After breakfast, we checked out of the hostel in Dachau and
headed to the concentration camp. Immediately upon passing through this
entrance the mood changed.
"ARBEIT MACHT FREI" or "work makes one free" is inscribed on the gate.
Opened in 1933 by Heinrich Himmler, Dachau concentration
camp was the first of its kind in Germany. Originally meant to serve as a work camp
for political prisoners it expanded to hold all enemies of the Nazi state.
Dachau became an SS training camp and was the model used to establish other
concentration camps. In the 12 years of its operation, more than 30,000
prisoners were killed.
Seeing the various parts of the camp and getting a glimpse
of how the prisoners were treated and forced to live, one cannot help but feel
heartbroken and ashamed.
No comments:
Post a Comment