On Visiting Dachau, 4 July 2010

Thank you for sharing your sentiments and blog. Dachau surprised me. I just did not think that my emotions would be challenged that day. I was wrong. I learned a lot from my visit to that camp. I cried my eyes out and still get teary eyed to this day when I think back to my experience there. Not being Jewish myself, I know that if I had lived during that time, I would have tried my best to help out my Jewish neighbors/friend. I have been to Anne Frank's house and recently just watched PBS miniseries on Anne Frank. I felt I would have done the same; I would have helped them hide and try to keep them free from harm. I never felt this way until I visited Dachau.

Very nice blog, Gio. I would love to think I would have helped had I been there at the time, but how can you know? If faced with the prospect of being sent to a concentration camp if caught, would I have taken the risk? Especially if I had a family depending on me? I like to think I would, but I honestly do not know. In fact, honestly I probably would not have, not in the climate of fear in Germany at the time. The ones who did were heroic indeed.

Thanks, Kelly and Carroll. It's a tough question, certainly. For me, I guess I'm with Carroll. Would like to think I could and would stand up and try to help...but at that time and in that place (and the Nazis really worked hard to intentionally discourage such local oppposition by creating fear and uncertainty about the camps, in their locales)...I'm guessing I'd be no different than the locals who just tried to lay low, stay off the radar. I agree: those who did more were remarkably brave people.

Gio,

Thanks for posting that. The question on visiting Dachau seems to come up on the Helpline from time-to-time, and I think your experience will provide good information for others who may be contemplating a visit.

I've also been to Dachau and certainly concur that it's a difficult experience (although not quite as "intense" as Auschwitz). Although there have been similar situations in our time (Cambodia, Bosnia), I doubt that this sort of large scale event will ever happen again due to the World Court and other agencies.

I was also in Germany at the same time and visited the remains of the Bridge at Remagen on 3 July, but had a somewhat more pleasant experience on 4 July.

Cheers!