Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp

As part of the LMU excursion program, I visited the Dachau concentration camp. My first impression of Dachau was that it seemed no different from other tourist sites. It was a peaceful town, and if you didn’t know it was a concentration camp, you would think it was an ordinary rural village. The only difference was that everyone approached it with a somewhat heavy heart.

The Dachau concentration camp was the first Nazi concentration camp established in Germany. It was located on the grounds of a former munitions factory about 16 km northwest of Munich in southern Germany. This camp became the prototype for other subsequent concentration camps. A total of more than 200,000 prisoners from over 30 countries were incarcerated at Dachau. More than a third of them were Jewish.

The most memorable moment for me was passing through the gate with the inscription “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” I couldn’t even imagine the feelings of the prisoners as they entered a place where they could never be free until death.

Walking on the grass in front of the barbed wire fence also stirred many emotions. Prisoners were shot on sight if they stepped on that grass. I felt a deep sense of mourning for those who were so close to freedom, just a few meters away.

Inside the camp’s exhibition hall, there were detailed explanations and photographs showing how brutally the Nazis abused and exploited the prisoners. Our guide demonstrated the postures and explained the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

At the end, we were shown the crematorium. The words inscribed on the statue in front of the crematorium remain etched in my memory: “DEN TOTEN ZUR EHR DEN LEBENDEN ZUR MAHNUNG.” I thought this phrase held profound meaning. The importance of being alive, the historical lessons we can learn from the dead—these are all things we must not forget.

Seeing how Germany educates exchange students about its shameful history in such detail gave me a sense of Germany’s commitment to remembering its past mistakes. Additionally, this excursion made me realize how crucial it is to remember history and continue progressing.