Nazi atrocities were true. They left with the impression that all was well, duped by a well-planned "beautification" of the camp. The Germans carefully choreographed every detail of the visit. The observers saw children studying at staged schools that didn't exist, and store shelves, which had been specially set up, stocked with goods. So that the observers wouldn't think the camp was overcrowded, the Nazis transported some 7,500 of the camp's sick and elderly prisoners to Auschwitz. Children even ran up to an SS commandant just as the observers passed; the commandant handed the children cans of sardines to shouts of "What? Sardines again?" The trick worked so well that the Nazis made a film of the camp, A Town Presented to the Jews from the Führer, while it was still "self-governing."

Russian forces liberated Terezín on May 10, 1945, 8 days after Berlin had fallen to the Allies. Today, the camp stands as a memorial to the dead and a monument to human depravity.

Getting There -- If you're driving, Terezín lies directly on the main highway leading north out of Prague, which takes you eventually to Berlin via Dresden. It's a 45-minute drive.

Six buses leave daily from Florenc bus station (metro line C). The ride takes about an hour and costs 59Kc ($2.45).

Visitor Information -- The Museum of the Ghetto and the Minor Fortress both have shops that stock reading material in several languages. Before heading out, you can read up on the area at the well-organized website www.pamatnik-terezin.cz.

Organized Tours -- Through Prague's Martin Tour, Stepánská 61, Praha 1 (tel. 224-212-473; fax 224-239-752; www.martintour.cz), you can visit Terezín with their English-speaking guide. Their bus leaves Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 9:30am from Staromestské námestí. The 5-hour trip costs 1,100Kc ($46). The other travel agencies in Prague arrange their own guided tours to Terezín as well.

Wittmann Tours, Mánesova 8, Praha 2 (tel. 222-252-472; www.wittmann-tours.com), also offers a bus tour to the Terezín concentration camp costing 1,150Kc ($48) for adults, 1,000Kc ($42) for students, free for children under 10. It leaves from Prague at Parízská 28 daily at 10am from May to October. March 15 through April and November through December, the tour is available on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Make an advance reservation online or by calling the office.

If you decide to go on your own and would like to have an English-speaking guide in the Jewish Memorial sites (it is included in the admission anyway), you have to contact the company in writing before your departure. The e-mail address is pamatnik@pamatnik-terezin.cz.

Seeing the Camp

Terezín stands as a memorial to the dead and a monument to human depravity. Once inside the Major Fortress, you'll immediately be struck by its drab, plain streets. Just off the main square lies the Museum of the Ghetto, chronicling the rise of Nazism and life in the camp. English pamphlets describing the exhibits are provided. It's open daily: November to March from 9am to 5:30pm and April to October from 9am to 6pm. Admission is 160Kc ($6.65) adults and 130Kc ($5.40) children. A 10-minute walk from the Major Fortress over the Ohre River gets you to the Minor Fortress. In front of the fortress's main entrance is the National Cemetery (Národní hrbitov), where the bodies exhumed from the mass graves were buried. As you enter the main gate, the sign above it, ARBEIT MACHT FREI (Work Sets One Free), sets a gloomy tone. You can walk through the prison barracks, execution grounds, workshops, and isolation cells. A ticket to enter both the Minor Fortress and the Museum of the Ghetto is 180Kc ($7.50) adults and 140Kc ($5.80) children. The Minor Fortress is open daily November to March 8am to 4:30pm and April to October 8am to 6pm. For more information or reservations for guided tours, call tel. 416-782-225 (fax 416-782-300; www.pamatnik-terezin.cz).

Where to Dine

It's understandable that there are few places to eat in Terezín. Indeed, you may not want to stay here much longer than you have to. However, inside the Major Fortress and the Museum, is a decent inexpensive buffet with standard Czech fare.