About Dachau

Dachau was the first German concentration camp established by Nazi Germany. Officially said to be a camp for political prisoners, Dachau would exist as a model camp for 12 years until its dismantlement after WWII. Dachau is also the name of the village located nearby.

History of

Located about 16 km northwest of Munich and at the site of an abandoned munitions factory, Dachau KZ (concentration camp) was established in 1933 by a coalition government of the Nazi party and the Catholic Zentrum party, which was dissolved shortly thereafter. The camp was used as a model for other Nazi concentration camps, though it would not gain the title of "Death Camp" because it did not contain gas chambers and systematic assembly line of death like camps such as Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.

The Facts

Dachau held over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries. Two-thirds were political prisoners, which included anyone opposed to the Nazi party as well as Roma and Sinti, Jehovah Witnesses and homosexuals. One-third of the prisoners were Jews. It is believed that over 63,000 prisoners died in the camp and subcamps of Dachau by the end of 1944. These deaths were mainly caused by disease, malnutrition and suicide. A typhus epidemic swept through the camp in early 1945, killing many of the weaker prisoners.

Time Frame

The camp was liberated on April 29, 1945, by the 42nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Seventh Army. Over 30,000 starving prisoners had been left in squalid conditions with many of the administration and guards fleeing before the advancing troops. The barracks were crammed with approximately 1,600 prisoners in each of the 20 barracks that were originally designed for 250 each.

Effects

Horrified by what they discovered, several American troops shot some of the guards after they surrendered. This was later called the "Dachau Massacre." Reports vary in the number of guards killed, but Gen. George Patton dropped court-martial charges on the soldiers when he was military governor of Bavaria. U.S. soldiers also forced local villagers to visit the camp and help in the cleanup efforts. Many locals claimed they had no knowledge of the camp's existence.

Evolution

In 1965, the former concentration camp was established as a memorial site. Today, visitors can explore or take a guided tour of the grounds, buildings, memorials and museum. A visitor center is under construction. The former camp is visited by 800,000 people a year from around the world.

Expert Insight

The camp's website opens with this quote:
"Dachau--the significance of this name will never be erased from German history. It stands for all concentration camps which the Nazis established in their territory."

Eugen Kogon