Beit Theresienstadt

Address

Kibbutz Givat Hayim Ihud Mobile Post
Giv‘at H̱ayyim Iẖud
Central District
D.N. Emek Hefer 38935
Israel

Phone

972-4-6369515

Fax

972-4-6369793

History

A documentation and commemoration project was initiated while Ghetto Theresienstadt was still populated, with the objective of telling future generations what happened there. Zeev Shek, one of the prisoners (who later became the first chairperson of the Beit Theresienstadt Association) together with some of his friends, secretly collected documents and records of events in the ghetto. After he was sent to Auschwitz, his girlfriend Alisa (who later became Zeev’s wife) continued his work. Following liberation Zeev settled in Prague and again with help from a few of his friends from the ghetto, continued to collect materials documenting operations of the Final Solution.

Beit Terezin archives contain original documents in addition to photocopies of documents stored in other institutions, all pertaining to the ghetto period, and including a catalogue listing details of about 160,000 prisoners of Ghetto Theresienstadt. Over 900 files are classified under topics such as: art, literature, self-administration, medicine, labor department, children’s homes, children’s comics, music, academic studies, research, personal testimonies, and biographical information.

An integral part of the archive is the library which contains about 5,000 books, periodicals, catalogues, sheets of music composed and performed in the ghetto, documentary films, audio recordings, in Hebrew and other languages.

The world’s largest collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures created by adults and children while they were interned in Ghetto Theresienstadt is perhaps the “backbone” of the archive, and also includes Judaica objects and everyday objects.

Opening Times

Sunday – Thursday – 8:30 – 16:00 Friday/Saturday – Closed It is recommended to arrange a visit in advance. It is possible to coordinate additional visiting times for groups.

Sources

  • ClaimsCon'06

If you can help improve this information please contact us at feedback@ehri-project.eu.