Prague

Our main activity today was a visit to Terezin about an hour from Prague. The town was originally constructed as a fortress and neighbouring garrison under the Austro-Hungarian Empire where the army received it's training to defend the nation (Bohemia) in time of war. It was never used for that intended purpose.

Instead, after Germany occupied the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, the fortified township served a new purpose as holding centre for Jews and the enemies of Nazis and in the later stages of WW11 as a model Jewish ghetto to rebut increasing pressure from the outside world about the Third Reich's treatment of Jews.

One of the fortress' earlier inmates was Gavrilo Principa, whose assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand triggered WW1. He died in the fortress from tuberculosis. I noticed an apparently fresh wreath in his memory outside the cell in which he was held.

I wondered who provides the memorial after all this time and why.

On return to Prague we wandered the streets of the old city again, spent time in several cafes and also did some shopping.

Tomorrow we drive by coach to Budapest.