May 15, 2016 Day 9:
Today was a very dreary day, both in content and in weather.  We boarded the bus to go to Dachau today, which was the first concentration camp the Nazis used.  It was this camp where they tested the systems in order to use them everywhere else.  Upon going into the camp, the gate was the most prominent to me.  On it was "Work Will Set You Free" in German.  I've heard this before in my history classes, but I never really thought anything about it.  Once in the camp, it seemed so bare.  There were a few buildings around, but that was it.  We went in the registration building first where all the prisoners were immediately taken and stripped of all personality.  Then we visited the main shower area where they would take showers once a week.  Once interesting, but dark, thing the tour guide pointed out to us were 2 squares across from each other on the pillars in the middle of the room.  On these 2 squares, a beam of wood was placed with metal hooks on them when the SS wanted to punish prisoners, they would shackle their hands behind their back then hang them on the hooks like meat to slaughter.  This was difficult for me to visualize, due in part to the fact that I am very squeamish.
We continued on the see the original rooms they were kept in.  There were several people to a room that was about 7 feet by 7 feet, maybe even smaller.  these did not seem very ideal, and I can't even put myself in their shoes what these people had to endure was truly tragic, and an obvious violation of human rights.
We continued on, coming to the crematorium.  this was a difficult part of the tour to wrap my head around.  In this small building alone, so many lives were lost.  People were tested on here, and most led to their untimely fate.  It was an eerie trip, but it is incredibly important that we went, for it is a great source of history.  I will not forget what our guide told us..."You have given up an incredibly valuable and irreplaceable resource to us: time"