Dachau Concentration Camp
I must say that I did go to Dachau a few weeks ago and since then, I have pondered what I should say about my first experience at a concentration camp. At one moment in time you are left with a blank mind and the next millions of WHYs, and HOWs race into your mind and it is hard to figure out which one you much attempt to answer first. To know that you have been to a place where mass murders happened - it is still hard to believe it happened. But of course it did - one cannot say that the holocaust did not happen.
Gate that all prisoners entered through to camp. Reads "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work for Freedom"
Now the little history lesson of this blog: Dachau was one of the first concentration camps in Germany. It was primarily used for political officials who did not follow Hitler's command and also priests, rabbis and other religious leaders. But it still was the last 'home' to an unknown number of persecuted people. There was some what of a record kept at Dachau of the murders but in the end, right before American soldiers invaded the camp, mass amounts of people were cremated or gassed so 'proof' of the camps work would be erased.
Beds in the Barracks - And you know they didn't have mattresses...At the camp I did have an audio guide to tell me about certain areas of the camp. This was very nice because I could go at my pace. I was able to concentrate on what I wanted to and process the given information. About 5 hours was the amount of time spent there. Some people could have taken 12 hours some could have done it in 37 minutes but I took 5 hours and still had not seen it all. The museum alone would have been a good 3 hours (for me). But at the 5 hour mark, I had nothing left to give; I had reached a point of emotional and temporal emptiness. The feelings of the environment had drained every ounce of me. I had reached the point of depression.
View from Camp Road. Used to be 32 buildings that housed 50,000 prisoners.
End of Railroad at Dachau
Prisoners view of grounds (back of lot)Yes, depression had set in at this point, however, I am truely glad I was able to experience and learn, and see the camp. You may be walking on grounds where men, women, and children were robbed of their right to live and believe what they wanted to believe; however, you also sensed the courage of those victims. You sensed their power within to give their best to restore their lives to society. To gain back all that had be ripped from their hands.
Right side: main building where registration, washing, and all personal belongings were striped from prisoners.
Ovens at crematorium
I was warned before going to a concentration camp of the 'feelings' one gets when touring a camp. I was warned that I should not take my time. I was warned that afterwards you feel like an empty blackhole. And may I say that I did experience this all but it was worth it. I am in agreeance that it is very important that we carry the message of Dachau to others. That is that the inhumane things that happened at Dachau and many other concentration camps throughout the world (yes, not just Germany; there are/were other camps out there) that this should NEVER AGAIN happen. We teach history to learn from it and I hope we DO learn from history. I know I have. I am not perfect but I am trying. -- and sorry for this political plug but I am impressed to say that we must be careful of what we support. We must be strong and fight for what is in line with our Heavenly Father's plan. (He is always there to guide us.) Hitler really had no training as a politician. Pretty much he woke up one day and said "I want to control Europe and the world" and the next day, BAM!, he was controlling parts of Europe, destroying families and changing governments for his benefit. I hope we are not blind to leaders in these days that are slowly and secretly robbing us of our rights. It may be this small thing here and that small thing there, but soon it all adds up. Candy is always sweet in the beginning but it always leaves a nasty after taste. -- end of political plug, end of blog.
Monument in 5 different languages pledging that this will happen NEVER AGAIN!
Monument in 5 different languages pledging that this will happen NEVER AGAIN!
Just when you expect to see the sun enough to get a pink nose from its rays and not the crisp bite of the cold, you are graced with the white stuff. I'm back to wearing a coat that's for sure. I guess only time will tell for how long.
Pic 2: Now that I climbed in how do I get out? The apparatuses in the middle of the plane are the gurneys for the injured. The bed swirves around in a circle. (Dustin, Mrs. Wilson's hubby)
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