Terezin, an 18 th century fortress was converted to a prisoner-processing center in 1943. Although not an actual death camp, this facility served as a feeder unit to such facilities as Auschwitz . It consists of a small and large fortress. The small fortress was for Nazi political guardsmen and the large is where Jewish prisoners were housed. The building that houses a museum was once a dormitory for boys aged 10-15. The large fortress was divided into separate quarters for men and women. Collectively, there were 180,000 Jewish people processed at this center while only some 4000 survived to a point of liberation.

At the conclusion of the tour, classmates noted the following observations:

“You can read and study this as part of history but it does not hit-home until you see this facility in-person.”

“It really turned my stomach … you can read about it but until you put foot and physically go there … you can't appreciate the emotions felt. I felt as if I could not finish the tour.

Caption by Tim