Dachau Concentration Camp, Munich

Dachau Concentration Camp, Munich

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps in Nazi Germany and became a model for all subsequent camps in the Third Reich.

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps in Nazi Germany and became a model for all subsequent camps in the Third Reich. Located 16 km northwest of Munich on the banks of the Wurm river, it was set up on the site of an abandoned munitions factory in 1933 and remained operational till its liberation by American forces on 29-April 1945. Over 188,000 Jews and other political prisoners were interred here over the years, several of whom were used as slave labor to manufacture weapons and other war material, as well as subjects of brutal medical experiments by the Nazis.

The site of the concentration camp was converted into a memorial in 1965, presenting historical facts and personal accounts of the prisoners. Trace the 'path of the prisoners' which led to the camp, their life in the camp, and their journey to either death or liberation. The Path of Remembrance comprises the 3 km long route from the Dachau railway station to the Visitors’ Center which was taken by prisoners in the Nazi era. It has information panels about the town of Dachau and the camp. At the site, visitors can see the Jorhaus gate with the infamous words "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free), the roll call site Appelplatz, original prisoner barracks with patios and dorms, courtyards, Maintenance Building with kitchen, laundry and showers as well as the permanent exhibition, bunker with electric wire fence, crematorium and chapels. The permanent exhibition is split into 3 chronological chapters, each documenting the role of the camp in Nazi Germany and its expansion over time.

The Dachau Kommandantur (headquarters), and main building of the SS Kaserne lie outside the memorial site. Also nearby are the medicinal herb garden maintained by prisoners, Hebertshausen where over 4000 prisoners were shot, and the memorial cemeteries at Waldfriedhof and Dachau-Leitenberg.