Terezín after the floods

The Terezín Small Fortress, which was used as a Gestapo prison during the Second World War, was completely inundated. All the original cells and other historical objects located in the jail were hit and severely damaged, including original furnishings (bunks, floors etc.) The worst situation can be found in the forth courtyard, where four-level bunks and other objects were flooded. Even the authentic scaffold, which is still under water at this time, could have sustained major damage, as well as the gallows. For these reasons it is still not possible to calculate the extent fo the damage to the subterranean corridor beneath the Small Fortress. Reconstruction and restoration of these objects will demand considerable for large financial resources and a large part of the Small Fortress will have to be closed for at least several months.

The exhibition about Terezín before the Second World War, which was situated in the entrance halls, was completely destroyed. The exhibition in the Museum of the Small Fortress will have to be dismantled due to the fact that mould spreads throughout the entire building. Only the exhibition about Milada Horáková in the Krankenrevier was saved.

Offices and study halls (and the equipment there) on the ground floor of Manor (Panský dům), the main administrative building of Terezín Memorial, were also totally destroyed. The only good news is that the archive and library were saved. As far as the archive is concerned, only several cardboard boxes were affected by the water. In the library, five meters of books were damaged. All the records and books have now been frozen and await expert restoration.

The National cemetery, dedicated to the victims of the Terezín concentration camp and prison, and located below ground level in front of the Small Fortress, turned into a large lake during the floods. However, professional fire brigades reacted with commendable speed and drained this reservoir soon after the worst of the floods was over. Even so, the cemetery has been ravaged, tombstones muddied and all the flowers are gone. The Terezín Memorial has not yet been able to assess the damage sustained at the National cemetery.

The crematorium and the Jewish cemetery are situated at the bank of Ohře river. They still remain under water and are not yet accessible. Memorial staff fear that the damage to the crematorium and its original equipment will be extensive.

The columbarium and the central morgue of the Terezín ghetto, which were reconstructed and opened on the 16th of October 2001 to commemorate the 60th anniversaryof the start of deportation of Czech Jews, were severely damaged. The columbarium, where the ashes of deceased and cremated prisoners were deposited throughout the existence of the ghetto, is clogged with mud. All the new exhibits there were destroyed and parts of the symbolic tombstones were damaged. The central morgue is still under water and it is evident that the newly opened exhibition there has been completely destroyed. The burial cart and the other objects that are located the in ceremonial rooms near the entrance to the morgue will have to be cleaned and restored.

In November 2001, the new and long awaited exhibition on the history of the Terezín ghetto was opened. This exhibition ranks among the key sights for any visitor of Terezín, on par with the Small Fortress.

The educational and study departments in the Ghetto museum were completely destroyed. A very expensive electronic model of the Terezín ghetto was flooded, and it is not yet clear whether it will be possible to renovate it. Luckily, the exhibitions in the Museum were spared, though the wood floor in the part devoted to Terezín children wooden floor has been damaged.

The educational meeting centre was opened several years ago in the Magdeburg barracks and provides facilities for the main educational activities that take place at Terezín Memorial. It connects educational and housing facilities with exhibit rooms. Without a functional Educational meeting centre, the educational activities of the Memorial will have to be discontinued.

The main building of the centre has been severely damaged. Educational and documention department offices have been destroyed, as well as the office of German and Austrian volunteers, along with all the documents and materials that have been gathered for years. The kitchen and dining room have been severely damaged and only part of the kitchen equipment could be saved. The depository in the Magdeburg barracks has also been badly damaged; fortunately it did not contain the most valuable documents and objects.

In May 2002, the Memorial opened a reconstructed and newly furnished second building in Pražská street to broaden the activities of the Educational meeting centre. The flood destroyed the lecture and common rooms in the basement, as well as the entire ground floor.