During World War II, Nazi treatment of the Jewish population is well-known. However, in the spa town of Theresienstadt Czechoslovakia, there existed a ghetto known as the ‘paradise ghetto.’ Here, were sent prominent Jewish personages, such as scientists, musicians and composers, certain community leaders as well as Jewish war veterans from World War I who had won medals for their service to Germany. Hardly a ‘paradise,’ as the residents lived in overcrowded ‘apartments’ and not in the barracks of concentration camps, it was so only to the extent that the people sent there were not exterminated (immediately) or worked as hard as those in other concentration camps such as Auschwitz. But life was certainly not a ‘paradise.’ Theresienstadt had its own satellite concentration camp, called “the little fortress,” adjacent to the ‘paradise ghetto,’ the entrance to which is pictured. The slogan which appears above the entrance is well-known, having appeared at other concentration camps, notably Auschwitz.
Gear: Olympus E-500, Zuiko 14-45 mm open to 45 mm
Data: ISO 100, f 8 1/200 sec.
Metering: Pattern
EV: 0
WB: Auto
Date: June 9, 2007
2 comments posted
Tom Tauber
I have visited this memorial, now called Terezin, because my father was born close by, in what was then called Leitmaritz, now Litomerice. A visit there is traumatic for any person with sensitivity and compassion, whether Jewish or not. In this context, the slogan is one of the most shameful mankind has ever produced. As for the photograph, I see it as a "having been there" picture. Visiting Auschwitz, which is even more dramatic, can yield more impactful images because there the barbed wire, some of the crematoriums and the piles of "harvested" possessions of the victims are still on display. Posted: 12/03/2025 12:12:02
Alan Lichtenstein
You're right, it's a "having been there," image, but then again aren't all travel images, "having been there," images? I've been to Auschweitz as well, but chose this image for comment because Theresienstadt (the German name), its use and history during WWII may not be something many people are familiar with. Theresienstadt, before its use as a concentration camp (which it was despite its somewhat more benign use) was previously called "Tezrin Spa" in Chech, and once again has its town name restored, but is the name used by most writers of history that I have read on the site. As a sidebar, I have recently returned from a trip on the Elbe with a three-day visit to Berlin during which time I visited Sachenhausen concentration camp outside Berlin and was literally amazed by the crowds of hundreds of schoolchildren, visiting the site. It's apparent that the Germans are making no attempt to whitewash their history and in fact teaching about its evils. Posted: 12/04/2025 05:02:22
