In the spring of 1933 Adolf Hitler established the first concentration camp on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory, southeast of a medieval town called Dachau, ten miles from the city of Munich.
This camp was set up initially for political prisoners and was the model for all the later concentration camps as the "school of violence" for the SS men who commanded it.
It was eventually enlarged to include forced labour, the imprisonment of Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, and other people Hitler didn't fancy, as well as the German and Austrian criminals, and foreign nationals from countries Germany invaded.
This camp from hell existed for twelve years.
Out of the 200,000 prisoners here, 41,500 were murdered. The rest lived in fear of brutal punishment and terror detention involving standing cells, flogging, pole hangings, and standing at attention for extreme lengths of time.
On April 29, 1945, the American troops finally gave these prisoners their freedom. However, nobody could free them from their horrid memories.
At that time, 30,000 of the prisoners were seriously and critically ill.
After the war, the Dachau Concentration camp then housed the SS soldiers awaiting trial. However, most of them were never prosecuted as many fled the country, or went into hiding. The others who awaited trial escaped punishment because there was insufficient evidence to prosecute them. Much of the evidence was destroyed and the majority of the witnesses were too terrified to testify. Those few who went to prison were only sentenced a few years and then released.
However, the Bible says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us will receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. In other words, one day justice will be done.
"For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each of us
may receive what is due us
for the things done
while in the body,
whether good or bad."
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)
Later the Dachau camp held ethnic Germans who were expelled during Hitler's reign and awaiting for resettlement.
Today, it stands as a memorial site.
