Seat of the ''SS-Lagerkommandatur Theresienstadt“. In the cellar, the SS had so-called bunkers where prisoners were held and tortured who had violated the camp order, or were to be interrogated by the Gestapo (Today the savings bank.).

WHEN I SERVED AMONG THE GHETTO BOYS

I stand on a wooden board and on my right stand 3 ghetto boys and all four of us look like we’re guarding the Kommandatura so that nobody robs it. That task was, thank God, given to the police officer with a gun, who is walking one step forward and back again, because his living space doesn’t allow him more room to move. I gaze at the door. Just then, the frowning face of one of the „Jew lovers“ appears, staff officer Ullmann himself, who patronizingly beckons me to come over. I stand before him and already his raspy voice resounds: „Tell the  ghetto boys to send two over to beat the carpets.“ And then he disappears into the building. Joyfully, I run to the ghetto, for in my mind I see them beating the carpets. „So, gentlemen, two of you come with me to beat the carpets!“ „What, us?“
„Yes, you, and hurry up, he needs it fast.“   „But that’s not possible, how did he tell you?“
„Well, to go tell the ghetto boys that I need two to beat the carpets!“ „We see!“ they sighed with relief, „you should have told us right away.“ „And what did I tell you differently?“ „It’s alright, it’s alright.“ And the two gentlemen eagerly run off to find new victims. „So, gentlemen, where are we going?“ asks the first of the young men „You have to go to the Kommandatura to beat the carpets.“
„We work at the Kommandatura.“„Very well, then go. And where are you going?“ he stopped another man. „Nowhere!“ „Then you’ll go beat the carpets!!“ The young man silently accepted his fate.
Just then a happy father shuffles over with two roughly 5 year old kids. „Show me your identification papers!“ The man looks at him in surprise, but he hands them over. „And you’ll go and beat the carpets!“ the ghetto boy finished, once he has the papers. „Me?“ the man exclaims „this is an insult, sir, I will not stand for this, I will make a complaint. It’s not possible, I work from 5 o’clock in the morning, now I have a break, I’m going for a walk with my kids, my wife is sick, the kids can’t find their way home alone, you are accosting me here, do you think that we are in America, we are here in Europe, man! I will not allow myself to be accosted, we have courts here that are higher up than you, show me your number… Well, from the way you speak I can tell right away that you aren’t one of us, you are a Praguer and Praguers are all pigs and…“   „That’s enough!“, the ghetto boy stopped his stream of words, „I’ll take your kids home myself. And you go!“ And we went. At the door the police officer asked me where I was going. „To the staff officer’s!“ was my reply. I’m standing in the office and I announce: „Staff officer, sir, the two fellows are here!“ „Very well!“ I go outside and just then I see that the man is missing. The man stood outside and shook. „Introduce me!“ His lips are shaking. „So come on!“ And when he’s standing in the doorway, I just push him and close the door (behind him).„But I simply won’t stand for this,“ echoes in the street in half an hour, when they both return. „You are an insolent man, you are a vichtigmachr, you are…“      „Be quiet, or I’ll take down your names!“ (was the answer). Upon those words the man apparently calmed down, took his i.d. and, calling out to Anička and Petříček, who were standing under the tree, continued on his interrupted walk.                                                                         
fr.