Thursday, November 24, 2011

Dachau Concentration Camp

           So for my birthday I decided I wanted to go to Dachau Concentration Camp. We were going right by it on our way home from the Alps and we decided to stop. It was a very somber experience and it is hard to explain the emotions you feel looking at it in real life. I have lots of photos. I tried not to include other people, but it was very hard not to. Also my flash is acting up so please excuse the two tone pictures...

            On March 22, 1933, a few weeks after Adolf Hitler had been appointed Reich Chancellor, a concentration camp for political prisoners was set up in Dachau. This camp served as a model for all later concentration camps and as a "school of violence" for the SS men under whose command it stood. In the twelve years of its existence over 200,000 persons from all over Europe were imprisoned here and in the numerous subsidary camps. 41,500 were murdered. On April 29 1945, American troops liberated the survivors.


This is the main entrance to Dachau. As you pass through the main door it says above "Work will set you free." The Nazi's covered up the truth about Dachau by passing it off as a work camp where prisoners learned new job skills before they were released. Obviously they never left once they passed through this door.




One of the main sets of "barracks" for the "prisoners"


In English this says " May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom in respect for their fellow man."



One of the multiple guard towers almost every few feet.


Door to barracks.


Theirs beds....


Their toilets..


Their wash room....



Main yard where they would have formation every morning. Sometimes Nazi guards would randomly execute prisoners while in formation....


This is the main tribute in the camp...





People still come and leave roses in the barbed wire fencing...



The chapel of resolution...



The path that leads to the execution ranges... there was such an odd feeling in the air




One of many execution gas chambers... they prisoners were told they could take a shower.. then they were gased. There is also hooks in the ceiling where Nazi guards would sometimes execute one prisoner at a time.


Main crematorium....



Room where bodies were stored until prisoners cremated them...


Decontamination chambers...






Main execution range with blood ditch and run off.....


All unknown bodies are buried here...




 Crematorium from outside...



This fence line in particular is where prisoners would throw themselves into the fence so guards would shoot them...


Guard tower they would have been shot from...





Places like this should make us all feel lucky to have the life we have. No matter if we are short on money, our family is far away or we don't have everything we want we are still lucky to be free and make our own choices. Have a great Thanksgiving wherever you are...

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Beautiful Heidelberg.....

       So we finally made it over to Heidelberg this weekend. It was so beautiful and well worth the two and a half hour drive it took to get to it. This castle is full of a long and confusing history. It was initially built in 1196 after that it went through many different owners including King Ludwig and certain popes. It has been destroyed by fire and wars throughout its long history, but this castle is still amazing to look at. And even though partially distructed, it is still gorgeous. Germany is in the process of restoring it now so in some of my pictures you will see scafoldes. Enjoy because there are a ton of pictures.

This is the first view of the castle you see when coming down into the valley it sits in....




The grounds surrounding the castle... I couldn't take enough pictures with there being so much color in the trees... it was a perfect fall day...






This is one of the towers that was shot apart by French soldiers in the 1600's using their cannons.



The side that took the most damage......



Straight on shot of the damage....

This is how the castle originally looked before any wars or fires.....




The ornate detail in this castle is amazing.......




One of the many look-outs that gives you a gorgeous view of the city and the Main river....



The city................











Looking down into what once was filled with water.....









 I have no idea what these trees are... but the leaves look like little Japanese fans when you look at them...



And of course my two favorite boys.....









I hope you enjoyed Heidelberg Castle like we did..... have a great week!