Before my visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Munich on 7 May 2026, the concentration camp I was familiar with was Auschwitz - widely known as the largest and deadliest complex of concentration and extermination camps, located in then German-occupied Poland.
We spent about three and a half hours that afternoon learning about the horrors associated with the site in Dachau.
The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Germany stands as one of the most significant reminders of the atrocities committed under Nazi rule. Located near the city of Munich, Dachau was established in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler came to power. It was the first regular concentration camp created by the Nazi regime and later became a model for many other camps that followed. Today, the memorial site serves not only as a historical landmark but also as a place of remembrance, education, and reflection for visitors from around the world.
Originally, Dachau was intended to hold political prisoners such as communists, journalists, trade unionists, and others who opposed the Nazi government. Over time, however, the camp expanded to imprison many groups whom the Nazis considered undesirable. These included Jewish people, clergy members, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, resistance fighters, and prisoners of war. Between 1933 and 1945, more than 200,000 people from across Europe were imprisoned there. Tens of thousands lost their lives due to starvation, disease, forced labor, medical experiments, torture, and execution.
Upon arrival, detainees passed through the entrance gate bearing the phrase “Arbeit macht frei,” meaning “Work sets you free.” This slogan cruelly deceived prisoners while symbolizing the manipulation and brutality of the Nazi system. Beyond the gate lies the large roll-call square, where prisoners were forced to stand for hours in all weather conditions. The reconstructed barracks offer a glimpse into the overcrowded and harsh living conditions endured daily by inmates.
Entrance to the Concentration Camp.
Entrance building seen from inside the compound.
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| Roll-Call Square. |
Displayed old photographs of roll-call.
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The memorial also includes museums and exhibitions containing photographs, documents, personal belongings, and survivor testimonies. Through these exhibits, visitors gain a deeper understanding of life inside the camp and the broader system of Nazi persecution. These historical records help ensure that the voices and experiences of those who suffered here are not forgotten.
Today, all the detention centres have been demolished leaving just one row for viewing by visitors.
After extensive walking through the site, we reached one of the most significant areas of the memorial: the crematorium complex, known as Barrack X. There, we saw the ovens and gas chamber that bear witness to the inhumane treatment carried out within the camp. Although Dachau was not primarily designed as an extermination camp like Auschwitz, it nonetheless became a place of immense suffering and death. The site serves as a stark reminder of the systematic cruelty used by the Nazi regime to terrorize and dehumanize millions of people.
Today, the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site stands as a powerful warning against hatred, racism, antisemitism, and authoritarianism. Visitors are often deeply affected by the experience, as it confronts them with the realities of human cruelty and the consequences of intolerance.
A statute outside the crematorium.
The inscription: In honour of the dead, as a reminder to the living.
Numerous watchtowers were positioned along the perimeter of the fenced compound. According to testimonies, any individual who entered the grass-covered zone adjacent to the fence risked being shot on sight, irrespective of whether an escape attempt was intended. Accounts also describe detainees who, driven to despair by prolonged torture and the harsh conditions of confinement, intentionally approached the fence, fully aware that doing so would likely result in their death.
********************************************************In addition to its historical exhibits, Dachau contains several religious and international memorials dedicated to the victims. Chapels, monuments, and sculptures honor individuals from different nations and faiths who were imprisoned and killed there. These memorials symbolize remembrance, mourning, and the enduring importance of human dignity.
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| Protestant Church of Reconciliation. |
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At the end of the tour, I found a moment of quiet reflection in front of the memorial bearing the words “Never Again.”
By preserving this site and educating visitors, Dachau continues to promote remembrance and encourages societies to uphold human rights and ensure that such tragedies are never repeated.
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While Europe endured such horrors under the Nazi regime, Southeast Asia also experienced comparable suffering under Japanese occupation during the Second World War. One of the most tragic events of this period was the Nanjing Massacre. This led me to recall Zhang Chunru (Iris Chang), the Chinese American writer who authored The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, a work that brought global attention to the atrocity and deeply shaped public understanding of it.
Sadly, she died by suicide in 2004 at the age of 36. Those close to her, along with biographers and journalists, have generally attributed her death to a combination of severe depression, intense psychological strain, physical exhaustion, and the emotional burden of her work. Her extensive research into the Nanjing Massacre - through graphic accounts, photographs, and survivor testimonies - appears to have taken a profound emotional toll.
A memorial statue was later erected not only to honor her efforts in giving voice to the victims of Nanjing, but also to commemorate her short life and lasting impact.
Photos downloaded from internet sites.
Unlike Germany, which has largely confronted and acknowledged the atrocities committed during the Nazi era, Japan’s wartime history remains a more contested and sensitive subject, continuing to cause tension with China to this day.
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