Group Excursion to Terezín Concentration Camp

70.95 USD

/ person

Highlights

Visit Terezín fortress, an essential stop on the route to understanding the tragic fate of the Czech Jews during the Second World War.
The excursion is operated by one of our trusted partners and includes round-trip transport by minibus from Prague, as well as a guided tour of the Small Fortress. Depending on the available time, other sites related to the history of the Terezín ghetto may also be included in the itinerary, such as the crematorium and cemetery, the Ghetto Museum, or the former barracks.
The tour is primarily conducted in English. Subject to group composition, commentary may also be provided in another language.
The Small Fortress tour is conducted in English by a local guide.

Main description

The fortified town of Terezín was built by Emperor Joseph II at the end of the 18th century to defend the northern borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire against the Prussian enemy. Surrounded by Classical fortifications, following military engineer Vauban’s designs, the town was originally a garrison. The complex consists of two parts. The “Main Fortress”, originally housing the garrison, was turned into a Jewish ghetto during the Second World War. The other part, the “Small Fortress”, served as a prison for political prisoners and was already in use during the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1941, the Gestapo expelled all inhabitants from Terezín and turned the town into a concentration camp to which the Jewish population, especially from Czechoslovakia, was deported. At the end of the war, however, Jews from other European countries were also sent to Terezín. In total, 150,000 were deported there, of which one quarter perished in the ghetto, mainly because of the extremely difficult living conditions. Ultimately, 88,000 of the victims were deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps.

At the end of the war, only 17,000 Jewish prisoners had survived Terezín. The Small Fortress and the Ghetto Museum tours enable you to fully comprehend the horrendous tragedy that the Jewish people suffered during the Second World War.