Dachau, Germany

After departing Nordlingen, Brian and I visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Located north of Munich, it is an educational and sobering reminder of the not-too-distant past of the WWII era. It is recommended that children under 14 not visit here.

The gate through which all visitors enter today is the same by which all prisoners entered. The saying at the top translates, "Work sets you free."

Looking back at the gate of Dachau Concentration Camp.

Originally the maintenance building, the above structure now houses the museum with many detailed exhibits and a small theater. 

Top Tip: Don't feel like you must read every exhibit in the museum. After a while, we felt quite overwhelmed and had to continue on to the outdoor spaces. 

The original gate above, which says, "Work sets you free." This was true for some early prisoners, who were political opponents to Nazism, because they were released after serving their sentences. Later, the motto became a mockery.

Close-up of the memorial sculpture in front of the maintenance building, created by Nandor Glid, a Yugoslav sculptor and holocaust survivor.

This photo of the maintenance building, was taken in 1939, and is now part of the exhibits in that building.

This photo above shows half the barracks' concrete foundations. The other half is to the left of the avenue of trees. In the distance is located the Jewish memorial and other religious memorials. The immensity of this plan was overwhelming.

The Jewish Memorial at Dachau was designed by Zvi Guttmann and opened on May 7, 1967.

Above is inside the Mortal Agony of Christ, a Catholic memorial, which was consecrated on August 5, 1960. It was created by architect Josef Wiedemann. There are several other religious memorials at Dachau. 

On April 29, 1945, the Dachau Concentration Camp was liberated by three divisions of the United States Army.

It is estimated that 40,000 people died or were killed at Dachau. We departed through the peaceful, park-like setting with heavy thoughts on our minds and hearts. 

Bonus Tip: Alternate serious sights such as Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site with lighter days of different types of sights.