Friday, July 18, 2008
GERMANY - BMW Tour
Guided Plant Tours Tour visitors must be 12 years of age or older. No open toe, or open heel shoes, high heels (heel and sole more than two inches high), or "spike" heels (minimum of 1 inch diameter across horizontal plane) are permitted. No cameras allowed in the factory. Reservations are required. Guided tours of the plant are $5.00. A discount rate of $3.50 is available for students and BMWCCA members. For tour reservations call 1-888-TOUR-BMW (868-7269). Virtual Plant Tour. Get unparalleled access to the manufacturing process while taking a look at how we build the ultimate driving machine.
GERMANY - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN is served by the A95 Autobahn (motorway), and has railway connections to Munich, Innsbruck, Reutte and to the Zugspitze. The views of the majestic peak from the town are especially spectacular and several accessible hiking trails cover both the lower and higher elevations. In 1936 it was the site of the Winter Olympic Games. A variety of Ski World Cup Races are also held here, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is also a favored holiday spot for skiing, snowboarding, and hiking, having some of the best skiing areas in Germany. There is also a civilian run American Armed Forces Recreation Center (Edelweiss Lodge and Resort) in Garmisch that serves U.S. and NATO military and their families. A number of U.S. troops and military civilians are still stationed in the town to provide logistic support to the Marshall Center and Edelweiss Recreation Center.
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN is Germany's winter sports capital. The town comprises two villages that were merged together for the Winter Olympics of 1936, the older Partenkirchen and the more modern Garmisch.
Garmisch is the ritzier of the two, with plenty of fashionable shops and cafes. Its Kurpark regularly hosts open-air concerts, and the Kurhaus contains a collection of Meissen porcelain and historic toys. Pfarrkirche St. Martin, built in 1733, has a rich baroque interior. Partenkirchen is characterized by traditional painted houses, and one of these, a former merchant's residence at Ludwigstrasse 47, is the only house in the street not to have been devastated by a terrible fire in 1865. The house contains the Werdenfelser Heimatmuseum, which vividly brings the region's distinctive culture to life. You are still likely to see country folk in traditional costumes and cattle being driven from their mountain grazing grounds through the streets here.
The towns straddle the River Partnach, surrounded by mighty mountain massifs. Most impressive is the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany at 2,962m (9,724ft), easily conquered nowadays by rack railway from Garmisch. There's also the option of taking the cable car from Erwald past the imposing West Wall, or the Eibsee cable railway from Grainau at Lake Eibsee.
The Alpspitze: Garmisch-Partenkirchen's famous landmark is the Alpspitze mountain (2,628m) – to "conquer" its peak visitors have the option of a leisurely stroll or a more energetic walk along some of the 100 kilometres of mountain paths and health and fitness tracks. During winter, the snow-covered trails have a special magic of their own.
see Partnach Gorge - Partnachklamm
GERMANY - Malching
Found something on a place called Malching, Germany. Thanks to some friends who answered my request for help at www.tripadvisor.com. Finding it might be harder than I thought or had hoped. I wanted to find it and the office of records to try and find these people
We came from this background and as you may be able to see this is not all of our ancestors this is just the ones that we have records of.
Mary Katrina
Born: 24 May
Died: 22 July 1920
Married: Jacob
Jacob
Born: 1865, Malching, Germany
Died:
Married: Katrina
Children: John Matthew & Frank Isador (Born December 12,1867 Malching,Germany Died:May 13,1915)
Employer: Guard at Kaiser Wilhelm Palace in Berlin
(Husband&Father) John Matthew:
Born: 29 Jun 1869 in Germany
Died:
Married: Amelia Tresia Pierson
Arrived in US : 16Mar 1885 (age 15)
Children: George Adolph
Amelia Tresia Pierson
Born: 6 Nov.1876 in Sweden
Died: in Memphis, Shelby Co., Tennessee, USA
Married: John Matthews
Children: George Adolph
George Adolph (1st generation American)
Born: 03 Jun 1905 in West Helena, Phillips Co., Arkansas, USA
Died: 27 Apr 1986 at Age: 80 in Crystal City, Jefferson Co., Missouri, USA
Baptized: 4 Apr 1920 at Age: 14
Married: 27 Nov 1929 at Age: 24 to Hazel Delle Clippard
Children: Shirlie Leigh
Children: George Frank
Hazel Delle Clippard
Born: 26 Nov 1908 in Anniston, Calhoun Co., Alabama, USA
Died: 11 Mar 1985 at Age: 76 in Festus, Jefferson Co., Missouri, USA
Married: 27 Nov 1929 at Age: 21 to George Adolph
Children: Shirlie Lee
Children: George Frank
or any ancestors of them.
Malching is not that close to Munich though, as I had hoped it would be. 3-4 hours by public transport as I am being told.
Two spa towns with English pages close to Malching are http://www.bad-fuessing.de &
http://www.bad-griesbach.de the next closest major town with any highlights is Passau
www.passau.de/public_main_modul.php… & passau.de/media/…5D.pdf
Burghausen with Europe's longest castle burghausen.de/content/index.cfm/fuseaction/1…
GERMANY - Nurnberg
The bus stand is located outside the Arrival Hall of the main terminal.
"Airport Shuttle N" is where you will arrive (at 1 a.m. *moahn*), "Hauptbahnhof" is the central station, so basically the station is next door.
connection at Mainz: to GermanRail Direct Train
Mainz - Munchen dep on the hour
4 days in 1 mo - Twinpass $170*2 + Youth $188 = $528
Plfm Lvs Avs
* 4a/b - Mainz Hbf 11:40 - 0 chg - Nürnberg Hbf 14:28 ICE 27 (Wurzburg Hbf 13:31)
* 4a - Mainz Hbf 12:02 - 1 chg - Frankfurt Hbf (tief) 12:43 S 8
chg in Frankfurt Hbf (tief) WALK to Frankfort Main 10 min
7 - Frankfurt Main Hbf 12:54 - Nürnberg Hbf 15:00 ICE 625
* 4a - Mainz Hbf 13:02 - 1 chg - Frankfurt Hbf (tief) 13:43 S 8
chg in Frankfurt Hbf (tief) WALK to Frankfort Main 10 min
9 - Frankfurt Main Hbf 13:54 - Nürnberg Hbf 16:00 ICE 625
Located about 170 kilometres north of Munich, at 49.27° N 11.5° E. Population (as of 01/2006) is 500,132. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the center of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions–the Nuremberg rallies. Today many examples of Nazi architecture can still be seen in the city. During World War II, Nuremberg was the headquarters of Wehrkreis (military district) XIII, and an important site for military production, including airplanes, submarines, and tank engines. A subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here. Extensive use was made of slave labour. The city was severely damaged in Allied strategic bombing from 1943-1945. On January 2, 1945, the medieval city centre was systematically bombed by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Forces and about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour, with 1,800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. Despite this, the city was rebuilt after the war and was to some extent, restored to its pre-war appearance including the reconstruction of some of its medieval buildings.
Between 1945 and 1946, German officials involved in the Holocaust and other war crimes were taken in front of an international tribunal in the Nuremberg Trials. The Soviet Union had wanted the trials to take place in Berlin, but Nuremberg was chosen as the site for the trials for specific reasons:
- It was located in the American occupation zone
- The Palace of Justice was spacious and largely undamaged (one of the few that had remained largely intact through extensive Allied bombing of Germany). A large prison was also part of the complex.
- The city had been the location of the Nazi Party's Nuremberg rallies; there was symbolic value in making it the place of the Nazi demise.
- As a compromise, it was agreed that Berlin would become the permanent seat of the International Military Tribunal and that the first trial (several were planned) would take place in Nuremberg. Because of the Cold War, there were no subsequent trials. The same courtroom in Nuremberg was the venue of the Nuremberg Military Tribunals, organised by the United States as occupying power in the area.
Nuremberg for many people is still associated with its traditional gingerbread (Lebkuchen) products, sausages, and handmade toys. The first pocket watches — Nuremberg eggs — were made here in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century Nuremberg became the "industrial heart" of Bavaria with companies such as Siemens and MAN establishing a strong base in the city. The city is also strong in the fields of automation, energy, and medical technology. A good third of German market research agencies is also located in the city.
SITES: The southern part of the old town, known as Lorenzer Seite, is separated from the north by the river Pegnitz and encircled to the south by the city walls.
- Nuremberg Castle: the three castles that tower over the city including central burgraves' castle, with Free Reich's buildings to the east, the Imperial castle to the west.
- Heilig-Geist-Spital. In the centre of the city, on the bank of the river Pegnitz, stands the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. Founded in 1332, this is one of the largest hospitals of the Middle Ages. Lepers were kept here at some distance from the other patients. It now houses elderly persons and a restaurant.
- Hauptmarkt, which provides a picturesque setting and famous market for gingerbread. Nuremberg's star attraction is the Gothic Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) which was erected around 1385 but subsequently replaced with a replica (the original fountain is kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum). The unchanged Renaissance bridge Fleischbrücke crosses the Pegnitz nearby.
- The following churches are located inside the city walls: St. Sebaldus Church, St. Lorenz, Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church), Saint Klara, Saint Martha, Saint Jakob, Saint Egidien, and Saint Elisabeth.
- Gothic St Lorenz-Kirche (St. Lorenz church, St. Lorenz), one of the most important buildings in Nuremberg. The main body was built around 1270-1350.
- The church of the former Katharinenkloster is preserved as a ruin, the Cartause is integrated into the building of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the choir of the former Franzikanerkirche is part of a modern building.
- The Walburga Chapel and the Romanesque Doppelkapelle (Chapel with two floors) are part of Nuremberg Castle.
- The Johannisfriedhof is a medieval cemetery, containing many old graves (Albrecht Dürer, Willibald Pirckheimer, and others). The Rochusfriedhof or the Wöhrder Kirchhof are near the Old Town.
- The Tiergarten Nürnberg is a zoo stretching over more than 60 ha in the Nürnberger Reichswald.
- There is also a medieval market just inside the city walls, selling handcrafted goods.
- The German National Railways Museum (German) (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage) is located in Nuremberg.
- The Nuremberg Ring (now welded within an iron fence) is said to bring good luck to those that touch it.
R AIL: Nuremberg Central Station is a stop for IC and ICE trains on the German long-distance railway network. The Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich High-Speed line with 300 km/h operation opened May 28, 2006, and was fully integrated into the rail schedule on December 10, 2006. Travel times to Munich have been reduced to as little as one hour.
SOCCER: FC Nuremberg, known locally as Der Club, was founded in 1900 and is steeped in tradition. The team plays in the Second Bundesliga. The official colours of the association are red and white, but the traditional colours are red and black. The current president is Michael A. Roth. They play in the EasyCredit Stadium, which was rebuilt for the World Championship in 2006 and accommodates 46,000. German Champion: 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1936, 1948, 1961, 1968 German Cup: 1935, 1939, 1962, 2007
GERMANY - Mittenwald
For nearly 200 years, the town was the center of trading for all of Europe. Starting in the late 1400s, merchants from all over world went there to exchange gold, silver, spices and silk. Evidence of that time still exists today. Some of the town's homes, for example, have extra-wide doorways, which were built to leave room for the carriages to pass through so the riders could unload their goods and feed their horses.
Violin-makers: Bavaria is well-renowned for its craftsmanship. The violin-making tradition in Mittenwald goes back over 300 years. The craft is very time-intensive; it takes around two months to finish just one violin.
Hiking: Karwendel Mountain Range: The mountain range is 6,500 feet high, and the climb is steep, so if you're not up for it, you can catch a 10-minute cable-car ride to the top in Mittenwald. Two countries share the top of the mountain: Germany on one side, and Austria on the other. The mountain air is clean and fresh, and there are lots of great outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding. Hiking is particularly popular, with more than 80 miles of hiking trails.
GERMANY - Oberammergau
A storybook town, under the watchful eye of the Alps.
Frescos: When people say that Oberammergau is picturesque, they mean it literally. Frescos are painted on buildings all across the town. The technique became popular back in the eighth century. At first, the frescos were used to add architectural detail to home columns, balconies and grand entranceways, but the themes gradually became more religious. Take a tour and pick out which ones are your favorites!
Passion Play: Every 10 years, the citizens of Oberammergau stage a passion play that is unmatched by any other in the world. In 1634, the town vowed that if God spared them from the effects of the Bubonic plague ravaging the region, they would perform a play every 10 years depicting the life and death of Jesus. The tradition has continued ever since. The next takes place in 2010, and tickets go on sale in 2008.
GERMANY - Neuschwanstein Castle
This storybook-like castle was built by King Ludwig II in 1868. He wrote that he wanted it built on a rocky precipice, as if heavenly and he wanted it to appear unapproachable. Unapproachable is right. From the parking lot, it is a steep, 1/2-mile climb, but definitely worth the effort. The castle is one of the grandest and most visited in all of Europe. Incidentally, it was also the inspiration for Walt Disney's quintessential fairy-tale castle. Sadly, King Ludwig II never saw his castle completed. In fact, the building of Neuschwanstein Castle and of a few others raised some eyebrows as to the king's state of mind. On June 8, 1886, he was certified insane and deposed. Five days later, he was found dead floating in a lake. Was it murder, suicide or an accident? No one knows for sure. What is known is that Bavarians to this day still love Ludwig II, the dreamer king who built a castle in the sky. Hours: Daily April-Sept., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Oct -March, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets: Tickets are obtainable only at the ticket center in Hohenschwangau: April-September: 8 am-5 pm October-March: 9 am-3 pm Tickets can also be booked in advance at the ticket center for an additional charge: Ticket service Neuschwanstein, Alpseestr. 12, 87645 Hohenschwangau tel (0 83 62) 9 30 83-0, fax (0 83 62) 9 30 83-20 www.ticket-center-hohenschwangau.de Guided tours Guided tours (ca. 30 mins) in German and English. Audio guide tours in eleven languages. Admission charges: 9 euros regular, 8 euros reduced Combination ticket Neuschwanstein Castle / Hohenschwangau Castle: 17 euros regular, 15 euros reduced
GERMANY - Transportation
Transit maps can be obtained for free from tourist offices and are usually included in guidebooks.You'll find them posted at most bus and streetcar stops and subway stations often sport life-sized versions along the platforms. Street maps of the surrounding neighborhood are also usually posted in rail stations, making it easy to find your way from the station to your destination.
- Bus - Nearly every town and many rural areas have scheduled local bus service. In some cases, this service is operated by GermanRail (Bahnbus).
- Straßenbahn/Trambahn (streetcar/tram) - Most medium and large cities have a streetcar system, sometimes fairly extensive. In some areas, streetcar lines run underground in the central city area. Trams are prevalent in many eastern German cities. Service is fairly frequent, usually 20-30 minutes during off-peak periods.
- InterCityExpress (ICE) highspeed trains stop at Munich-Pasing and MunichHbf only.
- InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains with destinations East of Munich also stop at Munich East. Since 28 May 2006 Munich is connected to Nuremberg via Ingolstadt by a 300 km/h (186 mph) ICE high speed railway line.
- Stadtbahn (light rail) Some cities, most notably Stuttgart, Hanover, Cologne, and cities in the Ruhr region, have relatively new light rail systems. Generally, these systems function very much like a U-Bahn system with wide-gauge tracks, longer trains, and high platforms. In fact, most Stadtbahn systems are marked with the standard "U" sign like subways. However, while the Stadtbahn usually runs in extensive tunnel networks within the central city areas, it runs mostly overground outside of the central city.
- U-Bahn (Untergrundbahn, subway/underground) A few of Germany's largest cities have a full-fledged subway system. For the most part, these systems are located underground, but may run on elevated tracks or at ground level, especially in outlying areas. These systems generally serve the central city and immediately adjacent suburbs. Service is frequent, usually 5-15 minutes during off-peak periods.
- S-Bahn (Schnellbahn, suburban commuter rail) The largest metropolitan areas (Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt-Mainz-Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Cologne-Düsseldorf-Ruhr District, Nuremburg, Dresden, Leipzig-Halle, Mannheim-Heidelberg-Karlsruhe, Magdeburg, and Rostock) have a brilliant commuter train system called the S-Bahn. These are express trains connecting the central city to the farthest-flung suburbs. These routes primarily run above ground except in the central city, where they often run underground. Service is fairly frequent, usually 20-30 minutes during off-peak periods. Besides providing suburban service, the S-Bahn also makes several stops in the central city area as well. These stops are generally further apart than those on the U-Bahn or Stadtbahn and therefore makes the S-Bahn a good option for longer central city journeys. Unlike the other systems above, which are operated by local governments or franchises, S-Bahn systems are all operated by GermanRail.
* Other modes of urban public transport you may come across include:
- Zahnradbahn (cog railway/funicular)
- Seilbahn (cable railway)
- Schwebebahn (suspended railway): Ride the famous one in Wuppertal if you get a chance- it's over 100 years old!
- H-Bahn/Hochbahn (elevated train)
* Some foreign visitors confuse the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. It's easy for English speakers to separate these: U = Underground, S = Suburban.
* Also, don't confuse S-Bahn with Straßenbahn or Stadtbahn-- these are quite different!
* Note that any service times indicated above are for weekdays. Service on weekends may be substantially reduced, especially on Sundays and holidays. Schedules are always posted at stops and stations.
* Most transit systems use the central rail station (Hauptbahnhof) as a major hub. This makes it easy to get from the station to your hotel and vice versa.
*Individual transportation: Munich is an integral part of the motorway network of southern Germany. Motorways from Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Lindau, Garmisch Partenkirchen and Salzburg terminate at Munich, allowing direct access the different parts of Germany, Austria and Italy. However, traffic in and around Munich is often heavy. Traffic jams are commonplace during rush hour and at the beginning and end of major holidays in Germany.
- Cycling is recognised as a good alternative to motorised transport and the growing number of bicycle lanes are widely used throughout the year. A modern bike hire system is available in the central area of Munich that is surrounded by the beltway.
** Since GermanRail operates the S-Bahn systems, Eurail or GermanRail passes are valid on all S-Bahn trains. Your pass must be in effect for the day you want to use the S-Bahn (meaning that you must be using a travel day on those flexipasses.) If you have a valid pass and use the S-Bahn in conjunction with other modes of public transportation for a journey, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for the segment of your trip that is not via S-Bahn. For instance, if your trip from Point A to Point C includes an S-Bahn from A to B and a U-Bahn from B to C, then you will need to purchase a ticket for the B to C segment, and you will need to purchase this ticket when you reach Point B. Remember, the passes are only valid on the S-Bahn, not the U-Bahn, Stadtbahn, or trams. If you did not or will not be riding a long-distance mainline train on a given day, don't waste a flexipass day on S-Bahn travel-- you can get a 24 hour ticket or individual journey tickets much cheaper.
** One ticket (Fahrkarte, Fahrschein, or Fahrausweis) is good for all modes of transport and is valid for transfers to other trains or buses needed to complete your journey. The specific rules vary depending on the city, but you are usually allowed one complete trip in one continuous direction along the most direct route to your destination for a set length of time, usually two hours or so.
**Fares on German transport networks are based on a zone system. The transport regions are divided into tariff zones (Tarifzonen) and you pay based on the number of zones you cross. Oftentimes, there is a central cluster of zones (Innenraum) covering the inner city. Typically, all tickets purchased in this cluster have the same price for journeys ending anywhere else in the cluster, even if it crosses a tariff zone.
** For buses, you can purchase your ticket from the driver. Simply state your final destination and he will tell you how much the fare is. Pay him and he will give you your ticket. In most German cities, the driver can make change, but it's probably a good idea to have enough change on-hand to pay the exact fare. If there is a ticket machine at the stop, you will have to purchase your ticket from the machine rather than the bus driver.
Dachau Concentration Camp
Visiting Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
The Nazi's first concentration camp at Dachau has been renovated and preserved as a memorial to those who suffered and died there between 1933 and 1945. There are several tours, although you can visit on your own as well. The memorial is well documented in English and you should have no trouble understanding what went on by simply going there yourself. However, a guided tour offers you insights you may not get by just wandering through the exhibits, and the transportation aspects of getting to Dachau from Munich are easier with a tour.
Dachau is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day except Monday. It takes around 45 minutes to get there from Munich. Allow 3 hours minimum.
Dachau Tour Options
The Original Munich Walks offers a three hour tour of Dachau starting at the train station. Cost is €18 for adults and €9 for accompanied children under 14. All transportation costs are included.
Munich Walk Tours offers a similar three hour tour of Dachau that can be combined with its Third Reich Tour for a reduced price. This is the one we took. Cost is €17 for adults, €16 for people under 26, and €9 for children under 14 with an adult. There's a €2 discout if you combine the two tours. To sign up for the tour, meet at the main entrance of the New Gothic Rathaus (town hall) directly under the Glockenspiel on Marienplatz before 1:20pm. The guide will be holding a yellow sign. For more information on these tours, you may email info@munichwalktours.com.
To get to the Dachau Memorial on your own from the main train station, descend down to the S-Bahn platforms and board any train on the S2 line with a desitnation marked as Dachau or Petershausen. From Dachau station, Bus 726 or 724 will take you to the Memorial.
HISTORY:
Dachau was a Nazi German concentration camp, and the first one opened in Germany, located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria which is located in southern Germany.
Opened in March 1933, it was the first regular concentration camp established by the coalition government of National Socialist (Nazi) NSDAP party and the Catholic Zentrum party (dissolved on 6 July 1933). Heinrich Himmler, Chief of Police of Munich, officially described the camp as "the first concentration camp for political prisoners."
Dachau served as a prototype and model for the other Nazi concentration camps that followed. Its basic organization, camp layout as well as the plan for the buildings were developed by Kommandant Theodor Eicke and were applied to all later camps. He had a separate secure camp near the command center, which consisted of living quarters, administration, and army camps. Eicke himself became the chief inspector for all concentration camps, responsible for molding the others according to his model.
In total, over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries were housed in Dachau of whom two-thirds were political prisoners and nearly one-third were Jews. 25,613 prisoners are believed to have died in the camp and almost another 10,000 in its subcamps, primarily from disease, malnutrition and suicide. In early 1945, there was a typhus epidemic in the camp followed by an evacuation, in which large numbers of the weaker prisoners died.
Together with the much larger Auschwitz, Dachau has come to symbolize the Nazi concentration camps to many people. Konzentrationslager (KZ) Dachau holds a significant place in public memory because it was the second camp to be liberated by British or American forces. Therefore, it was one of the first places where the West was exposed to the reality of Nazijournalist accounts and through newsreels.Organization
The camp was divided into two sections: the camp area and the crematorium. The camp area consisted of 32 barracks, including one for clergy imprisoned for opposing the Nazi regime and one reserved for medical experiments. The courtyard between the prison and the central kitchen was used for the summary execution of prisoners. The camp was surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire gate, a ditch, and a wall with seven guard towers.
In early 1937, the SS, using prisoner labor, initiated construction of a large complex of buildings on the grounds of the original camp. Prisoners were forced to do this work, starting with the destruction of the old munitions factory, under terrible conditions. The construction was officially completed in mid-August 1938 and the camp remained essentially unchanged and in operation until 1945. Dachau thus was the longest running concentration camp of the Third Reich. The area in Dachau included other SS facilities beside the concentration camp—a leader school of the economic and civil service, the medical school of the SS, etc. The KZ at that time was called a "protective custody camp," and occupied less than half of the area of the entire complex.
Dachau also served as the central camp for Christian religious prisoners. According to records of the Roman Catholic Church, at least 3,000 religious, deacons, priests, and bishops were imprisoned there.
In August 1944 a women's camp opened inside Dachau. Its first shipment of women came from Auschwitz Birkenau. Only 19 women guards served at Dachau, most of them until liberation.
In the last months of the war, the conditions at Dachau became even worse. As Allied forces advanced toward Germany, the Germans began to move prisoners in concentration camps near the front to more centrally located camps. They hoped to prevent the liberation of large numbers of prisoners. Transports from the evacuated camps arrived continuously at Dachau. After days of travel with little or no food or water, the prisoners arrived weak and exhausted, often near death. Typhus epidemics became a serious problem as a result of overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, insufficient provisions, and the weakened state of the prisoners.
Owing to continual new transportations from the front, the camp was constantly overcrowded and the hygiene conditions were beneath human dignity. Starting from the end of 1944 up to the day of liberation, 15,000 people died, about half of all victims in KZ Dachau. Five hundred Soviet POWs were executed by firing squad.
On 27 April 1945 Victor Maurer, delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, was allowed to enter camps and distribute food. In the evening of the same day a prisoner transport arrived from Buchenwald. Only 800 survivors were brought from the original 4,480 to 4,800 prisoners in transit. Over 2,300 corpses were left lying in and around the train. The last regular commander of the KZ, Obersturmbannführer Eduard Weiter, had fled on 26 April. He probably followed Obersturmbannführer Martin Gottfried Weiss, who had led the camp from September 1942 until November 1943.
On 28 April 1945, the day before the surrender, Camp Commandant Martin Gottfried Weiss had left the Dachau camp, along with most of the regular guards and administrators in the camp. On that same day, Victor Maurer, a representative of the Red Cross, had tried to persuade Untersturmführer Johannes Otto, the adjutant of Commandant Weiss, not to abandon the camp, but to leave guards posted to keep the prisoners inside until the Americans arrived. Maurer feared that the prisoners would escape en masse and spread the active typhus fever epidemic. Lt. Otto declined to remain and fled.
Liberation
On 29 April 1945 the watchtowers of the Dachau camp remained occupied and a white flag was hoisted. Red Cross representative Maurer persuaded SS-Sturmscharführer Heinrich Wicker, an officer in the SS-Totenkopfverbände, to accompany him to the main gate of the complex to surrender the camp formally.
Late in the afternoon of 29 April 1945 KZ Dachau was surrendered to the American Army by SS-Sturmscharführer Heinrich Wicker. A vivid description of the surrender appears in Brig. Gen. Henning Linden's official "Report on Surrender of Dachau Concentration Camp":
As we moved down along the west side of the concentration camp and approached the southwest corner, three people approached down the road under a flag of truce. We met these people about 75 yards north of the southwest entrance to the camp. These three people were a Swiss Red Cross representative and two SS troopers who said they were the camp commander and assistant camp commander and that they had come into the camp on the night of the 28th to take over from the regular camp personnel for the purpose of turning the camp over to the advancing Americans. The Swiss Red Cross representative acted as interpreter and stated that there were about 100 SS guards in the camp who had their arms stacked except for the people in the tower. He said he had given instructions that there would be no shots fired and it would take about 50 men to relieve the guards, as there were 42,000 half-crazed prisoners of war in the camp, many of them typhus infected. He asked if I were an officer of the American army, to which I replied, "Yes, I am Assistant Division Commander of the 42d Division and will accept the surrender of the camp in the name of the Rainbow Division for the American army."
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, issued a communique over the capture of Dachau concentration "Our forces liberated and mopped up the infamous concentration camp at Dachau. Approximately 32,000 prisoners were liberated; 300 SS camp guards were quickly neutralized."
A tablet at the camp commemorates the liberation of Dachau by the 42nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Seventh Army on 29 April 1945. Other claim that the first forces to enter the main camp were a battalion of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division commanded by Felix L. Sparks. There is an on-going disagreement as to which division, the 42nd or the 45th, actually liberated Dachau because they seem to have approached by different routes and by the American Army's definition, anyone arriving at such a camp within 48 hours was a liberator. General Patton visited the Buchenwald camp after it was liberated, but not Dachau.
The Americans found approximately 32,000 prisoners, crammed 1,600 to each of 20 barracks, which had been designed to house 250 people each.
The American troops were so horrified by conditions at the camp that a few shot 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 killed while attempting to surrender, and others were killed after their surrender was accepted. Felix L. Sparks, the commander of a battalion that captured the camp, has stated that "The total number of German guards killed at Dachau during that day most certainly not exceed fifty, with thirty probably being a more accurate figure. The regimental records [of the 57th Infantry Regiment] for that date indicate that over a thousand German prisoners were brought to the regimental collecting point. Since my task force was leading the regimental attack, almost all the prisoners were taken by the task force, including several hundred from Dachau". The "[American Army] Investigation of Alleged Mistreatment of German Guards at Dachau" found that about 15 Germans were killed (with another 4 or 5 wounded) after their surrender had been accepted. Two other reports collated years after the incident put the figure between 122 and 520 Germans killed after their surrender had been accepted.
As a result of the American Army investigation court-martial charges were drawn up against Sparks and several other men under his command, but as General Patton, the recently appointed military governor of Bavaria, chose to dismiss the charges so the witnesses to the massacre were never cross examined in court and no one was found guilty.
The U.S. troops also forced citizens of the local community to come to the camp, observe the conditions, and help clean the facilities. Many local residents were indignant about the experience and claimed no knowledge of the camp's activities.
Post-liberation Easter at Dachau
A few days after the liberation of the camp was the day of Pascha, Orthodox Easter. In a cell block used by Catholic priests to say daily Mass, several Greek, Serbian, and Russian priests and one Serbian deacon, wearing makeshift vestments made from towels of the SS guard, gathered with several hundred Greek, Serbian and Russian prisoners to celebrate the Paschal Matins and Liturgy. A prisoner named Rahr described the scene:
In the entire history of the Orthodox Church there has probably never been an Easter service like the one at Dachau in 1945. Greek and Serbian priests together with a Serbian deacon adorned the make-shift 'vestments' over their blue and gray-striped prisoners' uniforms. Then they began to chant, changing from Greek to Slavonic, and then back again to Greek. The Easter Canon, the Easter Sticheras—everything was recited from memory. The Gospel—In the beginning was the Word—also from memory. And finally, the Homily of Saint John—also from memory. A young Greek monk from the Holy Mountain stood up in front of us and recited it with such infectious enthusiasm that we shall never forget him as long as we live. Saint John Chrysostomos himself seemed to speak through him to us and to the rest of the world as well!
There is a Russian Orthodox chapel at the camp today, and it is well known for its exquisite icon of Christ leading the prisoners out of the camp gates.
The U.S. 7th Army's version of the events of the Dachau Liberation are available in Report of Operations of the Seventh United States Army, Vol. 3, page 382.
After liberation
After liberation, the camp was used by the US Army as an internment camp. In 1948 the Bavarian government established housing for refugees on the site, and this remained for many years.
The memorial site
Between 1945 and 1948 when the camp was handed over to the Bavarian authorities, many accused war criminals and members of the SS were imprisoned at the camp. After this period, due to a severe housing shortage and the arrival of many thousands of refugees from Eastern Germany, the camp was used as temporary housing until the 1950s. During this time, former prisoners banded together to erect a memorial on the site of the camp, finding it unbelievable that there were still people (refugees) living in the former camp.
The display, which was reworked in 2003, takes the visitor through the path of new arrivals to the camp. Special presentations of some of the notable prisoners are also provided. Two of the barracks have been rebuilt and one shows a cross-section of the entire history of the camp, since the original barracks had to be torn down due to their poor condition when the memorial was built. The other 28 barracks are indicated by concrete foundations.
The memorial includes four chapels for the various religions represented among the prisoners.
The local government resisted designating the complete site a memorial. The former SS barracks adjacent to the camp are now occupied by the Bavarian Bereitschaftspolizei (rapid response police unit).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
15 days and counting - Planning GERMANY
Thanks to the Great Sources of info at:
- Samantha Brown's "Passport to Europe: Bavaria, Germany Travel Guide"
- Samantha Brown's "Passport to Europe: Munich, Germany Travel Guide"
- http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/stadt.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/
- http://www.germany-tourism.de/index_ENG.htm
