Not much to say today. At least, I’m not entirely sure what to say.

Today we visited Dachau, which served as a concentration camp during World War II. Not much of the original camp is still there, but the Bavarian government has helped to create a memorial and tribute site for the tragedy that took place there. Two barracks have been reconstructed, and the original gate, main building, and crematorium still exist today.

Our tour guide was a former history teacher and soldier, and he clearly was very knowledgeable on the topic. He wanted us to learn, and he was possibly the only cheerful part of the day.

We saw nearly every part of the camp on our tour, and afterwards we were given time to walk around and reflect. It was definitely a sad day, but I’m really glad we went. It’s such a dark spot of history, and it’s very rare to get a chance to discuss and reflect upon it. Our tour guide left us with the statement that as young people, we have a responsibility to never let it happen again.

I didn’t take many pictures today. It made the site feel far too much like a tourist destination. I saw some families taking pictures and laughing, and it made me feel really uncomfortable, and mostly just sad. I hope sites like this help us all to learn from the past, especially in today’s time.