Well we spent today at the Dachau concentration camp near Munich. An interesting site it was the first concentration camp – targeting political opponents first, and then expanding in scope as time continued. It unfortunately was the ‘model camp’ for how concentration camps should be run/managed.

Initial political prisoners could be pushed here for “political protection” and then it expanded to Jews, Homosexuals, nationals who had fled then came back, etc. Lasting 12 years, tens of thousands died here from starvation, disease and overwork. They had built a formal gas chamber but it was never put to use.

When you read some of the entries throughout the museum about being prosecuted for political speech, or other central themes – it’s hard to see what’s happening in the US today and draw some clear parallel’s with what happened almost 100 years ago in Germany. I was particularly focused on the camp, imagery, etc. and where we are now with the camps in El Salvador and our leadership posing in front of prisoners for social media posts. Imagining that if the Nazi’s had social media it might look the same. (Sad for sure).

Mostly some images today, and key facts.

Key facts:

• Operated from 1933 to 1945 (12 years)
• Originally held political prisoners, later expanded to include Jews, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and other groups persecuted by the Nazis
• Over 200,000 people were imprisoned there during its operation
• An estimated 41,500 people died at Dachau from executions, medical experiments, disease, malnutrition, and exhaustion
• Served as a training center for SS concentration camp guards
• Had numerous sub-camps throughout southern Germany and Austria
• Was liberated by U.S. forces on April 29, 1945

Some more photos of the ovens used for people who had died and the gas chamber rooms that we walked through, although they were never used. There are several churches on the site as well. Humbling.