“How fortunate for leaders that men do not think.” - Adolf Hitler

"Work sets you free"

Dachau was the first concentration camp set up by the Nazis in 1933.  Dachau wasn’t one of the death camps, so there were significantly less people killed there than at other places (30,000 people at Dachau versus 1 million in Auschwitz). However, Dachau was where most of the leaders of the other camps were trained.

Looking at pictures of Dachau in the brochure the night before made my stomach turn, so I knew it would be a really intense experience. We saw the gas chamber, the crematorium, the bunkers, and shower rooms, amongst many other places that you read about in history books. They even still have the execution wall. 

The Gatehouse

The square where the prisoners lined up every morning and evening for roll call... sometimes for hours on end... in a one layer uniform... in Germany... in the winter. The baracks are in the background.

Each of these framed gravel areas was a barrack. They fit 200 people in each barrack at first. 2000 by the end.

Reconstructed barracks. We were wondering how they fit in that many bunks. It's because they aren't really bunks, just slats where everyone slept side by side.

A section of the prison. I am pretty sure it couldn't be worse than the regular barracks.

The crematorium and gas chamber building. Disgusting.

The word above the door is German for "shower". By that they mean gas chamber. This was the waiting room where everyone would undress.

The shower room with fake shower heads above and gas vents in the walls.

The execution wall.

It was really interesting to see, but I felt like throwing up the entire time we were there.

We balanced that out by eating another bratwurst for lunch and finishing our Mr. Steves walking tour in the afternoon. 

The largest beer stein in the world! For only 1,950 euros! What a steal!

Then we found our spot to watch the Germany vs. Portugal Euro Cup soccer match. And Germany won!

We love our friends, beer, bratwurst, and Munich... in no particular order!