Dachau, Downtown Munich, St. Peter's Church and Frauenkirche

Woke up rather bleary-eyed to the TV turned on to a German channel,
there was a show on about Aliens found by Cowboys or something. We have 7 people in a rather small space and one bathroom, but I am used to the sharing a bathroom, that's for sure.

We drove a little to the north to the town of Dachau. After stopping by a bakery so that breakfast could be gotten, we pulled up to the site of the concentration camp of the same name.

It was built in 1933 shortly after Hitler came to power and at first, it was used as a prison for "political prisoners," but later moved to include anyone not approved of by the Nazis,  namely Jews, Communists, Gypsies, Gays, etc.

It was deemed the "model camp" and was an example for all camps built  thereafter. 

Over 200,000 people incarcerated here.

41,500 people died here. 

("work will make you free")

I can't even begin to describe the feeling one gets when you stand in the very spot that every one of the hundreds of thousands of prisoners stood for processing upon their arrival to Dachau:

 

But I can say that it felt like an immense sadness and heaviness.

I saw the cells where the prisoners were held in solitary confinement, some with no light, no food or water for days on end. 

I stood where the thousands of prisoners stood at roll call, standing there in the open air for up to 12 hours at a time, rain or shine, cold or hot.

I walked through the same doorway that had "BRAUSEBAD" written above it, telling the prisoners they were going for a shower, but once they entered the "shower room," they would never emerge from it alive. 

My eyes filled with tears as I walked into the tiny room that over a hundred people would be packed into before the gas took them. 

I walked where the cremated remains of hundreds of thousands now rest in a tiny forest, and where the firing squad executions were carried out.

It was heavy to bear the thought of the pain they must have suffered, the torture they endured, day in and day out.

And I will never forget the experience.

After our time at Dachau, Arnheidur and the kids picked us up and we hopped the train into downtown München.

I had been eyeing this particular brand of watches called Swatch ever since I saw them avertised at the Amsterdam airport. I went and bought myself one today as a functional souvenir that's also a really stinking cool watch.

We went into St. Peter's church:

STUNNING

And then we climbed all five gazillion stairs allll the way to the top! 

Could even see all the way to the ALPS which were covered in snow!

Then we went to the Frauenkirche before dinner. there are literally a dozen churches within a few miles of each other and they are all so very awe inspiring.

We ate a late dinner of various forms of schnitzel and pommes before hopping the train back to our hotel for the evening. What a day.