Terezin Fortress, a vast military complex with a perimeter of over 12 miles (20 kilometers), guards the confluence of the Elbe and Eger rivers in the northwest Czech Republic. Terezin was constructed between 1780 and 1790 at the order of Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II. General Karl Clemens Pellegrini designed the baroque fortress town and surrounded it with bastion-type fortifications. (...)
Terezin Fortress, a vast military complex with a perimeter of over 12 miles (20 kilometers), guards the confluence of the Elbe and Eger rivers in the northwest Czech Republic. Terezin was constructed between 1780 and 1790 at the order of Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II. General Karl Clemens Pellegrini designed the baroque fortress town and surrounded it with bastion-type fortifications. Terezin has three major sections: the main fortress, a smaller fortress, and the brick entrenchments on either side. Named for Empress Maria Teresa, it watched over the route between Prague and Dresden.
In the mid-20th century, Terezin was given a new, ugly role in wartime affairs, when it was used as a Jewish ghetto and deportation base by the Nazis. During the past few decades, small-scale efforts have been made to conserve the site: the façade of the small fortress was partially repaired, as was the fortress church. However, a disastrous flood in August 2002 destabilized much of the structure and introduced water damage and biodegradation to Terezin’s list of threats.
