Dachau Concentration Camp

During our time in Europe we thought it was pertinent to visit a concentration camp. As somber as that may be while on vacation, I personally believe that one of the main purposes behind traveling is to educate ourselves. To bear witness to some of the amazing places and cultures that our world has created. But to also learn from some of the most tragic times in our history. Which unfortunately includes the state-sponsored genocides that the Nazi party imposed for years.

While many people know the basic events that took place during World War 2, there is many things we may never learn about. The things you will see and learn about at these camps may completely horrify you, but the impact that it may impose will last a lifetime. You will come to realize what humankind is actually capable of doing to one another. From those experiences though, we can educate ourselves and hopefully make our society more compassionate as a whole.

While I experienced the Dachau Concentration Camp, any former Concentration Camp is worth visiting. The experience is life changing. I think it’s hard to understand the suffering, fear, and perseverance of this time in history, unless you’ve visited one. Even then, I don’t think we can really imagine the atrocity that they went through.

History

As you walk through the old guardhouse, you’ll enter through the infamous gates stating, “Arbeit Macht Frei”. The psychological impact it brought to those who passed through the gates was incredibly powerful. One could imagine it was placed as an incentive to the prisoners, knowing that they could work for their freedom. Through the years it becomes strikingly clear that the message was a form of mockery, seeing how freedom was not obtained by any other means than death.

Dachau began its operations in March of 1933, a mere few weeks after Adolf Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor. The Camp was originally built to hold 4,800 prisoners. The town of Dachau is located about 10 miles northwest of Munich, Germany. The camp was built on the site of the former “Royal Powder and Ammunition Factory”. This factory was originally built during WW1 near the small market town of Dachau.

For those of you who don’t know much history on World War 2, Munich is where the Nazi Party originated. Dachau started as a camp strictly for political prisoners. This term “political prisoner” is used loosely. The Nazi’s demanded the German people accept their worldview and live their lives accordingly. Basically, they did not tolerate criticism, dissent, or nonconformity.

After Adolf Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor, the National Socialists used an array of terror measures to establish dominance. As the Nazi party grew, so did it’s concentration camps. Because Dachau was considered a “success”, it became the model for future concentration camps. Dachau went on to hold groups such as homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roma’s, (gypsies), and Jewish people. It’s estimated that 41,500 people died while being incarcerated at Dachau Concentration Camp. Unfortunately, the exact number of deaths will never be known. The former Concentration Camp was turned into a memorial site in 1965.

Directions

Dachau Concentration Camp is located approximately 20 minutes away from the airport. Due to this being so close, we chose to go straight from the Franz Josef Strauss Munich Airport to the Dachau Museum and Memorial. We were able to park in the alley way, close to the entrance. Free parking seem scarce in the alleyways, but we arrived very early. I have read that to park in their lot, it costs $3 Euros. If you are not driving, there is a train that will take you close to the memorial.

Address: 73 Alte Römerstraße (The dedicated parking lot for visiting Dachau).

Tour Guide

I highly suggest being a part of some sort of tour while visiting. We learned SO MUCH this way. The guide included a lot of stuff that we probably would have missed otherwise. One thing I appreciated hearing was that our tour guide spoke to how the German people felt during and after the War. So, it was interesting getting a local’s perspective.

The Visitors’ Center offers both walking guided tour (2.5 hours) and audio tours for very cheap. But overall, the memorial site is completely free to visit. There is a lot of informational reading around the site that will still teach you everything you need to know.

Dachau Tips

• The tour is going to consist of a lot of walking. The majority of the property is covered in gravel.
• Wear comfortable footwear
• The majority of the tour is going to be outside.
• Dachau notes that content may not be appropriate for children under the age of 13, but it’s at the parent’s discretion whether to bring their kids.
• Dachau does have a cafeteria on it’s grounds. It is small, but offers snacks, hot meals, coffee, and sandwiches.
• Please be respectful to the memorials. To be honest, I felt awkward about taking photos of certain things. I’ve seen photos though where people are extremely disrespectful, and even posing on statues, and things like that.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FOR MORE THINGS TO DO WHILE IN GERMANY