Tag Drei- Dachau Concentration Camp

Hi all!
Sorry for such a long delay in FINALLY finishing the rest of my Germany blog!! But here is day 3 of Germany, which was actually last sunday!

Britt and I got up bright and early at 7 am to make sure we had enough time to see Dachau and do a few other things before having to leave. We got ready, packed up our things, and headed down to the delicious continental breakfast... It probably in reality was not delicious... but compared to what we have been eating in Italy, we were in heaven! After we ate our combined weight in food, we went back up to the room to grab our bags and put them in the hotel storage so that we wouldn't have to come back at noon to check out. We then headed across the street to the train station and used our handy dandy little weekend ticket. Germany offers tickets for 37 euro at the train station for unlimited travel by subway, train and bus on saturday and sunday and for you and up to 5 companions! Its a great deal! When we got the departure time for Dachau, we went straight for starbucks, which we have been severely deprived of for the last month and a half!

The train ride from Munich to Dachau is only about 15 min and right outside of the train station, they have a bus stop where you can catch bus 26 to the Dachau Concentration Camp, and that is only about a 2 minute ride.

We had heard both good and bad things about Dachau and I must say that if what you are hoping to see is artifacts and such, then Dachau may disappoint you. But as far as gaining a wealth of knowledge and seeing pictures and propaganda... it has everything!

The chilling feeling that I expected to get didn't hit me until I saw the original camp entrance doors. In block letters across a black metal gate, read "Arbeit Macht Frei" which literally means 'work makes you free' in German. The camp doesn't have much left as far as buildings go... the original maintenance building and a few of the bunks and bathing buildings are still standing but the rows and rows of medical and torture barracks are now just cement foundations.

The most moving part of the experience was behind the high cement and barbed wire walls... the crematorium and gas chamber. It was the strangest feeling staring into the furnace or standing in the middle of the gas chamber were prisoners were tricked into thinking they were going to shower but ended up being suffocated and poisoned to death. Right outside the crematorium, a Dachau survivor was giving a speech to about 400 people! It was really cool being able to see that.

A few yards away from the crematorium was where thousands of dead bodies were piled. Now there is just a grassy mound of dirt to mark the spot.

If any of you are ever in Munich, I definitely recommend taking a trip to Dachau! It was definitely worth it... I am even more excited to see Auschwitz soon!

When we arrived back in Munich, we got a taxi to the famous Hofbrauhaus and has apfelstrussel and beer! Delicious!
At 3 pm we had to meet our group back at the hotel to climb aboard the bus for the excruciating 10 hour ride back to Florence!

<3 Kel

---

---