Yesterday was the trip to Dachau ... the first concentration camp built in the 30's, about 20 minutes from Munich. Dachau became the "model" for all the other camps. Now, it's preserved and maintained by an International Organization as a memorial. There is no admittance fee. I rented one of the personal audio guides for 3€ which was really a great thing ... you punch in the number of the explanation you want to hear, with several levels of detail to choose from. You can go back and revisit or skip over ... it was very user friendly. I was there about three hours, maybe a little more, and didn't read HALF of the descriptions on the exhibits. Everything is multi-lingual.
It started out (appropriately, I felt) as cloudy and overcast ... as the day went on it cleared, and the sun came out. That's how I experienced the visit ... at first cloudy, grim and even overwhelming. But toward the end, as I made my way through the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religious memorials/chapels, there was a sense of peace breaking through ... it's hard to describe. Everything held in memory, commended to the Mercy of God.
It just didn't feel right to take lots of pictures, so I just have a few outside shots.
At the far end of the camp is a Monastery of Carmelite Nuns ... as soon as aI walked into the Chapel it felt familiar. I did take a few pics there.
When I left the Camp, I went directly to the train station and headed home. I didn't want lunch.
I'll leave it there for this post ... there was more to the day, but I'll cover that another time.
When I clicked to check the posting, I noted that the day/date header has this being posted on Friday ... but it's Saturday morning here, as I write this from the i-net cafe.
4 comments:
A big hug and thank you Julian.....you translated your thoughts and experience re Dachau beautifully - it was a pleasure to read.
Thank you for being so thoughtful in your description..somehow it just wouldn't seem right to look at pics from Dachau with a tourist perspective. However, HEARING about it from a priest perspective was insightful.
I also want to thank you for your insight. However, I would like to someday see the photographs and hear your narrative in person.
Julian,
I experienced the same thing when we visited Dachau. It was a very somber place and I felt like I was walking on holy ground. Standing in the showers was very emotional. It was an experience that I will never forget. The chapels were also peaceful.
Janet
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