On 23 June 1944, Maurice Rossel a Swiss representative of the International Red Cross paid a visit to a special camp run by the SS in the previous fortress of Theresienstadt located in the former Czechoslovakia. His visit lasted eight hours, and he was captivated by what he saw, a lively jazz band band played American type music in a crowded coffee house, this seemed to indicate unusual freedom, since jazz music was normally banned by the Nazis. Later a concert was given by a large orchestra playing Verdi's Requiem, Rossel was allowed to take as many photos as he wished. Rossel was so impressed by his visit that he wrote a report heaping praise regarding the conditions within the camp.
All this was in reality a cruel lie, normal conditions in the camp were very far from ideal, it was initially designed to house 7,000 inmates, at times it very often held up to 50,000 persons, it was really a transit camp and during the course of the war 150,000 prisoners were transferred to extermination camps in Poland.
A considerable amount of time was spent creating fake conditions in preparation for Rossel's Red Cross inspection, in the months prior to the official visit, measures were taken to improve the general appearance of the camp. All the buildings were freshly painted, and foot paths repaired, there was a highly active period, when shops and businesses were constructed [many were false just frontages like a film-set]. A new children's play area and a swimming pool were provided, even a synagogue. The SS even created fake bank pass-books and false currency for the camp, prisoners were given more food , at the same time 7,500 inmates were deported to Auschwitz, so the camp looked less crowded. The child inmates were instructed to call the SS commandant Uncle Rahm, and were told to complain they were sick of being given so many sardines to eat, this was a luxury food in most of Europe. Rossel was completely taken in by what he saw, and produced a report so favourable that the local SS decided to make a film about the camp, aiming to circulate it worldwide, hoping to convince neutral countries, that all the rumours of barbaric treatment in their camps was untrue.
Adding to this charade the SS decided that the film would be directed by Kurt Gerron, a well known Jewish actor who was a prisoner in the camp. Inmates had little choice than to participate in the filming, which they prolonged as long as possible, hoping that the advancing allied army would come to their rescue.
Rossel was interviewed in depth about his visit after the war, he indicated that he realised prior to his inspection that the SS would not have allowed him to visit the camp unless they were satisfied that it would pass his scrutiny, he also remarked that if there was a problem with the camp, surely some of the inmates would have attempted to sneak a message to him, or made facial expressions out of sight of the SS, but none of this took place.
Work started on the proposed film after the Red Cross visit in June 1944, and although the basic filming ended in September 1944, the final version , with added music and voice-overs, was not completed until March 1945, but the whole purpose of the film was overtaken by the advancing Allied armies, and anyway, as the Allies came across various death camps, including Auschwitz in January 1945, the films credibility was virtually destroyed.
Theresienstadt was liberated on 9 May 1945 by the Soviet Army. This whole episode illustrates the cynical attempt by the Nazis to distort the truth for propaganda purposes.
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