Visit to Dachau

August 20th...Visit to Dachau…

On our way out of Munich, we saw the sign for Dachau and decided to visit this camp. Amy had read Elie Weisel’s Night a few years ago and we were interested in seeing this historical site. We found it easily and traveled along the perimeter until we entered the gated area…it is a powerful reminder of this horrible time in not only German history but alo in world history. People were filled with reverence as they walked along the paths of so many who died here and in other camps like this. We visited the religious memorials which are clustered at one end of the camp. The Jewish memorial is striking as is the Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ chapel. I slipped into the Carmelite chapel just as the Italian mass was beginning and stayed through the offertory. There was also a Protestant Church of Reconciliation as well as a Russian Orthodox chapel. The rain was starting to fall as Amy and I toured the crematorium area… We all found it so hard to believe that 200,000 people were here and that 43,000 died in this camp alone. We will never forget this….