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It looked like a different planet. An exhibition about the deportations from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz.
A new exhibition prepared by the Museum in the Google Cultural Institute, tells the story of the deportation of Jews from the ghetto set up by the Germans in the Czech city of Terezin (Theresienstadt) to the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Its authors are Dr. Maria Martyniak of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, and Dr. Łukasz Martyniak of the Auschwitz Museum Research Center.
The exhibition presents the story of the ghetto established in June 1942, in Terezin, a city that lies about 60 km to the Northwest of Prague.
‘Throughout the entire period of its functioning, the ghetto in Theresienstadt served three basic functions, which were complementary and interconnected: collective and mass camp for the Jews deported “to the East”, the place of extermination by famine and harsh living conditions, but it was also used for propaganda purposes. Initially, the Jews from Bohemia and Moravia as well as Germany and Austria were directed to Theresienstadt – they were in particular prominent and renowned persons. However, as early as since April 1943, Jews from the Netherlands were deported here, since October from Denmark, in late 1944 from Slovakia, and since the beginning of the year 1945 from Hungary. Ca. 140 thousand people were in total brought to the ghetto.’ – we read in the lesson.
It also describes in detail the creation of a special family camp for Jews deported from the Theresienstadt ghetto in the German Nazi Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. The first prisoners arrived there on 8 September 1943.
‘The Germans were aware of the fact that the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross could demand a proof that the Jews deported from Theresienstadt were alive, safe and sound also in KL Auschwitz. For this purpose, so called Theresienstadt family camp was created in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, named also the BIIb sector. 32 horse-stable wooden barracks were installed within its premises, which became residential buildings – with 300 prisoners housed in each of them and with only 6 sanitary barracks (washrooms and latrines). During 10 months of the existence of the “family camp”, over 17 thousand prisoners were directed there. Only 1200 of them were lucky enough to survive Auschwitz and other camps to which they were later transported.’ – we read.
At the exhibition you will also find a lot of archival documents relating to the deportation from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz, such as transport list or materials of the resistance movement, photos of items belonging to the deportees, but above all read many accounts regarding deportation, as well as stay in KL Auschwitz.
‘The train consisted of stock-cars. There were no windows, only some narrow apertures in the walls that let some air inside. In our car, there was enough space for everybody only to sit down or lay on the floor. We were provided with food for one day and some blankets. The train was moving slowly, we were standing for hours. Nobody knew where we were going and how long it would take. The old, children, men and women.’ – we read in the memoirs of John Freund, deported on 15 December 1943.
‘SS guards in uniforms were giving orders: Leave the train quickly and stand in rows, five people per each, along the track! We noticed some men wearing uniforms with white and black stripes – just like pyjamas. They were prisoners. They told us that we were in Auschwitz. Soon we were squeezed in huge trucks, the doors were locked and the engines turned on. Limited view of the outside that I had was weird: long rows of electric lamps and totally flat landscape; tall barbed wire fencing arranged in perfectly straight lines; observation posts with soldiers, movable reflectors. It looked like a different planet.’ – Freund recalled.
The exhibition in Google Cultural Institute has been prepared in Polish and English.
Other exhibitions of the Museum of Auschwitz in GCI:
• "Polish military resistance movement in Auschwitz"
• "Evacuation and Liberation of Auschwitz"
• "Sonderkommando"
• "A tragic love story in Auschwitz"
• "Before they perished"
