Terezin was originally a holiday resort reserved for Czech nobility, turned into a Jewish ghetto by the Nazis during World War II, and used as a concentration camp until 1945 when it was liberated by the Red Army (Soviet Armed Forces). The camp was later transformed into a memorial site and open to visitors to honour those whose lives were lost.
On this private day trip, you will:
- Travel to the village of Terezin, created in 1780 and named after Theresienstadt, a fortress built by Emperor Joseph II of Austria in the late 18th century;
- Learn about the reign of the Nazi regime in Prague, and the heroism of the local Jewish community;
- Visit the Large Fortress, a town behind walls where the town’s original inhabitants lived alongside the newly arrived Jews;
- Discover the Small Fortress, easily accessible and easy to guard, which made it an ideal location for a concentration camp;
- Explore The Ghetto Museum, a place of remembrance for the Jewish people who were imprisoned there;
- See the Magdeburg Barracks, the former Jewish ghetto’s local government headquarters that today features a replica of prison barracks from the ghetto period;
- Visit the Terezin Memorial, a state-funded organization of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and Terezin Fortress, a vast military complex with a perimeter of over 20 kilometres;
- Enjoy a relaxing drive back to your accommodation in Prague.
In 1940 Prague’s Gestapo installed the Terezin Small Fortress police prison. About 32,000 prisoners passed through the Terezin Small Fortress between 1940 and 1945. For many Jewish people, the Terezin ghetto was a place of dire suffering highlighted by unbearable living conditions and utter disregard for human life by the Nazi regime.
Astonishingly, more than 150,000 Jewish people were sent here, including 15,000 children. Russian forces liberated Terezin on May 8th, 1945, eight days after Berlin had fallen to the Allies. Today the well-preserved concentration camp stands as a memorial to the plight of Prague’s Jewish people in World War II.
Your expert guide will explain the historical context of the Jewish struggle during the 20th century in the region and will be very happy to answer questions you may have about Jewish history. Despite the horrors that occurred in Terezin, hidden within this imposing military fortress are stories of true heroism, bravery, and a harrowing fight for freedom.
Unravel years of history as you explore the Big Fortress, the Small Fortress, the Ghetto Museum and Magdeburg Barracks. In the Big Fortress - a former Jewish ghetto that includes the Museum of the Terezin Concentration Camp - you will see many sobering artefacts, including a collage of drawings by children imprisoned at the camp.
Additionally, you will have the chance to watch a Nazi propaganda film, which presented Terezin as a “gift” to the Jews from Hitler. This propaganda film was supposed to dispel rumours about the horrors of life in concentration camps.
After visiting the museum, you will have the chance to explore different buildings and explain their roles during the war. You will see local Nazi headquarters and the headquarters of the Jewish self-administration. You will also be shown the barracks where tens of thousands of Jews lived in vile conditions.
At the end of this unforgettable excursion, you will be driven back to your hotel in Prague.
Please note: the crematorium is closed on Saturdays.