logos: Okay, I guess you were talking about the set of questions from losttexan and not the original questionnfrom the OP? That makes a bit more sense to me.

In reply to those questions - no concentration camp is "more historical" than another, people died and were treated horribly at all concentration camps. I have never been to Auchwitz but I found Dachau, which is just outside of Munich, to be a very moving experience.

And if you go, also keep in mind Rewanda, Dafur, and the Balkins. Somehow, the "message" is not getting to the world.

Although we did not end up visiting a concentration camp on our previous visits to europe your replys were awesome. Thank you!
These will definately be taken into consideration on another visit.

I went to Dachau a very long time ago. I remember how moving the pictures were of skin-and-bones bodies stacked on top of each other. OR Pictures of very skinny people sleeping in bunks that were barely live-able. (sleepable) Tremendous grief for those who experienced such death or life.

Now that I am older, I hear about Rwanda, China, Darfur, other countries that I am not educated enough to discuss. There is a thread of similarity. Now we just need a thread of hope and help for all humanity.

If you go, be open to all that you will learn, and quite possibly, more.

>>>>>
The real trick to visiting the concentration camps is to do your research before you go.
>>>>>

i agree. the power is in the history at the location, not the physical site itself. much of what you see at dachau is rebuilt to tell the story.

i take your point about the things that aren't mentioned in a tour but in my particular case, the execution of the german guards by the US military WAS covered in my tour. the tour guide said that she heard the story from many dachau visitors (ex-military men) that she talked to. you are certainly correct that all tours will 'filter' the material due to time constraints, their own perspective or various sensitivities. best to do your own research that includes multiple sources.

>The liberators were so p____ off, they lined up the remaing SS troops and machined gun them. ... Needless to say, Eisenhower was very "upset". No more of that!!! <

I would be, too.

Soldiers are not authorized to commit murder.

creflors

Interesting point about the Balkans. Many Europeans found the genocide Bosnian war totally mind numbing. It happened in an area close to the camps posters are referring to and gave us a true insight into human nature.

It was hard to see what the suffering of the Second Wolrd war achieved in changing the depths that human nature could descend.

Terezin (near Prague) and Dauchau (near Munich) are both very different and both worth a visit (although depressing).

Both are an easy hour trip by bus.

we went to dachau (june 07) and felt it wasn't worth a visit. the film was astoundingly horrible, but the walk through (with rented audio) wasn't memorable. auswitz can never be forgotten from a visit in 1968.

I have been to Dachau twice, once in 1985 as a teenager and again in 2005 as a parent with a 9 and 11 year old. Both times I found it very moving and educational. I believe everyone who has the opportunity, should go to one of the camps lest we forget what happened. The movie is very graphic and educational.

We went to Dachau in September '06, and found it horrifying. That, however, is how it should be found. Don't miss the memorials that have been erected past the former barracks.

I was also there in September of 06 and found it memorable - to say the least.

willis - Pleae explains what you mean by
the movie was astoundingly horrible". Badly made? Or the subject matter shown was horrible?

That is truly amazing - here three of us (Heather, Dohlice and myself were at Dachau in September of 06. I believe the time period was about the third week of September.

And yes, everyone should visit Dachau (or another camp) so that none of us ever forget the horror that transpired there.

A few years ago I was in a business trip with two other colleagues. We all stated out front what we wanted to do if we wound up with a free day. One of them said Dachau.

We went. It was mid January, there were two feet of snow on the ground and it was bitterly cold.

We were freezing in our winter clothes. I could only imagine what those people had to live through to survive winter without appropriate clothes or much body fat.

It was a staggering experience. I think everyone should be exposed to the horrors of what happened. There is no healing in denial or ignorance.