Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial

The memorial at the former Dachau concentration camp is the most important and sobering site in the Munich region. Dachau was the first camp opened by the Nazis, in March 1933, and the last to be liberated — it operated for the entire twelve years of the Third Reich. Over 200,000 prisoners passed through it; at least 41,500 were killed here.

The camp grounds are preserved as a memorial and museum. The main exhibition in the former maintenance building documents the history of the camp in detail, from its origins as a political prison for opponents of the regime to its role in the Holocaust. Two reconstructed barracks, the foundations of the others, the crematorium, and the gas chamber (which was built but there is historical dispute about its use) can all be visited. The memorial is free to enter. The S2 S-Bahn from Munich takes about 25 minutes to Dachau station; bus 726 runs directly from the station to the memorial. Allow at least two to three hours — a visit here demands time and attention.

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A story
Dachau was the first concentration camp established by the Nazi regime, opened on 22 March 1933 — barely two months after Hitler took power — and it served as the model for all subsequent camps. SS officials from across Germany were trained here in camp administration, and its systematic methods of terror and dehumanisation were exported throughout the Nazi camp system. Dachau operated for twelve years until American troops liberated it on 29 April 1945.