Dachau Concentration Camp
Unknown Inmate Statue
On the next part of our vacation we stayed in Garmisch, Germany. What beautiful country with jagged mountains and quaint little fields of happy cows and cute German cottages. Close by, near Munich, is the Dachau Concentration Camp. I felt it was important for our family to visit and see for ourselves the place where humanity was at it's worst and best. I have posted pictures of explanations and old photographs to better explain what we saw and what happened here. It was a somber experience. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the vileness that occurred there.
Dachau was the first concentration camp opened BEFORE the war as a place to send Germans who were Hitler's political enemies. It was also set up as the example of how all concentration camps were to run.
This is a picture of the outside of the prisoner area. The guards lived on this side in very nice living conditions. They apparently had a golf course, swimming pool, etc. Those buildings have been let go and have not been kept up as part of the memorial.
This is the "famous" sign on the gate...the only way in. Inside you see the administration buildings and roll call yard.
Explanation of the camp.
The camp was initially set up and continued to be a working camp. The prisoners were compelled to work in "factories" doing things from sewing uniforms to building needs for war. The prisoners built their barracks, all their buildings, etc.
This is the "Roll Call" yard where the prisoners had to line up whenever they were told to. The building in the background is what the barracks looked like. It is the only one still standing and is a replicate of what was there before.
Here's an explanation of the roll call and a propaganda picture that was sent out. Those prisoners were the healthiest ones they had and were used to make it seem like people were treated just fine there.
Here's a picture of what it looked like in the barracks. They soon filled up and men were just laying on top of each other. We really have no idea of what this must have been like.
Early years of what the barracks looked like. They got more crowded as the war progressed. Imagine at least 6 men sleeping on each bunk level.
A story was told that the prisoners were routinely made to go outside in bare feet, come back inside with muddy feet and because the floors had to be spotless, were made to lick the floors clean with their tongues. Tears come to my eyes when I imagine the loss of dignity these men were constantly being subjected to.
Barracks during the later years. They were built to accommodate up to 5,000 men but ended up accommodating at least 32,000 at the time of liberation.
More info on barracks.
The community sinks in the middle of the barracks.
Barrack toilets.
This is the crematorium; the newer one they built to accommodate the rise in the number of prisoners. They had other prisoners run it. I can't imagine what it must have been like, knowing you were preparing your fellow prisoners to die. The men were told they would be able to get showers here and went through different rooms to prepare for their "shower". The Germans told people this crematorium was never used but a prisoner was able to get a photograph taken and sent out with the proof of smoke coming from the chimney. It was definitely used.
Two of the ovens they would use to burn up to 3 people at a time. There were 6 of these in the room. These are the actual ovens used.
Explanation.
First area the prisoners went to to prepare for their "shower", which was were they were gassed to death.
Floor plan and explanation of the process the prisoners went through. Picture above was the disinfecting chamber.
This is what the liberators found outside the crematorium when they rescued the prisoners.
Below is info that gives a great overview of the history and experience of Dachau.
There was a story related there of the prisoners looking for dandelions to eat, but only a few would grow so they couldn't even eat weeds.
In bunker 3, sick prisoners were used for experiments and torture. No one wanted to go to the infirmary. People rarely ever came out alive.
This brought me to tears. This is how humanity survived. I was reminded of how much I have and felt prompted to give more. What great examples some of these people were. In the middle of hell, love and compassion would not die.
The mass grave memorial.
The perimeter fence.
The Bunker. This building is behind the administration building in the prisoner's area. Below is an explanation of it. It has a very eerie feeling in there...I could feel the heaviness of sorrow, pain and evil in there.
One side of the long hall of cell rooms.
Cell room door.
Inside a cell room. Size of most of our closets.
One of the execution sites by the crematorium.
This is the statue created for this memorial. It's raw and definitely creates strong emotions when you look at it.
This was a unique experience and one I won't forget. My top five things I took away from this experience were:
1. Putting faces to the people who suffered there. It's pretty easy to just lump and generalize history and the people who went through things instead of taking the time to learn and see the individual stories and people. The pictures of the people there and their stories made this even more precious and real for me. I wanted to honor THEM. I saw the pictures of the men hanging from the bunks, gaunt and sickly looking and wondered for a bit what it was like to be them, who they had left behind, what was important for them to remember. They became someone's someone special; a father, a sweetheart, a brother, a friend. I saw my own brothers' faces, my sweetheart's face, my father's face, my sons' faces. The pain of that experience for so many became a bit clearer for me.
2. There can be joy, love, kindness, hope and compassion in the worst of times and situations. Who am I to complain of my uncomfortable moments and feel loss of hope and a hard heart. I felt ashamed as I reflected on the strength of these people who through such inhumanity had the courage to connect to those emotions and not give up. I was humbled. I was also reminded that they made it through with each other. Those that did not connect with others lost their minds, gave up or lost their humanity. We need each other. I tend to be more alone and feel like I have to muck through things alone, which only makes it harder. So I guess that is Number 3.
4. Opposition in all things. There was true evil that occurred here. In our regular sheltered world, we don't take the time to think about the atrocities that others may be suffering because of the evil workings of others. I felt a new resolve to get more actively engaged to stand for goodness, respect for all and fight to protect those who can't protect themselves. I don't want a blind eye. I don't want others to suffer because no one wants to look at evil and acknowledge it. I don't want to hang my head because I didn't make a difference.
5. Reverence. I felt reverence there. A profound respect for those who suffered. I want to be more inviting for reverence in my life. Meaningful thoughts are then allowed to come to the forefront of my mind and I feel myself grow as a woman and human who is trying to be her best self. I want to be more open to being taught by God and that truly comes from quiet, reflecting moments and feeling reverence in your heart.
It's fun to go see castles and beautiful things and yet, this will be an experience that has shaped me and hopefully made me a better person.
Next post will be the conclusion of our vacation week. GardaLand!!
Until next time....
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