Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Dachau Concentration Camp - Germany Day 4

This is one of the posters shown in the Museum.
This is some art work in the Museum.

This translates to say "Our Last Hope: Hitler".
This is the gate every single person had to enter to reach the camp. It reads "Work Sets You Free".If this is too small it says "May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men."

We started out today at 7:40 (we slept in) then after breakfast we headed to Dachau. Dachau was the first concentration camp built by Hitler it lasted from 1933-1945 and was the example for future concentration camps. Most of the camp had been destroyed but there were a lot of churches built as memorials for all the religions that had been persecuted during the war. For the first two hours we wandered to all the sites in the camp then headed to the movie showing at 11:30. The history was extremely sad but all the information was incredible.

This is what the SS men used to beat the prisoners with.
This was called Pole torture and in 1943 instead of being on a pole people were hung from the ceiling (some in front of furnaces that burnt the dead).

After we had lunch at the cafeteria in Dachau we headed to Ludwigshafen. It was a four hour drive and we watched "She's the Man" and part of "Despicable Me". We have had tons of free time that turned into staying in our rooms because we weren't aloud to go exploring. So now we are watching "Hitch" in German.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, the prison camp must of been unnerving but extremely educational and touching. Great experience.
    Why so much "free" time? And why can't you go anywhere? That is not time well spent.
    Love the pictures and commentary.
    Mom

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  2. Everything was closed and there were no attractions nearby. Neither of us wanted to go swimming either.

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