We made a last minute decision last night to go to the Terezin Conventration Camp today, only possible due to Sherry late heroics. She was able to find a place that would pick us up at the hotel at 8 this morning. We picked up others around the city and then met up with others downtown. Our group ended up being fourteen of us plus our guide. Others in the group were from England, Canada, Australia and Finland. The tour was done in English. The guide, Mike was great.
It was about an hour's drive from Prague, and we arrived at 10 a.m. The first part of the tour is required to be guided by residents of Terezin. Our guide was somewhat difficult to understand. She showed us the 'small fortress.' This section was used to house pretty much all but the Jews...political prisoners, gypsies, prisoners of war, homosexuals, and Jehova's Witnesses. We saw where they were quartered, very cramped quarters with bunk beds. This section is also where everyone who came through the camp was registered.
We then moved to the 'large fortress' which was where the Jews were housed. There were as many as 70,000 in an area that had originally housed 7,000. That section had an impressive and sobering museum. The final stop was the crematorium.
Terezin was used by the Nazis as a propaganda place shown to representatives of the Danish and Swedish Red Cross, and also because a propaganda film was done there. Google Terezin to learn more.
Our trip concluded back in Prague at 2:00 and our guide told us of the. Set place in the city to get goulash, so we went there for lunch. Sherry, Bill and I had the goulash and it was very good. Jahn had gnocchi which was good.
After lunch we walked back to our room, crossing the Charles bridge for the last time. We stopped to pick up some bread and wine for dinner.