Dachau with tweens???

I personally think it is important for young people to learn about the holocaust and this type of issue. In addition to needing to know the history, it ties in to similar issues now where ethnic cleansing and genocide are occurring. However, you know your children best. What age are they? How mature are they? Have they read the Diary of Anne Frank? Perhaps test the waters by having them watch a movie or documentary that deals with the subject and see how they react.

Concentration camps are intense and depressing for visitors of all ages. If you're in the area you should certainly visit.

Margaret:

My wife and I will be taking our 12 year old daughter and our 16 year old son to Dachau this summer. A couple of days before that we are going to be in Amsterdam, and we will be taking them to the Anne Frank House. I taught middle school for 18 years, and now teach high school. I can see no reason to not take the kids to Dachau, with the proper preparation for what they are going to see. There are numerous books that are age appropriate and examine the subject of the Holocaust. Among those would be "Number of the Stars," "The Diary of Anne Frank," and "Night." These are typically read in grades 5/6, 8, and 10 respectively. Additionally, there are numerous films, and documentaries (check PBS) that can help provide some background visualization. The film shown at Dachau is quite good, as are the exhibits, although they have changed since I was last there. The main barracks yard is large and stark, but the crematorium is appropriately somber.

By all means, go.

I totally agree w/ Denice. Best 1st to check out the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC & I think there is 1 in LA. On a personal note, my dad who fought in the Battle of the Bulge as an 18 yr old, had to visit a concentration camp afterwards for whatever official reason. I don't know if he helped to open it. He, a battle-hardened soldier, was very upset & sickened by it, nevertheless. Please make sure your daughters are well prepared.

We took our daughters to Dachau and also to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam when they were in their late teens and it was an intensely sobering experience for all of us. My girls had read Diary of Anne Frank and Number the Stars in middle school, so they insisted we put these locations on our itinerary. We followed their lead, and when they felt ready to leave, we did. If your tweens have studied the Holocaust and want to make this part of your trip, then you should go.

Margaret,

My impression of Dachau was that it's somewhat less "intense" than Auschwitz. With adequate preparation hopefully this won't be a problem for your tweens?

I'd suggest taking a tour rather than seeing this on your own as it provides a good overview of the history and the events that led to the construction of the camp. I used Radius Tours from Munich, and would highly recommend them. I found the Guide (Steve) was not only very knowledgeable but also very thoughtful in allowing the group some quiet time on their own to reflect.

If you find certain parts of the tour are upsetting for your tweens, there's no reason you can't break off from the group for a few minutes. You can decide whether they're able to handle the Crematorium, etc. which are off to the side in the woods.

One point though - have the girls expressed an interest in seeing Dachau? If this is something they choose to do, it will probably help a lot in deciding whether or not to go there.

Good luck!

Hi Margaret,

Although I cannot speak personally about Dachau, I would encourage girls of that age to read "The Diary of Anne Frank". I read it at age 13 (the same age Anne was when she started writing it) and I have never been the same since. It changed my life and at age 30 it's still my favorite book in the world. I think they would relate to Anne in many ways and might prepare them for something like that. If you're in the Munich area, your girls would LOVE Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen (if you have the time).

Have a wonderful time in Germany with your family!

IMO there are horrors this world has seen that children do not need to have thrust upon them in the vivid way that a visit to a death camp would entail. What does a child think when she/he is face to face with a gas chamber or oven where hundreds of thousands of other children were slaughtered? There's a time for them to learn about this, but when is something parents have to decide. Dachau is not quite Auschwitz, but the Auschwitz official website cautions that children under 14 not visit.

Thank you all for your input. My younger (11) daughter is the one I worry about. She is very sensitive and occasionally talks about not wanting to die - not an unusual thing I think at this age. Given all the advice you gave I think I will start by letting them read the diary of Ann Frank and then perhaps watch a documentary. This will give me a feel for whether or not to take them. My husband can always go alone while I entertain the girls elsewhere if necessary. We don't have to decide right now, we have until June. And yes, we are planning on going to the castles. Thank you everyone.

I think an 11 yr old who is very sensitive and talks about death,, ,, well I wouldn't . Education is wonderful, but, your CHILD ( she is not a teenager) may not be ready . As noted ADULTS often find a visit to a concentration camp depressing and upsetting, a sensitive child,, well, your call.

I do think Anne Franks house is a GREAT idea. I saw it first when I was 13, and I had just read the book. It was meaningful and thought provoking enough ,,I have never forgotten it. The thing is Anne Franks Diary and seeing her home, well to me it was about HOPE no matter what,BUT, Dachau is truly going to drive home the points of inhumanity and despair two different views. One view perhaps more appropriate for a slightly older child, say 13 or 14.

Margaret, I took my then 11 year old to Dauchau, and he did not enjoy it. I was quite surprised by his reaction. He behaved very squirley while we were there, and couldn't wait to leave. He never really verbalized that it upset him, but I think it did.

He's 13 (almost 14) now, and we will make a stop at Mauthausen on our trip this summer. I think he will find it much more interesting now that he's matured a little.

I would say follow your gut on this one. By the way a very good book for girls this age is "I am Rosemarie". (not sure of the author) It tells the story of a 13 year old jewish girl encamped at Bergen Belsen. I highly recommend it!

For what it's worth: the American International School here in Vienna takes Seventh graders (age 12-13?) on a field trip to the Mauthausen Camp. I guess their counelors and teachers (a first rate bunch) have decided that the kids are emotionally mature enough to handle it.

I generally skip depressing sites when I travel. For others, these are the highlights of their travel.

I can watch Schindler's list or Life is Beautiful at home. The sites are important, I just don't like to spend my vacation on them.

I also skip WWII sites. I was at Ramagan with a group of U.S. Army officers. It was like Mecca for them. It was interesting to me but far from thrilling.

This is an area where your personal preferences dictate. If it's a site you really want to see, you should go. If you're just going for your kids sake, skip it unless they are studying WWII in school.

Margaret, the experience is an absolute must for ANYONE. Here is what you can do to help them with the experience.

First, assess what they already know and don't know about the Holocaust. PBS has some wonderful series on the matter. Go here and search for Holocaust in the search box in the upper right. You'll find great resources that tweens should be able to understand.

It's important for them because humanity needs to know about what inhumane things the human is capable of doing. Those who don't know the past are doomed to repeat it.

You can also help them make sense of it in their own lives. Ask them questions, a lot of them, about how they're feeling about the experience and what, if anything, it means to them. Explain to them what it means to be fascist and why it is so terrible. Everyone has a little fascism in them, and we all need to know how to see it so we can deal with it on our own.

I suspect my husband will likely do this one on his own. There will be other opportunities for my girls to learn about this. Still, we have until June to decide.
Thank you to everyone for your input.

I visited Dachau in 2004 and found it very moving. I agree that anyone, if properly prepared, can learn a great deal from a visit. Besides reading some of the books already mentioned, I'd recommend renting/buying a copy of the "Paper Clips" documentary. It's about the middle school in Tennessee that collected a paper clip for every victim of the Holocaust, obtained a railcar that had been used to transport the prisoners to the camps, etc. It's a very well-done documentary, describing how word of the paper clip project started getting out and some of the wonderful responses they got from some unexpected people and places.

Have fun on your trip, regardless of whether you visit Dachau or not!