Terezín Overview

Although Terezín's most infamous era was WWII when it served as a prison camp for enemies of the Reich (mainly Jews), it was originally built at the end of the 18th century as a strategic stronghold against invaders from the east. It quickly became apparent however, that Terezín was ineffective as a defensive structure, and it was adapted to serve mainly as a prison. The assassins of Archduke Ferdinand—the man whose death started WWI—were jailed and eventually died in Terezin. During WWII, the camp was first used as a prison for political prisoners of the SS, but was slowly converted into a concentration and transit camp for Jews, Romas, Communists, and homosexuals. Terezín was unique, however, in its designation as a prison for high profile prisoners. The abundance of artists, writers, and intellectuals kept in Terezín would produce some of the war's most striking and stark images of life in a Nazi concentration camp. All in all, 200,000 men, women, and children would pass through Terezín's transit centers; 40,000 died at the camp, while 120,000 moved on to death camps in the east. Only 8,000 of the prisoners to pass through Terezín would survive the war.

• Sights

The essential sights of Terezín are all administered by a centralized organization, Terezín Memorial. A universal ticket can be purchased at any of the sites (200Kč, students 150Kč), or tickets can ...more

• Food

Restaurace Na Hradbách, (Bohušovická brána 335☎ 0723 287 738), A little tiny place where the owners are more than likely to sit down and have a beer with you, Na Hradbách should give ...more

• Essentials

Buses leave regularly from Nádraží Holešovice off the metro's C line. The bus station can be difficult to navigate for first-timers. Your best best is to find an information booth, tell them you're ...more