The ''Sudeten Barracks'', where on November 24, 1941, the first transport of men arrived, and later several other transports. Two weeks late, women and children were separated and put into the ''Dresden Barracks'', and the families remained spearatd. One of the kitchens operated here. In July 1943, the whole building had to be evacuated, as the Nazi moved here part of the Archives of the RSHA from Berlin, wanting to hide it from the raids of the Allied air force.

TWO YEARS IN THE TEREZÍN GHETTO

About fourteen days ago, transport AK I had been here for two years. Most of the people lingering in Terezín surely can’t well imagine how many days of suffering, hunger, misery and distress there were in those two years. On November 24th, 1941, a transport of roughly 450 young people came to Terezín, determined to win their bread under hard conditions. They were taken to the Sudeten barracks. There they saw the bare walls of enormous halls, the cement floor, dirt, dust and sickness. It was cold, there were no mattresses, the food was worse than what is given to pigs. But little by little they got used to this existence, for transport AK II, H, G, K came and after them a good several thousand people.
Life in the ghetto gradually became more regular. But people didn’t have any fun, freedom or a bit of good cheer. Many Polish transports left, many others came. – And now let’s jump two years back. We see the streets of the ghetto full of people, who are either rushing off to work or just taking a walk. We see stores, in which there are some little things left to buy, we see the library, the central baths with a pool, children’s playground Bašta III., Freiseitgestaltung and much more.
So now I’ll jump two more years back. A man stands at the gate of the barracks and asks the police officer to let him out for just five minutes to see his wife and child. The police officer shakes his head. Head bowed, the man walks away with his work convoy into the barracks.
Isn’t there a difference – two years ago and now?

Don Herberto