Day 4

Today was Dachau. It rained, which was fitting.

It's hard to gauge how my classmates were feeling on our way out of Munich to the small town of Dachau. I felt sick, with a nervousness in my stomach that often hits when I'm upset. I had goosebumps all day, but not from being cold. 

Dachau was the first concentration camp ever, opened in 1933 right off the train stop in Dachau, a mere twenty minutes outside of the city of Munich. It was used for the Nazis' political opponents primarily, equipped to hold 6,000 people. Keep in mind that there were over 1,000 total camps set up by the Nazis. Jewish people were not really held in Dachau, a labor camp, until the end of the war when there was simply no room anywhere else. When Dachau was liberated, there were approximately 32,000 people imprisoned at this site.

The most terrifying aspects of Dachau is the sheer beauty and the proximity of the camp to the town itself. The juxtapostion of such an evil place against such a beautiful countryside setting almost makes me think that the location choice was another diabolical Nazi tactic to break the minds of the prisoners. And the position of the camp is really just shocking. We walked through residential neighborhoods the entire way, right up to the gate. It was disturbing, as after the camp was liberated the citizens of the town claimed to have no knowledge of it. There's just no way.

Life goes on in Dachau, as it should. Yet there's an odd attitude towards the camp, from what I picked up on. First of all, the old SS training grounds, where every SS officer was trained, is still in use as a training center for the German Polizei, specifically the Bavarian Riot Police. These trainees live in the old barracks of the SS officers. Maybe it's my outside perspective or my extreme sensitivity towards the subject, but I don't know how anyone ever thought that was a good idea. My perspective is different as an American, of course, because it may be argued this isn't necessarily "my" history. However I'm not sure that argument is valid, and quite honestly I'm disgusted that the place where violence was once instilled and all human compassion removed remains a police training center for modern Germany. Doesn't that just fundamentally not make sense? 

Another issue I had with the way the camp has been and is still approached by Germans: the town has edged even closer to the camp since its liberation. In the 1980s, a development was built where the exterior wall of the camp is actually a maximum of ten yards from the back door of the house. The argument is that it was inexpensive real estate. I can see why, as it has a chilling view of a Nazi torture and prison facility.  I'm sure the second floor also can see into the main yard and barracks, where thousands of people died.  It's also just a stone's throw from the former execution spot. There is absolutely nothing to describe the horror I felt when looking at this house. A concentration camp is not a means of obtaining an inexpensive piece of property. The houses are on the left, just over the fence. Just out of the frame is the prison bunker of the camp, and note the guards' tower on the right hand side.

Dachau left me speechless countless times. There's no way to describe the eerieness of the grounds, and I was on the verge of tears nearly the whole time. 

A tricky thing about memorial sites like this camp is where to draw the line with pictures. I stepped into a gas chamber today. I also saw with my own eyes six ovens that were used for the cremation of the Nazis' victims. While I took pictures of these rooms, I think these pictures are best kept for personal reflection. A picture cannot have the same effect as being there, and I think that feeling is necessary to appreciating how horrifying the crematorium side of the camp was. For anyone who wants to see these pictures, I will show you when I get home and am able to explain. It doesn't feel right to share on the internet an image of a place where so many people were murdered without a second thought.

We left Dachau after about three hours. The second part of the afternoon focused on what actually happened logistically after liberation. The Dachau Trials, less famous than the Nuremberg Trials but I believe equally important, made for an interesting discussion. Thanks to the program we participated in, we were able to read the transcripts of the trials of Dachau's SS officers, trials which were conducted by the United States military. It was entirely U.S.-run, with American military judges and American lawyers on both sides. This opened up some interesting discussions, with strong opinions sometimes clashing. We were very lucky to have this opportunity, as these military files just became available at the beginning of the month. Even now, a special permit is required to access the documents. We were the first group to be given access through our program, and I consider us to be extremely lucky. 

As usual, Erin, Jameson and I ended the day with dinner together. I'm so lucky to have two great friends on this trip with me, especially because we're dealing with such difficult and stressful subject matter every day.

Thank you to my parents for making this trip possible and supporting my crazy travels away from home, I'm learning more than I ever could have imagined. Northeastern is the greatest school I could possibly be at, this opportunity is once in a lifetime and I have no doubt that I could only do it here. 

"May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defence of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow man."