Not far from Prague, about a 45-minute drive, is the Czech town of Theresienstadt. Most Europeans probably know that Theresienstadt has a rich history, because during the Second World War it housed one of the most famous and most notorious concentration camps.
When you visit Prague, an excursion to Theresienstadt cannot be missed the first time. I myself have been there several times because every time I'm in Prague with a new person we plan a visit. There are many companies in Prague that organize excursions and for less than 50 euros per person you can already book something.
From the moment we drive into the parking lot I immediately become silent every time. How terrible it is to have to pass the cemetery every time on the way to the entrance of the camp. How terrible to see how many people died here during the second world war.
Arriving at the camp you will be taken through the entire camp by a guide and you will literally see every nook and cranny of the camp. The tour starts at the office where everyone had to register and later you also pass the washrooms, the dormitories where they slept with 150 people in a space of less than 10 meters by 10 meters.
In the shower room you can see how many people they had to shower at the same time. these were supposed to be gas chambers, but fortunately that never happened and fortunately only water has always flowed from the taps in Theresienstadt. The space with the sinks is also intense to see. a neat room full of washbasins that were not actually used but were only there to show the outside world that it seemed that the prisoners were very well off.
An isolation room without windows and with hardly any ventilation is what you will encounter during the tour.
At the end you can watch a video report in the cinema.
Booked tours often include a visit to one of the two museums in the village. Personally, I often lose interest there because people who have died are particularly discussed and because you have no personal link with these people, I personally cannot do much with this.
What is interesting is the crematorium, but often a visit to the crematorium is not included in tours. At the crematorium you are confronted with the amount of people who lost their lives there. You can also see how many were burned at the same time.
Most tours take about 5 hours including driving back and forth, but I really have to tell you that this is long enough because with so many impressions you have seen enough.
Comments