Dachau

Well, I figured I better start blogging our trip before it's over. Things were fast and furious for a few days and I lost my momentum to blog things before I got started. But things have slowed down temporarily and I have compiled pictures, etc. so I am ready to go now. I will start with a rather somber part of the trip. Interesting, but sad. It is one of those experiences that you have read about and contemplated but actually being at the location and seeing it (along with a great deal of documentation, photos, etc in the museum area) really brings it to a much clearer, deeper meaning. I am talking about our visit to Dachau concentration camp.
Seeing the conditions that existed, photos of a large number of the detainees, and documentation of the multitude of atrocities that took place is very sobering. It really makes you think about man's inhumanity toward his fellow man.




Sleeping decks for detainees. Often 2 or 3 to a space. Dachau was originally built to house 6000 and at its peak housed 60000. In the beginning there were people who were periodically released. Then when the detainees started to be viewed as slave labor all releases ended. Those who became unable to work were of no further value...


The crematorium. In nearby areas there are marked "ash graves." Nearby is the "firing wall" where prisoners (for one reason or another) were executed by firing squad. Then the bodies were brought to the furnaces. Many more simply died of starvation and neglect when they became too weak to perform forced labor or take care of themselves.


A sculpture that represents the suffering and inhumanity. There were rows of "dormitories" all jammed with people. Some were chosen as human guinea pigs in "scientific experiments" pertaining to things like high altitude effects on the body, underwater effects on the body, etc. For most of these "experiments" people were subjected to extreme g-forces, extreme oxygen deprevation, etc. Many did not survive the experiments.


- a monument near the crematorium that says it all - translation is " the dead to the honest living as a reminder.

This is one of those places that is not a pleasant place to visit, but reminds us how important it is not to forget. One of those places that begs us to not let history repeat itself of such atrocities.

Location:Germany