It seemed appropriate that it was a grey and rainy day when we pulled up to the gates of Dachau concentration camp.  On the way there I tried to imagine if I were being taken there as a prisoner; how would I deal with it ?

It was the first concentration camp of the 3rd Reich and in the beginning used mainly for political opponents or people who refused to give the Nazi salute or say Heil Hitler and other such heinous crimes.  Originally a munitions factory, it was an easy conversion into a concentration camp.  We walked through the famous gates that read “Arbeit Mach Frei” (work makes you free) which was a total lie because the SS had no intentions of you getting our alive.  The only way out was through the chimney after you died from starvation, disease or being worked to death.  Escape was also not an option.  If you did escape into the city of Munich in your striped prison clothing where were you going to go? Anyone caught helping you would be executed.

We had a fantastic ex pat from Rhode Island who has lived in Germany since the 70’s as our tour guide.  He was a riveting story teller and described daily life in the camp as though you were reading a Steinbeck novel. The camp is well preserved, as most German things are.

As the pictures show it was a hellish place and has been preserved as a memorial by the people of Munich.  All middle schoolers are required to visit a concentration camp and take a year of WW2 studies.  There was a bus load of 14 somethings there and they were acting respectful, unlike most 14 year olds.  I imagine many of their great grandparents were Nazi party members.  Tough legacy to carry around.

Having read many many books on this subject as I have said; this was a rather emotional visit.  Reminded me of the American cemetery in Normandy.  You feel like you should whisper to respect the people who died there.  I picked up a pebble and put it in my pocket. Maybe I will have a necklace made of it.

This camp was not a mass production extermination camp like Auschwicz or Treblinka but it was set up for gassing as you can see in the pictures.

The cainsters of Zyclon B were dropped through the ceiling by the Kapos (prisoners who were made to do the dirty work). The hooks are where they hung men by their arms tied behind their backs until their shoulders were disolcated.  Animals, sheer animals.

Next stop———

One thing I didn’t realize is that Stalin would not allow his captured soldiers who were imprisoned there to be sent food packages by their realtives.  Seems he preferred soldiers who weren’t captured.  Sound familiar?

This is the sculpture commemorating the many who died there, Jews, gypsies, Jehovah Witnesses (who only had to give the Nazi salute and they would have been set free but they refused), common criminals, homosexuals and of course anyone who voiced their opinion against the Nazi regime.

The bus ride out of there was pretty quiet. It was a heavy place to visit and no one felt like talking.

I continue to be impressed with how the Germans are dealing with the darkest period of human history.  I pass very old people on the streets here, looking into their eyes, and would love to have coffee with them and hear of their personal experience of that vicious period.  I am sure there are some amazing stories but that will probably not happen.