Never Again

On Tuesday, November 1, 2005, I went to a place that I hope never to return to.

Dachau, Germany was the premier concentration camp of its time. It was Hitler's prized camp. Dachau was actually a "re-education camp", teahcing "discipline" and "work-morale" to its inhabitants. This Nazi propaganda was bought by people of Germany as well as international countries.

Dachau was opened on March 22, 1933, holding 6,000 prisoners. This was the maximum number of prisoners that the camp was capable of housing.



But, on April 29, 1945 (12 years later...Dachau was the only Concentration Camp to remain open all 12 years)...the US army liberated over 63,000 prisoners. 63,000 prisoners in a location capable of holding a maximum of 6,000.

Now, the horendous affairs that took place in Dachau are too disgusting to even mention. Every Nazi Concentraion Camp was known for something...well, Dachau was the camp that was known for a little of everything.


At the entrance of the KZ (German for Concentration Camp), there was an iron gate with the words "Arbeit Macht Frei"...Work Brings Freedom. This was put there by the Nazis to mock the prisoners.

The KZ had rows and rows of barracks where people would sleep and bathe. There was a Crematorium on the grounds, a working center, a roll-call area, and many guard stands and headquarters.



The most feared Barrack was Barrack 3 (see picture below). This was were the sickening Medical Experiments were performed. Today, Barrack 3 has been destroyed, but there is a cement block on the row where that barrack stood. I would recommend that you research this on your own if you are interested...honestly, I can't really find the words to type to say what happened.

Dachau also had a bathing house where "showers" were to "clense" the population inside the camp. There is a picture above (with the greenish doors) where some of the "showers" took place.





Never Again: This is the theme of the memorial site now at Dachau. The words "Never Again" are displayed to tell those visiting this memorial to watch that this never happens again. And, after leaving the KZ, people are convinced that this should never happen again. There is not one well-minded human being who could possibly say that this treatment was justified.

Never Again.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of disgusting news. But, the part of the whole experience that made me the most sick was the fact that genocides are still happening today. The holocaust is one of the most known genocides in history...but, there are genocides still happening RIGHT NOW.

Right now, in Sudan, Africa, a genocide is happening...which death totals up to the 300,000s. In our enlightened, technological society today...how can a genocide like the holocaust still be going on today? I do not understand. And, frankly, I will probably never understand.

Never Again?