Twenty-six of our interviewees were interned for at least some period in Terezin, and we have arbitrarily chosen twelve of their stories as descriptions of what life was like there. The first three excerpts in this eReader were taken from those who remained in the Terezin Ghetto for the entire war the other nine are from interviewees who were transported from Terezin to places considerably more horrific.
As you will read, these twelve Jews describe a surprising amount of creativity allowed within the walls of the ghetto. They performed plays, attended classical concerts, wrote newspapers and attended art classes but they also describe the horrors they witnessed in unblinking prose.
Nearly all of them reflect on what it meant to them to be interned in Terezin, and we are deeply grateful to all of our Czech interviewees, as well as our interviewers, who have preserved their memories for us.