Barracks and Main Square - Dachau
Dachau was the first concentration camp created by the Nazis, and the only one that was used for the entire duration of the Nazi period. It was liberated by the American army on 29 April 1945, shortly before the end of World War II in Europe. Like Sachsenhausen and unlike Treblinka and Auschwitz, Dachau was conceived as a concentration camp and not as an extermination camp.
The very large main square was used for the twice-a-day roll call of the prisoners. This was done year round in all weather with the prisoners wearing only light clothing. Failure to appear, failure to wear the required hat, or any of numerous other offenses could mean death to the offender, or extra tasks for the offender and everyone else in his barrack.
Nonetheless, many thousands of people died here from overwork, sickness (typhus) and neglect of medical problems. The camp was designed to hold 6000 people, but eventually held 30000 toward the end of the war. Not all of the captives were Jewish - the Nazis found many others to be undesirable and sent them here. The Nazis made money by the use of forced labor (slavery), renting out the prisoners to well known companies such as Mercedes and BMW, who are clearly complicit in supporting Hitler.
The former camp site has been turned into a memorial, and includes a museum that documents the phases of the camp's use and the changes that occurred as more people arrived
Barracks and Main Square - Dachau
Dachau was the first concentration camp created by the Nazis, and the only one that was used for the entire duration of the Nazi period. It was liberated by the American army on 29 April 1945, shortly before the end of World War II in Europe. Like Sachsenhausen and unlike Treblinka and Auschwitz, Dachau was conceived as a concentration camp and not as an extermination camp.
The very large main square was used for the twice-a-day roll call of the prisoners. This was done year round in all weather with the prisoners wearing only light clothing. Failure to appear, failure to wear the required hat, or any of numerous other offenses could mean death to the offender, or extra tasks for the offender and everyone else in his barrack.
Nonetheless, many thousands of people died here from overwork, sickness (typhus) and neglect of medical problems. The camp was designed to hold 6000 people, but eventually held 30000 toward the end of the war. Not all of the captives were Jewish - the Nazis found many others to be undesirable and sent them here. The Nazis made money by the use of forced labor (slavery), renting out the prisoners to well known companies such as Mercedes and BMW, who are clearly complicit in supporting Hitler.
The former camp site has been turned into a memorial, and includes a museum that documents the phases of the camp's use and the changes that occurred as more people arrived