D A C H A U concentration camp

They're here! Starr and Mac arrived on Wednesday. We took off running on Thursday and already- it's been an action-packed BLAST.
Wednesday, we made our way back from the airport {only 1 1/2 hrs from our house}, went to the train station for Paris tickets, checked out our village bakery, got registered for base access and tried to get them rested up and recovered from jet lag.

Thursday, we set off for an amazing weekend. Our first stop was Dachau Concentration Camp- the first and longest-operating concentration camp. More than 200,000 were imprisioned and 41,500 were murdered. Just walking on the grounds was a sobering experience.

We walked through the museum with artifacts and pictures containing an abundance of information. They have a reconstructed bunker set up with bunkbeds. We hesitated to take the little guys through the museum because of the graphic nature of a lot of it.

They recommend no children younger than twelve go through the museum. After talking about it, we decided it was ok for them to see some of it- this is history. Horrible, horrible history. This picture below is the outside of the gas chamber and crematorium building.

As horrific as it was, we tried to explain in the most simple terms what happened. A really bad man made really bad decisions and killed many, many good people. I think they got it- even just a little understanding that I hope stays with them.

It's one thing to read about it. It's a completely different experience walking on the grounds where the history was made. I think we were most affected by the crematorium at the end of our time there. In spite of not being a "death camp" like Ausschwitz, more than 41,000 died from murder, disease and malnutrition.

In the gas chamber and crematorium building, they have the disrobing rooms on both sides that they initially brought the prisoners to.

Here, the prisoners were to disrobe and leave their clothes as they went into the gas chambers disguised as showers. They even installed fake shower heads in the ceiling to make it look like a real shower.

I can't even imagine the suffering they endured. The above picture is in the gas chamber. Directly below is from the crematorium.

As soon as they were taken in, they took the clothing to a disinfecting room, then brought in a new group of prisoners and did the same thing.

This ditch area leading to the fence was prohibited for prisoners.
The soldiers sat in the watch towers. Any who entered this area were shot.

A display said many intentionally entered this zone to put an end to their suffering.

It was a sobering day, but there was a peaceful, calm feeling at the same time.

Perhaps knowing those who suffered are no longer in pain and living in these horrible conditions. I don't know how else to describe it.

I'm thankful were were able to experience it.