Germany: Dachau, May 14 Part 2

Wednesday's second stop was the small town of Dachau, just outside of Munich. Dachau is known as the site of the Third Reich's first concentration camp, established in 1933. We spent roughly two hours visiting the site, which is now a memorial museum. We were able to utilize a head-set in order to listen to various portrayals of what actually transpired at this site for the duration from 1933 to 1945.

Visiting a concentration camp is not something easily put to words so it is rather difficult for me to explain the experience. I can tell you some things addressed while listening to the head-set:

1. It is illegal in Germany to deny the Holocaust.

2. It is illegal in Germany to portray a swastika.

3. It is illegal in Germany to demonstrate the former Nazi salute.

4. All school children in Germany are required to visit a concentration camp as an educational experience.

5. Prisoners brought to Dachua were led to believe that "work brings freedom" so they were convinced to obey all rules. These words in German are still on the gate's entrance.

6. Dachau was not an extermination camp, but a place for prisoners and those who opposed the Nazi regime.

7. People from various backgrounds were brought to Dachau as prisoners including German Communists, Social Democrats, trade unionists, other political opponents of the Nazi regime, Jehovah's Witnesses, Gypsies, Gay Men, Asocials, repeat prisoners and Jews. The different colored-triangles that prisoners were sometimes forced to wear were memorialized in an exhibit.

8. Something like 180,000 prisoners were held in Dachau over 12 years.

9. Something like 28,000 prisoners died while in Dachau.

10. Doctors often used prisoners as subjects in experiments, trying to test things like torture techniques.

11. Prisoners occassionally committed suicide rather than continue to be forced to succomb to the ways of life at Dachau. One method was throwing oneself into a chain-wire fence. This act was memorialized in one of the exhibits.

Visiting a concentration camp is just a bizarre experience. Like I said, it is hard to put to words so I guess that's why I settled on reporting some facts.