The Story
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The Girls of Room 28, Theresienstadt
The 'Girls of Room 28' were Jew is
h children sent from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Theresienstadt concentra tion camp beginning end of 1941. They were one of the 75,666 Jews from the so-called ‘Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia’ who, with the incursion of German troops into their country, lost their homes, their property, their freedom, and where eventual ly deported to Theresienstadt, a small fortress town near Prague. There their paths crossed.Between 1942 and 1944 they lived together in Room 28, Girls’ Home L 410.
h children sent from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Theresienstadt concentra tion camp beginning end of 1941. They were one of the 75,666 Jews from the so-called ‘Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia’ who, with the incursion of German troops into their country, lost their homes, their property, their freedom, and where eventual ly deported to Theresienstadt, a small fortress town near Prague. There their paths crossed.Between 1942 and 1944 they lived together in Room 28, Girls’ Home L 410. There they spent their lives, day and night together in the closest of quarters - thirty girls confined to about 325 square feet. They slept on narrow bunks, ate their meager rations together and listened as their counselors read to them from a book when evening fell. Once the lights were out they would talk about their experiences, share their thoughts and dreams, their worries and their fears.
While the prisoners of Theresienstadt suffered increasing physical and psychological privation, which claimed thousands of their lives, a group of adults – educators, teacher, artists, Zionists – were determined to protect the children, to teach and to educate them and to ‘save them from the devaluation of what is good’. (Fredy Hirsch)
In September 1943 the girls of Room 28 got involved in the Theresienstadt performances of the children’s opera Brundibár; Ela Stein played the cat, Maria Mühlstein often the sparrow, and Anna, Handa and some of their friends w e re part of the choir.
Amazingly, the girls of Room 28 found themselves being taught by extraordin ary people - professors, artists, composers and conductors - all prisoners in the camp themselves. In some ways they received a better education than they could have received in a normal grammar school. However, it was an education in a place of absolute misery dominated by omnipresent fear of being transported to the unknown east.
We now know that the destination of these transports were the extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most of the children were murdered.
Those ‘girls of Room 28’ who survived – fifteen from about fifty to sixty children - have made up their mind to remember their lost roommates and friends of Theresienstadt and to honour the determination and dedication of many adults – teachers, carers, artists – to impart their experiences and their knowledge to them and to teach them human values.
This is the origin of the book and the exhibition. The events and activities which ensued gave rise to the charity Room 28 and to an international educational project.
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From Anna’s scrap-book Just as this big mushroom protects the little one, so our Home protects us. But one day, it will be us who will have to protect others. So prepare yourself for the day when it will be your turn to repay the gift. Never reflect for long if you can do a good deed, and never lose hope...And never forget those you loved. Yours Fiška
Theresienstadt, 5. X 1944
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