My time in Muenchen is growing short, and I nearly left the city without seeing something that I had every intention of seeing for weeks. A neighboring town, not more than 30 minutes from the house where I am staying is Dachau. I was told to give myself as much time as I could, and so after class I raced to the Hauptbanhof and caught a train heading that direction.
My expectations upon departure were to come to a desolate camp, isolated from the rest of the area, and utterly depressing. What I found was something quite different. The town of Dachau is much the same as every other town that I had encountered in Bavaria, surrounded by trees and rivers, quaint shops and houses, and the general quiet atmosphere that makes the land what it is.
I caught a bus to take me the 20 minutes further to the memorial ground, and I was surprised again to find that Dachau Concentration Camp lies in the middle of the city. The area surrounding the walls is so lush and full, hardly fitting of a Nazi torture center. It was sunny as I stepped from the bus, surrounded by loud tourists from all over the world, but upon entering the gates of the camp, as if on cue, lighting struck and it began to pour. The clouds darkened the place, and the mood was set.
As you walk through the gates there reads a sign "Arbeit Mach Frei", which is something to the effect of "work will make you free", a lie perpetrated by the Nazi's. I learned that that is the way they managed to fool the masses into believing that what they were doing was noble. They convinced the world that they were rounding up those unwilling to work, or dangerous and "reforming" them through labor. I walked through several exhibits that detailed the propaganda techniques of the Hitler and his men, and how they were able to deceive so many. I had never seen convincing proof before of how people could be so blind for so long.
Apart from the extensive displays detailing the rise of the Third Reich, beginning after the defeat of Wolrd War I, which in themselves were fascinating, I was privy to the camp as seen through the eyes of the prisoners. From walking through the shower/torture room, the barracks, the role-call yard, the gas chambers, and even the furnaces used to dispose of the bodies, there was such a sense of unreality. How was such a thing possible? I realize such thoughts are cliche, but that was my overwhelming thought.
I led me to think, though. Could such a thing happen again? I am not one to make too many bold, inflamatory statements, but I could not resist thinking about modern day America. (Disclaimer: I am in no way making a case that America is like Nazi Germany) We are a nation that has used our might to wage war with a section of the world, and have certainly rubbed the rest of the world the wrong way. We have detainment camps, such as Guantanamo Bay, or Abu Graib, and they have been created under the auspices of "detaining potential terrorists", or generally to keep America safe. We have heard about injustices at these facilities, but we call them isolated and overexagerated, and we believe that a greater good is being accomplished. Is it not possible that we could be fooled just as the Germans were?
Like I said, there are far too many differences between Nazi Germany and the U.S., Hitler and George Bush, but it certainly allows for a bit of perspective. If nothing else, it causes me a bit more sympathy for Germans who were perceived to have just "looked the other way".
After leaving the camp, the rain had stopped, and so I thought it might be nice to walk the 45 minutes back to the Bahnhof. It has been nice to not be on any kind of schedule and have the privelage of meandering back and forth from places. So, I set off in search of the station, and 10 or 15 minutes into my trip the clouds opened up again and it began pouring. I sought shelter under an umbrella outside of a biergarten, but I was still becoming quite soaked. I ducked into a bar next door, had a beer in hopes that the rain would subside, but it did not. Finally I decided that a little rain would not hurt me, and I continued my trip.
An hour or so later, here I am, soaking wet, and glad to be under a roof.
My expectations upon departure were to come to a desolate camp, isolated from the rest of the area, and utterly depressing. What I found was something quite different. The town of Dachau is much the same as every other town that I had encountered in Bavaria, surrounded by trees and rivers, quaint shops and houses, and the general quiet atmosphere that makes the land what it is.
I caught a bus to take me the 20 minutes further to the memorial ground, and I was surprised again to find that Dachau Concentration Camp lies in the middle of the city. The area surrounding the walls is so lush and full, hardly fitting of a Nazi torture center. It was sunny as I stepped from the bus, surrounded by loud tourists from all over the world, but upon entering the gates of the camp, as if on cue, lighting struck and it began to pour. The clouds darkened the place, and the mood was set.
As you walk through the gates there reads a sign "Arbeit Mach Frei", which is something to the effect of "work will make you free", a lie perpetrated by the Nazi's. I learned that that is the way they managed to fool the masses into believing that what they were doing was noble. They convinced the world that they were rounding up those unwilling to work, or dangerous and "reforming" them through labor. I walked through several exhibits that detailed the propaganda techniques of the Hitler and his men, and how they were able to deceive so many. I had never seen convincing proof before of how people could be so blind for so long.
Apart from the extensive displays detailing the rise of the Third Reich, beginning after the defeat of Wolrd War I, which in themselves were fascinating, I was privy to the camp as seen through the eyes of the prisoners. From walking through the shower/torture room, the barracks, the role-call yard, the gas chambers, and even the furnaces used to dispose of the bodies, there was such a sense of unreality. How was such a thing possible? I realize such thoughts are cliche, but that was my overwhelming thought.
I led me to think, though. Could such a thing happen again? I am not one to make too many bold, inflamatory statements, but I could not resist thinking about modern day America. (Disclaimer: I am in no way making a case that America is like Nazi Germany) We are a nation that has used our might to wage war with a section of the world, and have certainly rubbed the rest of the world the wrong way. We have detainment camps, such as Guantanamo Bay, or Abu Graib, and they have been created under the auspices of "detaining potential terrorists", or generally to keep America safe. We have heard about injustices at these facilities, but we call them isolated and overexagerated, and we believe that a greater good is being accomplished. Is it not possible that we could be fooled just as the Germans were?
Like I said, there are far too many differences between Nazi Germany and the U.S., Hitler and George Bush, but it certainly allows for a bit of perspective. If nothing else, it causes me a bit more sympathy for Germans who were perceived to have just "looked the other way".
After leaving the camp, the rain had stopped, and so I thought it might be nice to walk the 45 minutes back to the Bahnhof. It has been nice to not be on any kind of schedule and have the privelage of meandering back and forth from places. So, I set off in search of the station, and 10 or 15 minutes into my trip the clouds opened up again and it began pouring. I sought shelter under an umbrella outside of a biergarten, but I was still becoming quite soaked. I ducked into a bar next door, had a beer in hopes that the rain would subside, but it did not. Finally I decided that a little rain would not hurt me, and I continued my trip.
An hour or so later, here I am, soaking wet, and glad to be under a roof.
Hi Michael-This is such a timely post. While you've been gone, I've made the acquaintance of a Holocaust survivor (Auschwitz)whose story is haunting. You made some thoughtful comments about Abu Graib, I've been thinking about Darfur, faith issues, good vs. evil, etc... I think I need a biergarten to pop into. Looking forward to hearing about the trip when you get back, until then, take care. Connie Ozbirn