Voyage Prague Travel agency (Prague, Czech Republic)

Fortress Terezin was built in the 18th century to serve as the northern fortifications of the Habsburg Empire. It lives on in Czech memory, not for the glorious battles fought there, but as a terrible reminder of the Nazi Occupation. Terezin served as a round-up site for Jewish citizens throughout the country and the rest of Nazi-occupied Europe. Here the people lived in the Ghetto until they were transported east to the Death Camps – or perished. During the Nazi Occupation, 140,000 Jewish people were deported to Terezin, tens of thousands died here from starvation, overcrowding and brutal treatment; there were only 17,500 survivors at war’s end. The Ghetto Museum, established in 1991, suffered some damage from the fierce floods of 2002, but has since been repaired. It presents an extensive exhibition of historical documents, oral histories, films and photographs which enable the visitor to witness the terrible suffering of those who lived and died there.

   Individual English speaking guide (5 hours) — 90 euros