Magdeburg Barracks (Magdeburska Kasarna)

The basics

Most tours of the Terezín Memorial stop at the Magdeburg Barracks. Explore educational exhibits that recall when the former army barracks were used as a seat of Jewish self-government during WWII, and learn how art and culture flourished despite appalling living conditions in the Terezin concentration camp. Take in exhibits of art, literature, and music produced by Jewish inmates during the Holocaust; visit a replica of a prison dormitory from the ghetto period; and learn about the making of propaganda films in Terezín camps.

Things to know before you go

• The Magdeburg Barracks are part of the Terezin Memorial complex, which also includes sites such as the Small Fortress and Ghetto Museum.

• The educational nature of the exhibits inside the Magdeburg Barracks makes this center appropriate for visitors of all ages.

• The center’s shop sells books and other materials to help you delve deeper into the history of Terezin and the Magdeburg Barracks.

• The barracks are fully accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

How to get there

Terezin and the Magdeburg Barracks sit less than an hour north of Prague. The easiest way to visit is by joining a tour that includes round-trip transport. Alternatively, there’s a bus that runs from the Nádraží Holešovice terminal in Prague to Litoměřice that stops in Terezin, just a short walk from the barracks.

When to get there

The barracks are part of the larger Terezin Memorial, which is open daily year-round. Though the barrack exhibits are indoors, many of the sites inside the memorial are outdoors or require a bit of walking to reach, so the entire memorial is best visited on clear, mild days.

Visiting the Terezin Memorial sites

The Terezin Memorial comprises a number of different sites scattered around the army fortress-turned-concentration camp. In addition to exploring the Magdeburg Barracks, you can take in the Small Fortress, used as a prison by the Prague Gestapo; the Ghetto Museum and its exhibition focused on the children of Terezin; the Prayer Room and Attic used for secret worship; and the Crematorium and Columbarium, where thousands of the ghetto’s dead were cremated and stored.