Dachau Concentration Camp

June 29^th

I slept in a bit and then enjoyed breakfast with Alex and Georg before figuring out my travel plans to Dachau.  I set out on my own and departed Munich on a subway headed for the small town of Dachau.

Dachau Prison Camp

Main Gate

Dachau was the Nazi’s first concentration camp that mostly housed political prisoners and was a working camp.  Though many people were killed at this camp, it is not the same kind of camp as Auschwitz Concentration Camp (death camp).  In more recent history this concentration camp in Dachau has been used as an educational resource that reminds it's viewers of the consequences of what an evil government is capable of.  All Bavarian school children are required to visit this concentration camp. 

Dachau Memorial

There was a fair number of tourists going to see the camp along with me, but I managed to squeeze in line and make it aboard the buses that took me to and from the train station.  I did a self guided tour accompanied with an audio guide.  The tour first started with us passing through the gate house with the famous iron door with the words Arbeit Macht Frei (work makes you free) and then we stepped into the open courtyard where the prisoners stood in rows to be counted.  I only took a few photos during my visit because I felt it would be disrespectful to those who died there.  And to my astonishment I witnessed some visitors taking selfies with the furnaces in the background.  The most emotional part of the tour was a thirty minute video that gave a synopses of the camp.  There was dead silence during the movie and I have to admit I had gotten a little choked up while watching it.  The museum and the other displays of the living and torture conditions were very good at portraying the horrors that occurred there.  I can’t imagine enduring that kind of ordeal. 

Marienplatz

Feeling a bit down after finishing my tour of the camp I needed to do something to cheer me up.  I returned to the train station and hopped on subway and headed towards the city center to do some shopping.  My goal was to find some lederhosen.  Ines had recommended me a certain shop that she marked for me on a city map.  I eventually found the store and started trying on different styles of lederhosen (long or short).  Because of a package deal I ended up buying the whole outfit.  Now that I have lederhosen I will just have to return someday for Oktoberfest so I could wear them.  This left me very excited to show Alex, Ines and Georg.

Me in Lederhosen with My German Parents Ines & Georg

When I returned to Alex’s parent’s house I first was greeted by Ines and I immediately showed her my lederhosen.  She responded by telling me that now I was a true Bavarian.  Shortly after that Georg sat down with me on their patio and we talked about the Dachau concentration camp and a bit about Munich and its Nazi history.  Dinner was fantastic, Ines is a wonderful cook and Georg is always watching to see how full your wine glass is.  After dinner Alex and I had fun putting on our lederhosen and taking some family photos.  At the end of the evening I said my goodbyes to Ines and she would have to leave to work early in the morning.

Tomorrow I head back to Heidelberg and stop in Nurnberg on the way.