Fortress of Terezín

The Fortress of Terezin lies in the open landscape north-west of Prague, at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Ohře (Eger). It is a unique type of fortress town, whose layout and architecture represent the zenith of three centuries of bastion fortification complexes in Europe. It comprises of the Main Fortress and the Small Fortress, which are joined by the Upper and Lower Entrenchments. The Fortress was built between 1780-90 by Joseph II to defend the route from Dresden to Prague, and was named in honour of the Empress Maria Theresa. The central square is dominated by the Empire-style Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, built in 1805 - 1810. Modern history has seen Terezin linked to the suffering of tens of thousands of people. From June 10th, 1940, the Small Fortress became a Gestapo prison, a Jewish ghetto was established within the Main Fortress.