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One of our tours while visiting Prague was Terezin Ghetto. The fortress of Terezin was built by Joseph II in the years 1780-1790. It was initially designed to protect the access routes used by enemy troops to penetrate Bohemia during the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Hadsburgs used it to house prisoners who were opponets of the Hadsburg monarchy. During Nazi occupation it was used as a concentration camp for Jews. Terezin served 3 main purposes: a transit camp, a place of decimation, and Nazi propoganda. It seems that when the world started looking the Gestapo put on many international campaigns here in Terezin to cover up what was happening in reality. 
During our tour of the grounds we crossed a small stream....look what popped his head out and decided to take a stroll. I am not sure what this animal is called in Czech, but everyone agreed it was either, Muskrat, Nutria, or a member of the badger family. I wanted to get him while he was staring up at us from the stream...alas...I am using my mobile phone camera and that takes a few screens to open. I liked him, as I do all animals, yet some of the other tourists seemed a bit grossed out!! :)
What amazes me when I listen to stories of persecution, or stereotyping individuals or groups, and inflicting violence or torture upon people for political or religious reasons... is that the compass of human nature can point in a certain way. I cannot imagine that any one person can live with his/herself when they know that people, the elderly and children are dieing daily from disease, typhoid, malnutrition, weather, etc. I listened to her while she was speaking, our tour guide, and I thought, we never learn...we continually repeat history over and over, but with different ethnic groups....thinking of the poor Sudanese refugees that were in the Moustafa Mahmoud Mosque area of Cairo, and those in Darfur, and all the in-fighting that is going on in Iraq and Palestine, or how many people in this world are hungry, when we throw food away daily, or people who need medicine in developing countries to treat polio or malaria, and Americans spend more money per capita on psychological therapy and anti-depressants. It is disgusting and shameful, I am embarased to say that I am apart of the problem....and no wonder the world is so messed up....what kind of future are we leaving to our kids??? I don't even want to get started on my soap box for global warming....
Here is Jackie and Gloria standing for a picture in front of the National Cemetary of Terezin. I have to say that Prague has VERY interesting cemetaries if you are interested in headstones and that type of thing.
Now, I just want to know one thing. This is a Jewish cemetary, so why would they erect a cross in a Jewish cemetary? I have no problem with the cross, it is lovely really, but the Jewish do not beleive that Christ has come yet, so they do not beleive that he was crucified. The cross is a Christian symbol, so..........I just found it strange to find this one erected in the middle of a Jewish cemetary.
One of our tours while visiting Prague was Terezin Ghetto. The fortress of Terezin was built by Joseph II in the years 1780-1790. It was initially designed to protect the access routes used by enemy troops to penetrate Bohemia during the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Hadsburgs used it to house prisoners who were opponets of the Hadsburg monarchy. During Nazi occupation it was used as a concentration camp for Jews. Terezin served 3 main purposes: a transit camp, a place of decimation, and Nazi propoganda. It seems that when the world started looking the Gestapo put on many international campaigns here in Terezin to cover up what was happening in reality. 
During our tour of the grounds we crossed a small stream....look what popped his head out and decided to take a stroll. I am not sure what this animal is called in Czech, but everyone agreed it was either, Muskrat, Nutria, or a member of the badger family. I wanted to get him while he was staring up at us from the stream...alas...I am using my mobile phone camera and that takes a few screens to open. I liked him, as I do all animals, yet some of the other tourists seemed a bit grossed out!! :)
What amazes me when I listen to stories of persecution, or stereotyping individuals or groups, and inflicting violence or torture upon people for political or religious reasons... is that the compass of human nature can point in a certain way. I cannot imagine that any one person can live with his/herself when they know that people, the elderly and children are dieing daily from disease, typhoid, malnutrition, weather, etc. I listened to her while she was speaking, our tour guide, and I thought, we never learn...we continually repeat history over and over, but with different ethnic groups....thinking of the poor Sudanese refugees that were in the Moustafa Mahmoud Mosque area of Cairo, and those in Darfur, and all the in-fighting that is going on in Iraq and Palestine, or how many people in this world are hungry, when we throw food away daily, or people who need medicine in developing countries to treat polio or malaria, and Americans spend more money per capita on psychological therapy and anti-depressants. It is disgusting and shameful, I am embarased to say that I am apart of the problem....and no wonder the world is so messed up....what kind of future are we leaving to our kids??? I don't even want to get started on my soap box for global warming....
Here is Jackie and Gloria standing for a picture in front of the National Cemetary of Terezin. I have to say that Prague has VERY interesting cemetaries if you are interested in headstones and that type of thing.
Now, I just want to know one thing. This is a Jewish cemetary, so why would they erect a cross in a Jewish cemetary? I have no problem with the cross, it is lovely really, but the Jewish do not beleive that Christ has come yet, so they do not beleive that he was crucified. The cross is a Christian symbol, so..........I just found it strange to find this one erected in the middle of a Jewish cemetary.
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