# Dachau (Warning: Some original photos)



## UrbanX (Dec 7, 2011)

This report contains photos from Dachau in use, if you are easily offended, please hit ‘back’ now. I’m not using these images gratuitously: they form part of the story of the site. I have included these sparsely, and only in relation to the buildings on the site. 







Dachau remains in most peoples minds more than any other concentration camp (excluding Auswitz) as it was one of the first to be liberated, and received mass media coverage at the time. 






It was the first concentration camp built for purpose as we know it too, which was to serve as a precedent for future camps. It opened just 51 days after Hitler took power:






Visited solo, although by pure co-incidence I went the exact same day as Priority 7, so expect a report from him soon (he very kindly agreed to let me put mine up first) and he will no doubt be able to share a deeper slice of history than me! 






Roll call square: (I’ve ghosted on a photograph taken in the same spot on Photoshop)





The famous entrance gate. Translated as “Work will liberate” 





This is a room in the gatehouse, which is off limits to visitors. I have later researched to find this is Room #5. And would have been the office for the ‘Report Leader. Who would have been the superior of the gate house, and in charge of the roll calls in the main square. 






Here is the main square during use: 





Roll Call at Dachau. If the head count didn’t add up, the prisoners would have to wait, often is stress positions, often in bad weather until everyone was accounted for. This would often involve dragging out the recent dead to be counted too. 






The square as it stands today: 





Over its twelve years as a concentration camp, the Dachau administration recorded the intake of 206,206 prisoners and 31,951 deaths. Crematoria were constructed to dispose of the deceased. These numbers do not tell the entire story. Many died on their way to, or between camps, or in satellite camps, or after liberation due to the atrocities they suffered whilst detained. 

The majority of the prisoners would be held in 32 blocks of dormitories: 





All of the following were taken in the front block of the above photograph. 











Washing / drinking fountain: 





Toilet blocks:










The number of people who died at Dachau is misleading, as a large number died during transit. 
American troops opening up a train at Dachau to find starved bodies:





Remains of the platform & track today: 





Although, never used specifically an ’extermination camp’ like Auscwitz, deaths in the camp were from poor sanitation, deprivation of medical care, withholding of nutrients, medical experiments, or beatings and shootings for infractions of the rules or at random 

The camp was divided into two sections: the camp area and the crematorium. The camp area consisted of 69 barracks, including one for clergy imprisoned for opposing the Nazi regime and one reserved for medical experiments. These were actual cells as opposed to bunked dorms, and today stand derelict 











Medical testing rooms: 















A lot of these cells would have been divided up into ‘standing cells’ which measured just 70x70cm. 





The corridor down the centre of ‘the bunker’ building is epic. It runs for miles. There are 152 doors. 






























In the shower block: A bullwhip, and a whipping table are still present. One of the most humiliating facts is that the prisoners would have had to have made these themselves. 





















The camp was surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire gate, a ditch, and a wall with seven guard towers:










Perhaps the most chilling part of the site is the crematorium, which was built just outside of the perimeter fence. 





Storage room for the dead. 





The crematorium itself. A large number of prisoners were hung to death from the beams right in front of the kiln. It was extremely efficient not to have to transport the bodies. 






This photograph was taken from a similar position in this room 70 years ago:





There were so many bodies to deal with at Dachau (averaging 200 - 300 deaths a day just through malnutrition) that this was actually the second crematorium to be built on site. I managed to find the original smaller kiln: 







There was a gas chamber at Dachau, although it was not extensively used, it served as a precedent for future camps. In order to coral the prisoners in calmly, and in groups of over 100 they were duped into thinking it was a shower. They would be told to strip, and there would be towels hung on the wall, they would then be led into through this door. Translated “Shower” 






Into this room. The doors would be locked and sealed tight either side, before the room would be filled with Zyklon B gas. 






A short walk into the woods slowly reveals more horrors at every clearing. 











The American troops were so horrified by conditions at the camp that a few killed some of the camp guards after they had surrendered in what is called the Dachau massacre. The number massacred is disputed as some Germans were killed in combat, some were shot while attempting to surrender, and others were killed after their surrender was accepted. For more info, just wiki “Dachau Massacre” 






American troops also forced local citizens to the camp to see for themselves the conditions there and to help clean the facilities. Many local residents were shocked about the experience and claimed no knowledge of the activities at the camp. What shocked me whilst leaving the camp was the proximity of the current neighbours. A modern housing estate has been built since the war, with gardens backing straight onto the camp & guard towers. 

Liberation Day. 





Thanks for reading. It was a tough one. I know I’ve been moved before from visiting Pripyat, but this was completely different as Chernobyl was an accident, what happened here was cold hearted, just un human. 
It’s easy to not visit, to forget about it. But in an uncertain world where atrocities still happen it’s important to look back on sites like Dachau and to learn from it.


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## Priority 7 (Dec 7, 2011)

It does give you an idea of the size of the place, I was there at the same time and didn't see UrbanX there at all...nice work bud and great photos


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## UrbanX (Dec 7, 2011)

Oops may have just crashed DP! 
Cheers by can't wait to see yours, I'm sure you'll do a lot better job of the vast history than me! Was good to see you in Munich tho!


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## Priority 7 (Dec 7, 2011)

Your pics and my write up we would be top of the pile


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## Jimthething (Dec 7, 2011)

Very well photographed report, UrbanX. I completely agree; you can't turn away from images that might be upsetting or shocking when it comes to something like this. The atrocities committed in these sites can never be allowed to fade from memory.
Very poignant, thanks for posting.


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## kevsy21 (Dec 7, 2011)

Excellent report,must have been quite a moving experience seeing this place,Good work.


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## Foxylady (Dec 7, 2011)

That was so well done, Urb. Very moving and a great reminder. 
Cheers.


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## krela (Dec 7, 2011)

I thought band of brothers did a good job of depicting the horrors, and that only covered a sub camp. Very good report. Thanks as always.


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## Lightbuoy (Dec 7, 2011)

Just makes me numb to see such places where human beings were treated so cruelly and murdered by other human beings 

Thanks for posting UX.


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## UrbanX (Dec 7, 2011)

Cheers guy and gals! Soz youre all looking through 2 reports, but neither of us knew we were going, and if we both posted in the same thread, DP would prob fall over! 
Thanks for all the lovely comments!


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## night crawler (Dec 7, 2011)

I looked through this earlier and was stunned. I've always wanted to visit one of the places but was never near them. Your photo's bring it home how cruel people can be and the the two photos of the execution ranges just show the callousness of what they though of the prisoners. Thanks for taking the time to show us.


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## 0xygen (Dec 7, 2011)

Really interesting report - thanks for sharing! I went to Auschwitz-Berkenau a couple of years ago and that was intense - can't really put into words how I felt at the time. Have wanted to visit this place for a while so it's interesting to see a report,

-0xy


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## oldscrote (Dec 8, 2011)

A pair of sobering reports on mans inhumanity to man, thanks for sharing


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## TeeJF (Dec 8, 2011)

One has to ask oneself what makes an entire country turn nasty like that...


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## alex76 (Dec 8, 2011)

Nicely done mate still cant beleave you two where roaming around and never bumped into each other yeah nice one chaps...


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## neill (Dec 8, 2011)

I could write alot about this place, but don't worry I won't write too much. I visited Dachau over 25 years ago when Germany was still divided. I was with some friends and we were camping in the area, by pure chance. We could not understand why there so many East Germans in their Tribant cars were camping there. A visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial by a relative paying their respects, was in those days one of the few reasons why an East German was allowed to come to the West. The reason we visited the Concentration Camp was because we had talked to an old German man in Munich, who had been forced by the American Forces to clear the Camp, following liberation. We could see the horror still in his eyes, all those years later. 

The Camp was the very first to be setup by the Nazis, as a political prisoners camp, and as early as 1932! It was later used as a training camp for the SS. The buildings next to the Camp was the SS barracks, the buildings are now used by the Munich Police elite Flying Squad of the German equivalent on the Sweeney - sometimes I think that the Germans have no sense of irony!!! 

There were many, many small work camps surrounding the main Camp at Dachau, over a hundred. One of these was featured in 'Band of Brothers'. A few are still there, un-kept and partly hidden. If you do the research you can still see them on Google earth, but over the last 15 years or so, many have been cleared by the local authorities. There was a list published somewhere on the net of all the camps, together with their locations. If I can find it I will post it.

N


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## Pincheck (Dec 9, 2011)

Something that is a sad reflection on human kind, sadly i don't think we learned from this if you look at the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. These things must never be tolerated.............Ever


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## DARREN138 (Dec 10, 2011)

Once again another great photoset from the Master. I am off to the Oktoberfest next year and I am planning a detour to visit Dachau myself while I am there. It will be one of those visits that you both look froward to and NOT look forward to in equal measure.


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## Priority 7 (Dec 10, 2011)

Try the food in the Hofbauhaus while you are there bud well worth it and not too expensive either


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## UrbanX (Dec 12, 2011)

Afternoon all. for anyone interested: 
The video of the trip (Dereliction Addiction 7) will be here: 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hZY7gOS-_U[/ame]


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## DARREN138 (Dec 17, 2011)

Priority 7 said:


> Try the food in the Hofbauhaus while you are there bud well worth it and not too expensive either



Been there twice previously and totally agree sir.The Hofbrauhaus is probably my favourite pub in the world!


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## UrbanX (Dec 17, 2011)

I met P7 for the first time on an Urbex in Leicester only 6 days before this, so imagine our surprise when we met up in said hofbrauhaus. I have lots of funny drunk explorer photos from the night, but this isnt the place to post them.


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## Foxylady (Dec 17, 2011)

UrbanX said:


> I have lots of funny drunk explorer photos from the night, but this isnt the place to post them.


Doh! Now that would be worth seeing.


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