Since we weren't planning on going to Germany (until we found ourselves in nearby Zurich), we had just enough time for a couple nights in Munich. The first thing we did was take a free walking tour (again), which was amazing in a city like Munich because it has so much history, especially from WWII and the Nazis' hay day in the city. The guide pointed out various places where Hitler had speeches or liked to hang out. Munich had a lot more personality than Zurich, with interesting shops and trendy cafes with young, cool people. We walked endless blocks and rested with a brat and pint in a beer garden more than once, which seemed packed and lively any time of day.
We also made a trip out to Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany's first concentration camp 10 miles outside of Munich. The camp has a few long low buildings with massive empty fields where hundreds of barracks housing prisoners used to stand (there were 30,000 prisoners at the time of liberation). Stone posts and barbed wire fence enclose the camp. I kept imagining faces behind the fence, like I'd seen in The Boy in The Striped Pajamas. We walked through the barracks, gas chambers, and crematorium, as well as the "museum" part of the camp. There were 32,000 documented deaths at the camp, and many more undocumented (thanks, Wikipedia). We flipped through a massive book that listed the names of all who had died at Dachau. Naturally I flipped to the L's to look for my last name first. I was somewhat shocked to find someone with my maiden name of Lukomsky. That made the whole experience more eery and real, imagining a relative suffering in this place. We are so blessed to live in a country and a time where we are safe no matter what we look like or where we come from.
Coming up next: Venice, Italy.
- Julia + Yuriy
Dachau Concentration Camp
Beds inside the prisoners' barracks.
Door to a gas chamber.
The crematorium.
Concentration camps are intense places at the best of times, but I can't imagine what it must have been like to read your own name in one of the books. You're right, we are very lucky indeed to not have to live and suffer through those times.
ReplyDeleteMunich looks beautiful though! I went years ago but would love to go back. It seems like such a cool, vibrant and historical city.
I only visited Munich on a day trip from Nuremberg, but it was enough to pique my interest in the city and make me want to return one day, with a more ample amount of time. I went to Olympiapark (where the 1972 Olympic Games were held), Marienplatz (where I accidentally went inside a local political party's office), and the English Garden. Your photos remind me to go back to the city sooner than later -- among other places on my wish list! Thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteHeading to Munich tomorrow, it's gonna be my 4th time but every stay is different! Gonna check out one of the freewalking tours I guess, always had a good time so far. Hope u liked the Butter Brezn!
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Anna