Saturday 3/26/11

This morning me, Danielle, Jessie, and Sarah decided to go to Dachau, the concentration camp memorial. Another large group also wanted to go so about 10 of us traveled by train to the camp. We got our audioguides to explain things at the camp. Jessie and I went off and saw where they kept "special prisoners." These people were usually politicians, doctors, intellectuals, etc. and they were supposedly treated better than the others. Their rooms were made of cement with no heat and barely anywhere to move to. We then went to the Dachau Museum. I just read about the various survivors stories and the progression of the concentration camps. Dachau was the first camp that Hitler modeled his others after. I also read about the living conditions of the camp.

The entry way

The front gate

Where they used to have roll call

A "special prisoner" cell

Torture device

Artwork in the front yard

The sleeping rooms

Gas chamber

After looking at the museum, we looked at the barracks where they made them sleep and eat. It really made me think about life and how something like this could happen. How could we have prevented this? Why is this same type of genocide still going on in the world?

We walked up the road where a church was built in memory of the victims of Dachau. It was a beautiful place and I stopped and said a little prayer for them.

We then walked to the hardest part of the tour--the gas chamber and cremitorium. I stood in the gas chamber and it was really hard not to be freaked out. We saw the room where they stored the bodies and how they seemed unaffected by a huge pile of bodies. It definitely was a hard but great experience.

We ended the tour by watching a short film on the history of Dachau. It was actual footage from the camps and how/why they were constructed. We ate lunch at Dachau and then took the train to Marienplatz and shopped and walked around.

We found a really cute jewelry store and Jessie found some gifts for her parents. We went back to the hostel at around 6 and got ready for our group dinner. Our group ate at the Schneider House and boy oh boy was it delicious! I got the cordon bleu and some dessert and it was delicious. Our waitress was a little slow but over all it was a great night.

Nick's friend from Paris!

My awesome hat!

After dinner we decided to get a few drinks and go to the bar right across the street from the hostel. We tried to play a few card games but they wouldn't let us. I was mad because I had the best hat ever! We spent about an hour there and then I decided to go back to the hostel. A few people were downstairs and Nick made friends with a Frenchman. He talked to me about how duck liver was made in France and then asked to kiss me....? I declined. But we're facebook friends now!

Night!

Til next time,
Jackie