Arbeit Macht Frei

Trip Start Nov 26, 2009

Trip End Dec 22, 2009

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Flag of Germany Dachau, Bavaria, Germany
Sunday, December 6, 2009

After a quiet Saturday evening in Prague, our Sunday involved a journey to Munich, with a stop-off that can most kindly be described as an 'experience': Dachau Concentration Camp. An uneventful drive terminated for a two-hour stop-off at the Nazi Party's original concentration camp, where an eerie vibe ensued.

A surprisingly lengthy walk from the coach car-park took the group to the gates into Dachau Concentration Camp, where the infamous motto of 'Arbeit Macht Frei', or "work will set you free", was welded into the door. When proceeding through the gates, the emptiness that is the courtyard is all that can be seen, along with several memorials in honour of the people who suffered in this dark place.

Viewing the prisoners' triple bunks in the remaining standing barracks was somewhat disturbing, as it was an example of the way in which the 'political prisoners' were treated; touring the museum also provided displays and damning statistics that made the jaw drop and the stomach cringe. With a budding cold, I decided to head back to the coach and skip the movie, where I joined in the design for the Contiki souvenir t-shirts with Cindy. Thankfully, this chilling experience was going to end well, as Munich was not far away!

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