Day 86. Leanne here.

Today a heavy day planned and I wonder if I'm prepared enough for the experience.  I have avoided this place on previous visits to Munich.  But today is the day.

Our plan is to visit the memorial and museum at the Dachau Concentration Camp, which was established by the survivors as a memorial to those who perished there. .

We learn some of the material may not be appropriate for those under 12 years old.  Therefore, in the Uber out, I try my best to find the most appropriate words to prepare the teens.  I shared that if any display or exhibit is too disturbing for them, look away, walk outside or let us know.   I even woke up at 3 a.m. wondering if I should just call today's plan off completely.   Most of the kids have already studied the Holocaust and World War II at school, so this visit is a way to add to that knowledge base, reflect and remember the horrible crimes against humanity that happened on this soil just decades ago.

Dachau was the Nazi's first and longest operating concentration camp having operated as a brutal prison for 12 years starting in 1933 until its liberation by U.S. troops in April 1945.  It served as a model for other camps that were set up.  The Museum does an excellent job of explaining the social and economic history between the World Wars that led to the conditions leading to Hitler's and Nazi Germany's rise.  Our Audio guides give us plenty of detailed messages, including several firsthand accounts from survivors and liberators of the camp.

A 40 minute documentary in the museum plays to a packed audience of over 300 visitors.  There's memorials and chapels. The information provided is incredibly factual and detailed; at one point, there are even examples of the propaganda that the Nazi's put out prior to WWII of how good the conditions at this particular camp was.  After three hours there, including some very surreal and emotional moments in quite corners of the bunker, I am ready to leave as I'm emotionally drained.    So is the rest of the group - as we gather back together in the cafe, we are all sort of speechless at what we all just witnessed.

One leaves with more questions than answers.  Why? Why? Why?  Why did that have to happen?  For what purpose?  How could humans  survive under such brutal and inhumane conditions?  How could humans be so cruel to other humans? How could these survivors persevere and later proceed to live lives afterwards?    How can we prevent this sort of horrendous behavior from ever happening again?  Anywhere.

In the end, my fears of my visit were replaced with an even wider perspective on this horrible chapter of our world history.

When we return to the cozy flat, the kids hit the books for the afternoon and we just go around the corner for fun and much lighter dinner.