Dear Steemit friends and followers,
Welcome to my Travel Tip series where I promote some of the most beautiful places, interesting landmarks and impressive architectural sites of my homeland, the Czech Republic.
Today, however, I will make a little exception as I will show you a place that witnessed some of the worst life tragedies and cruelties that have ever happened in the country, the notorious town and military fortress of Terezin. It is said that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it so hopefully, this little educational insight into the dark part of the history of my homeland will be enlightening to some.
Source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
Located just outside the town of Litomerice in the Northern Czech Republic, Terezin is a little town that is currently home to approximately 3,000 people.
The town was founded in 1780 by the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II and named after his mother Maria Theresa. When the ruler ordered to build a fortress in the town, he probably had no idea what hideous purposes it will serve some 160 years later.
Source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
During the World War II, Nazi Germans turned the fortress into a Jewish ghetto and a concentration camp where more than 150,000 Jews from many European countries were sent to and kept. Although Terezin never was an extermination camp, about 33,000 people died in it, mostly because of the terrible, inhumane conditions in which they prisoners were kept.
Source: Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons)
After the war, a huge monument was built in Terezin to pay tribute to all the victims. It includes a complex of buildings and museums where visitors can learn more about this gloomy part of the Czech history and the life stories of those who suffered at the site.
Please feel free to check out some of my other recent posts.
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Tomas
CEO & Founder of CGH
