The camp ran for 12 years, over which time 200,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned, with 41,500 murdered. Today Dachau stands as a Memorial Site. The main different between a camp like Dachau and Auschwitz is that Dachau was classified as a "working" camp so there were no mass execution chambers on site.
We follow our guide around the site as he tells us stories of the prisoners who were held at this camp and their treatment. As we entered the main grounds, we walk through the gate with the words "Arbeit macht frei", or "Work will set you free". Of course, there was never any intention of letting anyone free regardless of how much work they did.
Walking around in the near freezing temperatures, we feel a strong empathy for the poor souls who were held at the camp. Our guide explains to us that the prisoners basically wore thick pyjamas and shoes, and the buildings didn't have any heating. The camp was designed to hold far fewer people than the number they crammed in there and there was a severe lack of food. Many of the prisoners died from starvation, exposure or disease.
Leaving the camp we are once again reminded of how lucky our generation in Australia and Singapore has been, to have avoided the war and torture that many people in Europe experienced.
The gate leading to the main campsite
The site of the camp was fairly large, although several of the building were destroyed to hide as much evidence of torture and ill-treatment as possible.
Area map showing the spread of concentration camps across Europe.
Another image of the area. On the left, you can see the outlines showing where each of the camp buildings, housing several hundred or thousands of prisoners each, used to stand.
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