Terezin memorial

Terezín was originally built in the late 18th century as a fortress under Emperor Joseph II. For most of its life, it served as a military site. But during World War II, it became something entirely different — a Nazi concentration camp and transit point for Jews being deported to extermination camps like Auschwitz.

Over 150,000 people passed through Terezín. Tens of thousands died here due to inhumane conditions, illness, and cruelty. The fortress also housed political prisoners, resistance members, and entire families — all documented in preserved records and survivor testimonies.

Character & feeling of this place

Terezín is not a tourist attraction. It’s a space for remembrance. The air is still. The rooms are bare. The history is heavy — but necessary. Walking through its gates is an act of witnessing. Of choosing to know, even when it's uncomfortable.

• Terezín was used in Nazi propaganda.

  In 1944, the Nazis staged a fake “model ghetto” for Red Cross inspectors. The town was cleaned up, fake shops were opened, and a false image of humane treatment was portrayed — hiding the true horror behind it.

• 15,000 children passed through Terezín.

  Fewer than 150 survived. Drawings and poems created by the children have been preserved and are exhibited in the Ghetto Museum as a heartbreaking testimony.

• The fortress still bears original inscriptions from prisoners.

  In many cells and walls, visitors can see names, messages, and calendar marks etched by those who were imprisoned here — traces of life preserved in silence.