Dachau

Arbeit Macht Frei
  

  

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

 

           

   

Dachau is easily reached from Munich.  You first take a local train for 20 minutes and then catch the city bus in Dachau for the short ride to the visitor's center.


First impressions are strong as one enters the Dachau camps. The day was overcast and cold. The mood for all of us as we got off the bus was somber as we walked to the visitor's entrance.

As a visitor you enter through a guard gate from the far side of the camp. But in the 30's and 40's it was different. The lone white main gate building stood stark and separated from the other buildings. Its center gate was the last view many would see as they entered from the village of Dachau. The center of the building had the entrance gate like an open mouth.

 

 

You do not have to have a guide to take the tour but it sure adds to the experience. There is a free will offering taken, other monies come from selling of the brochures and books. The guides are very knowledgeable, my guide was a priest with first hand experience to the events and continuing work with the survivors.

One of the first explanations was of the prison camp systems in place throughout Europe.  Dachau housed many nationalities of inmates brought to Dachau from other prisons.

The wrought iron gate bid "Arbeit macht frei".

 

 

 

 

 

 

The memorial wall in front of the adminisration building.

When through the gate it was then that you entered the closest end of the long administration and processing building.

Looking out through the windows of the dormitories used to house up to 500 inmates per dormitory was a sobering experience.

From one side you look upon the administration building. Out the windows on the other side you look at the remaining foundations of tens of dormitories aligned along a central road now lined with trees.

 

 

The dormitories had a bunk room and a separate room with lockers (no keys) and tables for eating and other chores.

   

 

 

 

 

Pilgrims of many nationalities come to visit and remember. Services are held on the barren foundations of the dormitories. There are four chapels on the grounds for the different faiths.

 

 

 

 

At the far end of the camp near all the chapels and memorials you cross through the fences and over the ditches surrounding the camp. The krematorium was separated from the main camp. A moat provided isolation between the parallel stretches of wire fencing.