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Nazi Germany's First Concentration Camp Dachau |
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Konzentrationslager Dachau Heinrich Himmler, Chief of Police This camp was the first Nazi Concentration Camp opened in Germany. Located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the town of Dachau. Just 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria in the heart of southern Germany. Opened in March 1933, it was the first regular camp established by the coalition government of National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) and the German Nationalist People's Party (dissolved on July 6, 1933) Heinrich Himmler, Chief of Police of Munich, officially called the camp "the first concentration camp for political prisoners" Dachau became the prototype and model for the other Nazi Concentration Camps that followed. Almost every community in Germany had members taken away to these camps, and as early as 1935 there were jingles warning:
Its basic organization, camp layout as well as the plan for the buildings were developed by Kommandant Theodor Eicke and were applied to all later camps. He had a separate secure camp near the command center, which consisted of living quarters, administration, and army camps. Eicke himself became the chief inspector for all concentration camps, responsible for molding the others according to his model. In total, over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries were housed in Dachau of whom two-thirds were political prisoners and nearly one-third were Jews. 25,613 prisoners are believed to have died in the camp and almost another 10,000 in its sub-camps, primarily from disease, malnutrition and suicide. In early 1945, there was a typhus epidemic in the camp followed by an evacuation, in which large numbers of the weaker prisoners died. Together with the much larger Auschwitz, Dachau has come to symbolize the Nazi concentration camps to many people. Konzentrationslager (KZ) Dachau holds a significant place in public memory because it was the second camp to be liberated by British or American forces. Therefore, it was one of the first places where the West was exposed to the reality of Nazi brutality through firsthand journalist accounts and through newsreels. As a young solider of 22, I was fortunate enough to have visited the Dachau camp. It was a real slap of reality for me to say the least. It was like you have heard all the stories and seen all the photos, but suddenly your forced to see the reality. That reality changed my whole outlook on life and it was an experience I will never forget. If you click on the "Photo" link below I have included some telling shots of the camp which is a memorial today. Photos of Konzentrationslager (KZ) Dachau
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Current Updates
For a couple of months now I have been working a good share of my days cataloging the hundreds of photos that have been sent to me by you members. Plus I have been scanning the books of photos of my own in an effort to get them ready for the website. I’m sorry for the delay but it is a tedious job. My goal is to have them all posted by the end of the year. That deadline as you know is rapidly approaching. I’m still having trouble getting information on our members replaced. Because I have spent so much time on photos, I have neglected the member’s information. Rebuilding the roster is going to be more time consuming then the photos, but is arguably more important than the photos. I chose to put the photos first because they will be of more interest than the roster to the website. In the next few weeks I will also work on updating the articles that appear on the site. I was looking at them this morning and some of them have been up there way too long. So look for changes there also. Thanks to all who visit the site and I hope you will give me feedback so that I can make it better. I recently found out that the 558th MP Company was reactivated. The following is an e-mail from Bob Gunnarsson. Ron & Walter, Yes, the 558th was reactivated (officially) in October of 2008. The unit was established in Feb. 2008 under the 8th MP Brigade at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. It took several months to staff personnel and in May of 2008 it had reached operational status. Troopers performed law and order functions at the post. Then in October of 2008 the unit was officially activated at Schofield. On August 8th of 2009 the unit deployed to Iraq where it is currently training the civilian police force. I had several communications with the leadership of the Company during the build-up phase in Hawaii and was remise in not letting everyone know. Bob Latest Update 11/06/2009 |
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Just In To The News Desk I told you a few weeks back that I had heard the Point had been closed down and dismantled. A few days ago one of our members received five pictures of North Point that were take on 7/26/09 by a German national. Actually the place has been fixed up and looks as though it has been taken over by some type of private company. There is no longer any sort of military presents there, but the place is indeed still there and looking better then ever. I have been hearing for the past couple of years that a private company was going to either purchase or lease the site. It seem to have come to pass from the looks of the pictures. I will dig a little and see if I can find out exactly who is using the property and under what terms. As soon as I hear anything further I will pass it on to everyone via this web-site. |
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