BY JANET STEINBERG
“To remember not to
forget…”
From the poem “Butterflies Do Not Live Here”
By Paul Friedman (died in Terezin 6/6/42)
Two weeks of pure pleasure awaited me. Prior to sailing down the Danube
River to Budapest, my husband and I had flown into Prague to spend several days
in that city of 100 golden spires . However, we felt compelled to take one day
off from those anticipated two weeks of pleasure, to
visit Terezin Concentration Camp about one hour outside of
Prague. That somber day in the Czech Republic, will certainly
rank as one of my most memorable travel days ever.
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| THE STREETS OF TEREZIN |
“ARBEIT
MACHT FREI.” For the second time in my life I passed
beneath gates with those chilling words. The first time was
many years ago at Auschwitz.
MACHT FREI.” For the second time in my life I passed
beneath gates with those chilling words. The first time was
many years ago at Auschwitz.
“ARBEIT
MACHT FREI.” (“Work
Makes Freedom.”) Once again that hideous Nazi sign dared
to scream out its lie to me. It is difficult to imagine a
more cynical mockery than the Nazi’s promise of freedom to a people
they planned to eliminate by Hitler’s abominable plan of ‘Final
Solution’.
MACHT FREI.” (“Work
Makes Freedom.”) Once again that hideous Nazi sign dared
to scream out its lie to me. It is difficult to imagine a
more cynical mockery than the Nazi’s promise of freedom to a people
they planned to eliminate by Hitler’s abominable plan of ‘Final
Solution’.
As when I visited Auschwitz, no guns poked from
watchtowers. No heel-clicking SS officers changed the
guard. Where days had once been gray and shapeless, like
the clothing worn by Jewish prisoners, this day was bright and sunny like
the red roses and blue sky that backdropped the towering Star of
David standing watch over the Jewish section of the
National Cemetery.
Where
thousands of emaciated prisoners once struggled for survival,
visitors now struggled to understand…to feel…to gain a deeper meaning
to the words of those who, like young Paul Friedman, died
at Terezin.
thousands of emaciated prisoners once struggled for survival,
visitors now struggled to understand…to feel…to gain a deeper meaning
to the words of those who, like young Paul Friedman, died
at Terezin.
Who
were these people that came from around the world to experience
Terezin? We were people against the ideology of racism and anti-Semitism. We
were people who feel this is a page in history that must
be remembered. We were people who want to dispel what may
be the biggest hoax of the twentieth century…the belief that the
Holocaust never existed…
were these people that came from around the world to experience
Terezin? We were people against the ideology of racism and anti-Semitism. We
were people who feel this is a page in history that must
be remembered. We were people who want to dispel what may
be the biggest hoax of the twentieth century…the belief that the
Holocaust never existed…
Our
own particular group consisted of 14 strangers, all of whom had
booked the same Precious Legacy Tour in Prague. We
met in front of the larger-than-life red Golem (since replaced by a brown
golem) in front of the Precious Legacy tour office in Prague’s Jewish
Quarter. Prior to boarding the mini-van for our one-hour drive
to Terezin, we introduced ourselves and shared our
diverse backgrounds.
own particular group consisted of 14 strangers, all of whom had
booked the same Precious Legacy Tour in Prague. We
met in front of the larger-than-life red Golem (since replaced by a brown
golem) in front of the Precious Legacy tour office in Prague’s Jewish
Quarter. Prior to boarding the mini-van for our one-hour drive
to Terezin, we introduced ourselves and shared our
diverse backgrounds.
 |
|
AUTHOR
AND GOLEM IN PRAGUE PRIOR TO BOARDING T0UR TO TEREZIN |
Among
the group was a rabbi from Florida, a physician from Ohio,
an avant garde psychologist from New York, a real estate
mogul from Florida, and a retired widow from
Georgia. Strangers with seemingly nothing in common, yet
we were newfound landsleiet with one thing in common. We
all had a personal desire to make our own assessment of the enormity
of the bestial Nazi crimes against humanity.
the group was a rabbi from Florida, a physician from Ohio,
an avant garde psychologist from New York, a real estate
mogul from Florida, and a retired widow from
Georgia. Strangers with seemingly nothing in common, yet
we were newfound landsleiet with one thing in common. We
all had a personal desire to make our own assessment of the enormity
of the bestial Nazi crimes against humanity.
The
fortress of Terezin (Theresienstadt), built between 1780 and 1790
under the Habsburg reign of Emperor Joseph II, was meant to defend Bohemia
from the Prussians. Named after Empress Maria Theresa,
it never saw battle but became a political prison for enemies of
the Habsburgs in the 19th century.
fortress of Terezin (Theresienstadt), built between 1780 and 1790
under the Habsburg reign of Emperor Joseph II, was meant to defend Bohemia
from the Prussians. Named after Empress Maria Theresa,
it never saw battle but became a political prison for enemies of
the Habsburgs in the 19th century.
At
the end of November 1941, a ghetto was established in the fortress
for the Jewish population from Bohemia and Moravia. It
served as a collecting and transit camp. From here,
transports left for the extermination camps in the
East. Between 1941 and 1945, more than 150,000 Jews were
deported to Terezin. Though not considered an official
“death camp”, more than 35,000 prisoners died in this camp due to
torture, starvation, and disease.
the end of November 1941, a ghetto was established in the fortress
for the Jewish population from Bohemia and Moravia. It
served as a collecting and transit camp. From here,
transports left for the extermination camps in the
East. Between 1941 and 1945, more than 150,000 Jews were
deported to Terezin. Though not considered an official
“death camp”, more than 35,000 prisoners died in this camp due to
torture, starvation, and disease.
Today,
the TEREZIN MEMORIAL established in 1947 to remind the world of
the disastrous consequences of the suppression of freedom,
democracy, and human rights, consists of the following:
the TEREZIN MEMORIAL established in 1947 to remind the world of
the disastrous consequences of the suppression of freedom,
democracy, and human rights, consists of the following:
Small
Fortress: When Bohemian and Moravian jails were filled as a
consequence of Nazi terror, the Small Fortress became the Prague
Gestapo’s prison in 1940. Between 1945 and 1948, the Small
Fortress served as a detention camp for the Germans
expelled from Czechoslovakia.
Fortress: When Bohemian and Moravian jails were filled as a
consequence of Nazi terror, the Small Fortress became the Prague
Gestapo’s prison in 1940. Between 1945 and 1948, the Small
Fortress served as a detention camp for the Germans
expelled from Czechoslovakia.
National Cemetery: 2500
bodies of both Jews and Gentiles are buried in this cemetery. Red
roses now blossom in this cemetery that is marked by a large
cross as well as the Star of David.
bodies of both Jews and Gentiles are buried in this cemetery. Red
roses now blossom in this cemetery that is marked by a large
cross as well as the Star of David.
 |
|
RED
ROSES BLOSSOM IN THE NATIONAL CEMETERY |
Ghetto Museum: The museum contains
the history of the Terezin ghetto and the memory of thousands of
children who left behind drawings and poems as an ever-lasting reminder of
the monstrosity of the “Final Solution”.
the history of the Terezin ghetto and the memory of thousands of
children who left behind drawings and poems as an ever-lasting reminder of
the monstrosity of the “Final Solution”.
 |
| A CHILD’S DRAWING IN THE MUSEUM |
A poem by Frantisek Bass, imprisoned in
Terezin before he was shipped to Auschwitz where he died at
age 14, expresses in simple words the tragedy of the
author’s fate and that of his peers. The young prisoner wrote:
Terezin before he was shipped to Auschwitz where he died at
age 14, expresses in simple words the tragedy of the
author’s fate and that of his peers. The young prisoner wrote:
“A little garden,
fragrant and full of roses.
fragrant and full of roses.
The path is narrow and a
little boy walks along it.
little boy walks along it.
A little boy, a sweet
boy, like that growing blossom
boy, like that growing blossom
When the blossom comes
to bloom,
to bloom,
The little boy will be
no more.”
no more.”
Magdeburg Barracks: In
what once was the Magdeburg Barracks, there is a reconstruction of
a dormitory room as it existed in the time of
the ghetto. There is also a small stage that was used as
the ghetto’s theater.
what once was the Magdeburg Barracks, there is a reconstruction of
a dormitory room as it existed in the time of
the ghetto. There is also a small stage that was used as
the ghetto’s theater.
 |
| REPRODUCTION OF DORMITORY ROOM |
Jewish Cemetery: This
cemetery has no roses between its solemn
granite markers. Only a large menorah
sculpture standing guard over the green burial site. Also
on the cemetery grounds is The Crematorium. Although Terezin was not
an extermination camp per se, so many people died there
that it became necessary to build a crematorium to get rid of
the bodies. The ashes of more than 30,000 Jews were
dumped into the nearby Eger River.
cemetery has no roses between its solemn
granite markers. Only a large menorah
sculpture standing guard over the green burial site. Also
on the cemetery grounds is The Crematorium. Although Terezin was not
an extermination camp per se, so many people died there
that it became necessary to build a crematorium to get rid of
the bodies. The ashes of more than 30,000 Jews were
dumped into the nearby Eger River.
 |
| MENORAH SCULPTURE IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY |
“Yisgadal v’yiskadash
sh’me rabbo…” Standing before
one of the ovens in the Crematorium, the rabbi from Florida began
the Kaddish (mourner’s prayer). So overwhelmed
with emotion, the rabbi could hardly remember the words of the
traditional prayer which he had uttered thousands of times in
the past. There was not a dry eye in the group.
sh’me rabbo…” Standing before
one of the ovens in the Crematorium, the rabbi from Florida began
the Kaddish (mourner’s prayer). So overwhelmed
with emotion, the rabbi could hardly remember the words of the
traditional prayer which he had uttered thousands of times in
the past. There was not a dry eye in the group.
 |
| AN OVEN IN THE CREMATORY |
When
I asked the rabbi to express his feelings about his visit to
Terezin, he replied: “It is hard to come to Terezin without feeling
empty…being changed. To stand in these sacred spots, to breathe
the cool air, yet to sense that this was the final spot…or a way
station to the final spot…is breathtaking. Your
heart aches, your breath ceases and you are someone else for a moment
who will never leave.”
I asked the rabbi to express his feelings about his visit to
Terezin, he replied: “It is hard to come to Terezin without feeling
empty…being changed. To stand in these sacred spots, to breathe
the cool air, yet to sense that this was the final spot…or a way
station to the final spot…is breathtaking. Your
heart aches, your breath ceases and you are someone else for a moment
who will never leave.”
A visit
to Terezin is not for everyone. A visit to Terezin is for
people of the world who cannot pass through their lifetime in a state
of denial or indifference. A visit to Terezin is for those people
who do not want to forget the words of George Santayana: “Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
JANET STEINBERG is an award-winning Travel Writer,
International Travel Consultant, and
winner of 40 national Travel Writing Awards.
to Terezin is not for everyone. A visit to Terezin is for
people of the world who cannot pass through their lifetime in a state
of denial or indifference. A visit to Terezin is for those people
who do not want to forget the words of George Santayana: “Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
JANET STEINBERG is an award-winning Travel Writer,
International Travel Consultant, and
winner of 40 national Travel Writing Awards.