"Early in 1944, something very strange indeed happened at Theresienstadt. An official beautification program was started. Buildings were cleaned up on the outside, shops appeared and fancy street signs went up. The large huts in the town square used for war-related production of one sort or another were demolished and a garden planted. The wildest rumours circulated throughout the ghetto. It turned out in the end that a Red Cross delegation was to visit and inspect the ghetto to make a report to the International Red Cross. The whole project took on the look of a film set. Orchestras practiced in a specially constructed bandstand and outdoor cafes were set up. The place began to look like a popular spa. It was all a hollow sham..."