Today was a very emotionally heavy day as we toured the concentration camp of Terezín. We learned of the cruelty that occurred within, as well as seeing the inhumane living quarters that the prisoners of the Nazis were forced to live in. More than 600 people were forced to live together in wooden bunk beds that should have only been able to fit 100. This caused disease to spread very quickly within the prisoner populations, causing more casualties due to the lack of medical care available. Despite these hardships, we learned of ways the Jewish people continued to practice their religion and remain strong.
Similar confusions were present in the Jewish ghettos that we toured, where people were forced to live in extremely close quarters with minimal access to resources. We toured a secret place of worship that was found years after the war had ended. This showed me that even in tough times, people will find a way to remain strong through their beliefs.
Although I had learned about the conditions of the concentration camps in school, it was shocking to see it in real life. Standing in the place where thousands suffered but continued to stay true to their beliefs was very overwhelming. I also could not believe that the Nazi soldiers and families could be complicit in this horrible mistreatment of humans. I think it is very important to visit this site to be able to see for yourself that these horrible things actually happened and to continue to learn from history.
Swanson School of Engineering 