Terezín vase with a portrait of Theodor Herzl

Art activity in the Terezín ghetto had a broader range than is generally thought. Small souvenirs, jewellery and pottery from the local pottery workshop were all made here, as well as drawings. One such item is a vase with a relief portrait of Theodor Herzl. Judging by the subject-matter, its maker – who signed his work ‘E. Schick’ – was a supporter of the Zionist movement. Along with many other items that document life in the Terezín ghetto, this vase was donated to the museum in 1945 by the painter Bedřich Lederer, a survivor of the ghetto.

Theodor Herzl (b. 2 May 1860 – d. 3 June 1904), founder of the Zionist movement. He is referred to as the ‘spiritual father’ of the State of Israel. In his key work Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), he expresses his conviction of the need to create a Jewish state. This May we will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Vase with a portrait of Theodor Herzl, inv. no. 101.849
Pottery, Terezín, 1941–45, E. Schick
Height: 180 mm, diameter: 135 mm


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