When I was in the 6th grade I was able to go on a tour of the Terezin Camp in what is now the Czech Republic. My tour guide was the Holocaust survivor, Pavel Stránský. The time spent with Pavel was so powerful and an eye-opening experience. I learned so much from this Holocaust survivor. Terezin was a walled town from medieval times that became a Jewish ghetto. It was here that Jews lived in an overcrowded situation and many died of disease and starvation. Pavel told us that Terezin was where all the Jewish artists were sent. Artists were forced to create propaganda pieces for the Third Reich. Operas such as Brundibar (unbeknownst to the Nazis it was actually an anti-Hitler children’s opera about a butterfly) were produced by Jews for the enjoyment of the Nazis. Once the Jewish artists were no longer of use to the Nazis they were sent off to concentration camps. Pavel himself was sent from Terezin to Auschwitz. In Auschwitz Pavel wasted away until he was only 70 pounds. He claimed that the only thing that saved him was the fact that he was a trained teacher. Dr. Mengele, the Nazi angel of death created a children’s block in Auschwitz and Pavel became one of its coordinators. Many of the coordinators in the children’s block actually survived during their time in Auschwitz. Pavel explained to us how evil Mengele was: “Dr. Mengele played with the smallest children, took them on his knee, stroked their hair and said they ought to call him “Uncle”! Later he sent all of them to the gas chamber without hesitation.” (Pg. 46 Stránský) I remember thinking how inconceivable and hellish life was for the Jews sent to Auschwitz. As we toured Terezin with Pavel we stood in the hidden synagogue, visited the crematorium and the huge cemetery, and the area where the trains left from to take the Jews to Auschwitz. We saw Hana’s suitcase, a girl whose story I read about. We even viewed pictures drawn by Hana that were on display at the Terezin Museum.
Pavel not only educated me on the horrors of the Holocaust. He has made it his life mission to educate the world on the events of the Shoah. Along with giving tours he has traveled the world to tell of his survival. Pavel spoke of a recent trip to Germany where he met with German children. One German child asked Pavel if he resented this new generation of Germans. Pavel explained that he had no ill feelings toward the German people, and that the young people of today are not responsible for the mistakes that their ancestors made in the past.
Pavel not only educated me on the horrors of the Holocaust. He has made it his life mission to educate the world on the events of the Shoah. Along with giving tours he has traveled the world to tell of his survival. Pavel spoke of a recent trip to Germany where he met with German children. One German child asked Pavel if he resented this new generation of Germans. Pavel explained that he had no ill feelings toward the German people, and that the young people of today are not responsible for the mistakes that their ancestors made in the past.