The outer perimeter of Theresienstadt Small Fortress

The mighty bastions of Theresienstadt Small Fortress (Kleine Festung) stand against the gray sky. This 18th-century fortress, built by Emperor Joseph II, was transformed by the Gestapo into a political prison in 1940. Political prisoners, members of the Czechoslovak resistance, and opponents of the Nazi regime were interned here. The grass-covered brick walls concealed isolation cells, execution yards, and inhumane detention conditions. The structure could hold up to 2,500 prisoners in spaces designed for a few hundred.

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