July 21 - Tragedy

Today we went on a guided tour of Dachau Concentration Camp, located about 12 miles northwest of Munich. It's difficult to describe the impression it left on me. I certainly can say that I leaned a lot. Most importantly, I learned that concentration camps were evolving institutions. They changed as policies, politics, and military needs changed between 1933 and 1945. Generally, conditions deteriorated as war progressed. Disease was rampant and torture was a daily part of life.

Dachau was the first concentraton camp, and a model for all subsequent camps. It was in Dachau that the system of colored triangle badges was developed to identify categories of prisoners.

Dachau was one of the last camps to be liberated by American forces. And, as with other camps in Europe, Dachau had dozens of smaller satellite camps located within arms factories, constructions yards, and quarries.

Until nearly the end of the war, Dachau was used exclusively for men. It had a small prison too. Even members of the SS were imprisoned there - although they were treated much better than other inmates. All the information the guide gave us, and the diplays in the museum certainly should leave one in awe of the horror. We saw a documentary movie as well, and learned that small children are not allowed inside the camp because the displays can be so disturbing.

There were two types of camps: the intitial type in the 1930s was based on Dachau, a labor camp. The Nazi party used an empty WWI munitions factory as the foundation for the camp. The old buildings housed mostly German political, religious, criminal, and anti-social prisoners. Then ethnic prisoners and other nationalitites were moved in such as the Roma (Gypsies), Poles, Austrians, and Czechs. Jews passed through on the way to other camps.

Soon after the war began in 1939, a new type of camp evolved: the exterminatoin camp. Those were used primarily for Jews. Forced labor was also a part of those camps. But as the "final solution" evolved, extermination became the primary goal.

Dachau built a gas chamber facilty, but is was never used. No one is sure why, but they think supply shortages and the camp's overwhelmed crematoriums may be the reasons. Still the result in both types of camps was always the same -- death.

As I write this, I'm watching reports about a second bombing attempt in London. I believe there are links between these bombings and Dachau. Both were about religious hated, war and the killing of innocent civilians. Though the deaths recently are not on anything like the same scale, I do believe, like Germans in 1939, these bombings are being carried our by a group that feels powerless, is willing to die, and hates Jews and Christians. It's all very tragic and leaves me feeling disgusted with humanity.