July 1, 2023 - Bamberg, Germany - Dachau Concentration Camp

 Yesterday we left Andermatt and rode to Dachau, Germany.  This morning we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp.  Dachau was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest running one, opening on 22 March 1933.  The main camp was liberated by U.S. forces on April 29, 1945.  There were 32,000 documented deaths at the camp, and thousands that are undocumented.

When Sooz and I pulled up to the parking lot the attendant walked around the bike and saw our Florida tag. He perked up asking us if we were from Florida.  We said yes and he kept saying, "I can't believe you are from Florida!"  It felt kind of weird to be laughing and smiling as we entered the concentration camp parking lot.  Our mood quickly changed as we entered the actual camp.

I felt a real sense of evil and darkness as we walked through the holding cells, the "showers" and the ovens where bodies were burned one-at-a-time.  A couple of times, I had to walk outside the building to breath fresh air and see the sky to lessen the claustrophobia and dread I felt in the buildings.

The size and scale of the camp surprised Sooz and me.  It's much larger and complex than either of us originally thought.  When active, there were row after row of barracks where the prisoners were held and individual cells where some were tortured and kept for weeks and months in darkness and cold.

Entrance

The word over the door says "showers" in German

This is the room where prisoners thought they were going to have showers, when in reality, they were gassed to death

"Crematorium - Remember How We Died Here"

The crematorium building

Individual ovens where the dead prisoners were burned to ashes

This large, open area contains the outlines of the many prisoner barracks that were once here

Today's site has several places of worship that still hold services.  Of course, these were not present when the camp was active.

Site of former barracks with the guardhouse still standing

A haunting statute in front of what had been the administration building

A map of all of the former German concentration camps

Looking out from one of the individual cells

This plaque was in an exhibition area and can still seem relevant

Another guard house

One-half of the long hallway leading to individual prisoner holding cells

The original entrance to the camp

A plaque honoring the US Army liberators

A change of scenery, leaving Andermatt on June 30 Sooz was able to capture this image of an ox drawn cart.  The woman covered her face, I guess not wanting her picture taken.  It caught us off guard and Sooz automatically took the shot before she realized what the woman was doing.

This is a blow up of the same shot, you can see a pup peeking out from a dry spot in the cart.

For all you smokers out there, this is a cigarette vending machine in Bamberg selling a wide variety of brands at discount prices.

Sooz took this picture of a cute dentist's sign in Bamberg - she especially liked the crown on the tooth