Terezin, Prison City

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Terezin, or Theresienstadt, was built by the Hapsburgs in the 1780s as a fortress town to guard the northern border with Prussia. It was also used as a military prison, where many involved in the nationalist-liberation struggles in central and south-eastern Europe were jailed. In 1941, the Nazi Gestapo established a police prison in part of the fortress-town and kicked out the entire native population by mid-1942. The town became a prison and way station for Jews and political prisoners who were eventually bound for extermination camps. The small town held a population as much as 10 times as large as it was designed for, and overcrowding lead to a high death rate from contagious diseases. After WWII, the city was again used as a detention way station for German speakers, who were kicked out of Czechoslovakia. Today the city is a ghost-town and museum visited by many tourists.


Although some of the buildings are freshly painted, much of the town is in a state of decay.


The walls have memories.


The second floor of this building appears to still be inhabited.


The museum, a building which was originally a boys’ school.


This was the brightest we saw the sun on this appropriately overcast day.


The main town buildings as seen from the park.


Entrance to the ‘’Small Fortress,’’ which is represented in the crest of the town.


The ominous caption on the entrance to the secret police prison.


The way to the cemetary.


Ghost town.


Katarina and I started down this tunnel (.5 KM long), but decided to turn around because it was getting late. Seconds after we exited, a woman came around and closed and locked the gate (without checking if anyone was inside!). We were very fortunate that we did not get trapped.


The metal gate that could have sealed our fate.


Red Snapper ready to make our escape. We were really glad that we stayed in Litomerice the night before (rather than the reportedly run-down hotel in Terezin) and that we were headed out of town before dark.

Escape to Melnik

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