Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

appalachiablue

(41,048 posts)
Wed Jun 26, 2019, 06:16 PM Jun 2019

Liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp, April 29, 1945: *Original Film

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2019, 06:47 PM - Edit history (1)



(WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES). 5 mins. Dachau concentration camp was the first of the Nazi concentration camps opened in 1933, intended to hold political prisoners. It is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany.

Opened by Heinrich Himmler, its purpose was enlarged to include forced labor, and eventually, the imprisonment of Jews, German and Austrian criminals, and eventually foreign nationals from countries that Germany occupied or invaded. The Dachau camp system grew to include nearly 100 sub-camps, which were mostly work camps or Arbeitskommandos, and were located throughout southern Germany and Austria.The camps were liberated by U.S. forces on 29 April 1945. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachau_concentration_camp




- Survivors of Dachau salute the American liberators.

29 April 1945 - Liberation Day at Dachau, U.S. 7th Army Scrapbook. "Several hundred yards inside the main gate, we encountered the concentration enclosure, itself. There before us, behind an electrically charged, barbed wire fence, stood a mass of cheering, half-mad men, women and children, waving and shouting with happiness - their liberators had come! The noise was beyond comprehension! Every individual (over 32,000) who could utter a sound, was cheering. Our hearts wept as we saw the tears of happiness fall from their cheeks." - Lt. Col. Walter Fellenz, 42nd Infantry Division of the US Seventh Army.



- SS 2nd Lt. Heinrich Wicker surrenders Dachau camp to Brig. Gen. Henning Linden.

The main Dachau camp was surrendered to Brigadier General Henning Linden of the 42nd Rainbow Division by SS 2nd Lt. Heinrich Wicker, who is the second man from the right in the photo above. Wicker was accompanied by Red Cross representative Victor Maurer who had just arrived the day before with five trucks loaded with food packages. In the photo above, the arrow points to Marguerite Higgins, one of the reporters.

The surrender of the Dachau camp took place near a gate into the SS garrison that was right next to the prison enclosure. The gate is shown in the photo below, which was taken after the liberation. Note the fence on the left which is also shown in the photo above.



- Dachau camp was surrendered by 2nd Lt. Wicker near this gate.

No one knows for certain what happened to 2nd Lt. Wicker after he surrendered the camp, but it is presumed that he was among the German soldiers who were shot that day by the American liberators or beaten to death by some of the inmates.

Lt. Col. Howard Buechner, a doctor with the 45th Division, wrote the following in his book entitled "The Avengers": "Virtually every German officer and every German soldier who was present on that fateful day paid for his sins against his fellow man. Only their wives, children and a group of medics survived. Although a few guards may have temporarily avoided death by disguising themselves as inmates, they were eventually captured and killed."...

More, https://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/DachauLiberation/LiberationDay.html
3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp, April 29, 1945: *Original Film (Original Post) appalachiablue Jun 2019 OP
Dachau changed me as a child. byronius Jun 2019 #1
Understandable, how was the visit and what impacted you most? appalachiablue Jun 2019 #2
Night and Fog iamthebandfanman Jun 2019 #3

byronius

(7,369 posts)
1. Dachau changed me as a child.
Wed Jun 26, 2019, 11:23 PM
Jun 2019

I was ten, and it scarred me permanently, and I'm grateful for that.

Still angry about it.

appalachiablue

(41,048 posts)
2. Understandable, how was the visit and what impacted you most?
Wed Jun 26, 2019, 11:34 PM
Jun 2019

Years ago I was near there in Munich and Nuremberg and wish there had been time to tour Dachau. My father was at the liberation with the 7th Army. The memorabilia he gave me I treasure, including SS patches, likely from the camp.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Video & Multimedia»Liberation of Dachau Conc...