Friday-Saturday June 18, 2016 - Munich - The road to Finis

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since I have all my father's World War II maps with their route of march clearly marked, we were able to follow that route down the center of Germany into Bavaria. On the final map, he draw a circle around a bivouac area near Isen, and clearly marked "Finis". We finished our World War II tour there today (with the exception of our visit to the Dachau concentration camp minutes later). Today, Isen is a sleepy, hilly little village with narrow winding streets, and the probable bivouac area is a grain field of undulating swells.

Leaving Isen, we went on to Dachau before going into Munich. I don't know what to say about Dachau that I have not said previously. It is similar to Buchenwald which we visited a few years ago. Unlike Treblinka and Sobibor and others, it was not primarily an extermination camp, and many political prisoners were later released. But those who were not were worked to death frequently, and there was a gas chamber, although it appears from the historical record that it was never used except for a few "experiments". These concentration camps are somber, gruesome places. Having visited two, I think I have met my quota. Unless I ever get over to Treblinka.

I have always like Munich. It seems a fun place with fun people, much less strait-laced than, say, Berlin. Of course, we had to make our obligatory visit to the Hofbrauhaus for beer and heavy German food.

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