Waking up today, I knew it would be a heavy day emotionally as we were visiting Dachau, the first regular Nazi concentration camp.
We got off the bus and began our tour through the Dachau concentration camp. We began walking and immediately, I felt sick at the sight of how small the camp was. When I say small, I mean that the size of the camp felt small compared to the enormous number impacted during this point in time. Imagining being crammed into a prison like that is unimaginable.
It was crazy to see people casually walking around. As I walked I thought about the fact that I could leave this camp whenever I wanted to, but that was not the case for the people affected during WWII. It was heartbreaking to think about what was happening in the ground I stood on not even 100 years ago.
I was impacted most after our guided tour as I made my way to the museum portion of the camp. I felt choked up looking at the photographs from this point in time. There was one section of the museum dedicated to photos of prisoners before they were sent to work at the concentration camp. This portion of the museum put the weight of this location into perspective for me. Something about seeing people living completely normal lives before the war was eye opening to me. This dedication added emotion to the statistics that we learn about in school and made this tragedy feel more personal.
Looking back on history like this is essential in understanding how to avoid the heartbreaking results of times like World War II. I am grateful for the opportunity to remember and honor the history of these brave people .Experiences like this are essential because they help us understand the consequences of hatred and injustice, while reminding us why history must never be forgotten. I left Dachau with a deeper appreciation for the importance of remembrance, humanity, and compassion.
