Europe Travel - Part 50

Portugal: Lisbon and Sintra

by Marc Latham

‘perhaps in every respect the most delightful in Europe… a glorious Eden.’
– Lord Byron.

‘the most blessed spot on the whole inhabitable globe.’
– Robert Southey.

Looking south standing under a mountain-top cross surrounded by lush vegetation in Sintra’s Romantic-period Pena Palace park I wondered if the human construction in the distance was Lisbon. Then I saw a red bridge glinting in the sun, confirming it was Portugal’s capital city twenty-five miles away on the Tagus estuary. It could have been the Golden Gate bridge signalling San Francisco, but I was a long way from California; and the previous day I’d passed the 25 April bridge and a Rio-style Christ statue on the way to Belem, where Portuguese sailors departed on their most famous voyages of discovery.

Turning around, I took a last look at the breathtakingly colourful and elaborate palace from its level. It was also visible from Sintra town, and the Sintra-Lisbon train; and is said to be visible from Belem on a clear day. Perched atop a mountain containing trees from around the world, the palace looks like a Disney castle resting in an environmentalist’s dream.

Although Sintra may have had a more natural beauty when Byron and Southey visited, it must look more impressive now; as the palace and its park were only built to their current gothic fairytale brilliance after the poets had departed. It wasn’t until 1838 that King consort (to Queen Maria II) Ferdinand II bought the land, which at the time housed a modest monastery. The royal couple employed Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege to build the castle; to be used as a summer residence to escape the heat of Lisbon. It was completed in 1854, and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.

A half-fish, half-man statue; an allegory for the creation of the world; greets visitors to the central courtyard of the Pena Palace. Entering the Manueline Cloister to view the living quarters, the sun was almost directly above a tall green plant rising out of a grey turtle-stoned pot in the centre of the unroofed inner courtyard. Upstairs, we could walk past the open bedrooms, which were surprisingly small; and through the communal rooms, which were as stylish as expected. Other highlights of the palace included the small ancient chapel, the Great Royal Hall and the kitchen; the latter now houses a cafe, with an outside terrace.

It was from there that I saw the cross on the mountain’s southern peak, and decided to walk over to it. There were several paved paths through a park filled with over 2000 species of world trees and plants; from North American sequoia to New Zealand ferns. There are also several small lakes, resting places, caves and viewing points.

On the way up to the palace I had visited the Moorish Castle. It is now mostly just a long wall with towers above foundations being archaeologically excavated, but it still inspires the imagination, and provides the best views on the mountain of Sintra and the northern plain. The castle was built in the eighth and ninth centuries during the Moors’ occupation of the region, before Portuguese forces regained control in the eleventh century. You can buy tickets for both the castle and Pena Palace at the castle entrance. The castle provides a good break if walking from Sintra to the palace. There are also regular buses.

Lisbon’s train station for Sintra is the Rossio, which is conveniently also the city’s most central. Sintra was the only time I used the train service in Lisbon, as I travelled between Lisbon and the south coast by bus; the Eva service was comfortable and punctual, but there were no toilets or rest-stops on the three-hour journey.

Arriving in Lisbon, its urban sprawl rising up steep hills was both impressive and daunting as the bus carried us over the Tagus on the ten-mile long Vasco da Gama; Lisbon’s other main bridge and Europe’s longest. Lisbon’s 500,000-population rises to three-million when including its outer districts. The bus dropped us off at a station on the northern edge of the city, with a large metro station underneath. I took a train to Chiado, where I’d booked two nights in a cheap hostel, after mastering the ticket machine. The machine has an English language option, and you need a day-card as well as a destination ticket.

After exiting the metro I asked a passing woman if she knew where Praca Luis de Camoes was, as that was the square on which the Royal Lisbon hostel was located. She looked at me with puzzlement in her eyes, before smiling and repeating Camoes with a ‘Camush’ pronunciation, and then said it was over the other side of the metro. So, not only did I receive directions, but I also learnt how the ‘ush’ sound I’d noticed all trip was used. It still took a little while to find the hostel, as it was in too good a position: overlooking the square rather than down a side street. Friendly staff, plush furnishings, music in the bathroom and a bumper buffet breakfast just added to the hostel’s charms.

The Chiado is a popular area of Lisbon, between the city centre; Baixa; and the Bairro Alto district. The latter’s narrow cobbled streets and balconied houses ooze age and character. Everything is in easy walking distance, with the Baixa’s plazas interconnected by picturesque streets, squares and statues. The area was rebuilt after a big earthquake in 1755. Restaurants with smartly dressed waiters and waitresses frame the plazas, continue up the eastern hill towards St. George’s Castle, and down to the Tagus a few blocks to the south.

On the day in-between arriving and going to Sintra I took a tram from near the Baixa riverside out to the western parish of Santa Maria de Belem (a translation of Saint Mary of Bethlehem). It is an area famous for its monuments and museums, and the place where Portuguese sailors departed on their greatest voyages of discovery. The Christ the King statue dominates the southern riverside’s hills, above the 25 April bridge’s high red towers. White-sailed boats passed effortlessly under the suspension bridge on an uncharacteristically cool and cloudy summer day; while parks and cycle tracks were busy with Sunday morning sportspeople.

Maybe the sailors sometimes imagine they are Henry the Navigator or Vasco da Gama as they sail out to sea. Henry was a 15th century royal who is credited with being instrumental in developing Portugal’s most rewarding era of exploration and trade. His statue looks out over the Tagus at the head of the impressive Monument to the Discoveries. Behind him are thirty-two notable figures from that era, with sixteen on each side of the caravel-shaped structure; the caravel boat revolutionised Portuguese sailing after being designed with sponsorship from Henry.

Vasco da Gama is probably the most famous of the sailors on the statue. While Christopher Columbus was looking for a western passage to the East Indies for the Spanish king and instead discovering the Americas, Vasco da Gama led the first European naval expedition to reach India in 1498. The route around the south of Africa had been pioneered by another Portuguese sailor featured on the monument; Bartholomew Diaz sailed around the cape in 1488, and wanted to continue to India, but his crew refused.

The other highlight of Belem is the Belem Tower, which was built in the early sixteenth century to guard the Tagus entrance. The small fort juts out into the river, and looks straight out of a pirate film. However, it doesn’t come close to matching the Pena Palace, so if you’ve got time; and especially on a clear day; it’s worth making the short journey out to Sintra.

If You Go:

♦ Lisbon information: www.golisbon.com
♦ Pena palace and park information
♦ Royal Lisbon hostel: www.royallisbon.com/home.html
♦ Eva buses: www.eva-bus.com/novo
♦ Ryanair flights from the UK: www.ryanair.com

About the author:
Marc Latham traveled to all the populated continents during his twenties, and studied during his thirties, including a BA in History. He now lives in Leeds, and is trying to become a full-time writer from the www.greenygrey.co.uk website.

All photos are by Marc Latham.
See more at: picasaweb.google.com

Greece: In the Footsteps of Alexander The Great

by W. Ruth Kozak

By the harbour in Thessaloniki, Greece, stands a magnificent statue of the young warrior-king, Alexander the Great, astride his fabled horse Bucephalus. At the base of the monument someone has laid two wreaths: myrtle for a hero, laurel for a god. It is June 10, the anniversary of Alexander’s death. I place a simple bouquet of red carnations beside the wreaths. Just who was this ambitious, brilliant young man? Alexander was only 20 when he became king of Macedonia and 22 when he set out to conquer the world. By the time he died suddenly and suspiciously in Babylon just 10 years later in 323 BC, he ruled an empire that included Persia and Egypt and stretched to India.

I first became acquainted with Alexander when I was in my teens and he has become part of my life. I have realized a dream, coming to northern Greece to trace his footsteps. My search for Alexander began in Athens when I boarded a bus heading north. The bus route follows the coast, skirting the teal-blue sea, past olive groves and fertile fields. As the bus nears the Thessaly/Macedonian border, Mount Olympus looms into sight. It is Greece’s highest and most awe-inspiring mountain. The ancients believed it to be the home of the twelve gods, the Olympians. Nestled under its towering northern flank lies ancient Dion, a sacred city of the Macedonians. Alexander visited here to make his oblations to the gods before setting off to conquer the world.

In Alexander’s time, northern Greece was populated by many tribes, one of which was the Makedonoi. When his father, Philip II, became king, the balance of power in the Hellenic world fell into the hands of Macedonia. Under his command, Philip formed the League of Corinth and within a few years he had conquered all the outlying tribes. To ensure their allegiance, Philip arranged marriages with daughters of clan chieftains. One of these political unions brought him to the island of Samothraki in Thrace. And this is where Alexander’s story begins.

At Thessaloniki, named for one of Alexander’s half-sisters, I board a bus heading across Macedonia to Thrace. East of Thessaloniki, the coastline is rugged with low mountains rolling down to the rocky sea coast. Alexandroupolis, a pleasant city near the Turkish frontier, originated as a small Thracian garrison town founded by Alexander. Offshore, the island of Samothraki rises mysteriously out of the sea. It was on this island that Philip met his bridge, the bewitching Epirote princess, Olympias. They soon wed and became the parents of a remarkable son, Alexander.

From Alexandroupolis I boarded the two-hour ferry trip to Samothraki. Once there, I walked the five kilometres through the lush countryside to the sanctuary of the Great Gods. The magnificent marble pillars of the temple loom ahead of me in a grove of trees. At the time of Philip’s marriage to Olympias, this sanctuary was the centre of religious life in northern Greece.

I place my hands on the magnetic lodestone of Samothraki, which represents the Great Mother. The russet-coloured stone burns beneath my touch. Supplicants used to hang iron votives here. Every member of the Macedonian royalty was initiated into the cult of the Great Mother. At one time, Alexander must have stood in this very place. Nearby I find the ruins of a small building erected in 318 BC, dedicated to Alexander and his father Philip by their sons, the join-kings, Philip Arridaios and Alexander IV.

From the tranquility of Samothraki, I return to Thessaloniki. From there, it’s a short bus ride to Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, Alexander’s birthplace. Several private villas have been excavated there and there are traces of wide streets flanked by foot-paths and a central avenue crossing the Agora.

The palace where Alexander was born in 365 BC is located on a rise behind the city. Known as the “wonder of the north” it was a significant example of Greek palatial architecture. The palace site is closed because of on-going excavations, but in the small museum across the highway from the site, there is a reconstruction of it and the villas. Exhibits include a pebble mosaic depicting Alexander and a friend hunting lions, and a bust of Alexander in his youth.

Greek poets, tragedians, historians, philosophers, doctors, actors, painters and craftsmen were invited to the Macedonian court. One of these philosophers was Aristotle whom Philip invited to tutor his son at school he had build known as the Nymphaeion” at Mieza, near modern Naoussa. The school, called “The Peripatos” (“walk”) was a two storey L-shaped building linked by staircases, built along the face of the rock. The school’s facilities were set up to harmonize and blend in with the environment, incorporating several caves. Here, in this tranquil setting of lush vegetation, fresh water springs and caves, Aristotle taught Alexander his companions.

I wander the pathways of the ancient site under tree branches where wild figs and grapes grow. On these shady walks and stone-tiered seats around the fountain dedicated to the Nymphs, Alexander was initiated into philosophy, poetry, mathematics and natural sciences. I enter the largest cave. Carved lintels lead to damp passageways. Stalactites drip from the ceilings. I imagine the voices of boys echoing from the past.

The original capital of Macedonia was at Aigai (near modern Vergina) a short distance from the town of Veria. It’s a pleasant half-hour walk from the village to the palace site. This big palace, built on a high promontory overlooking the plan with the sombre mountains close behind it, was a favourite hunting lodge for Philip. It was here that young Alexander often spent time with his father.Just below the lower terrace of the palace is the small theatre where Philip was assassinated as he attended a celebration for the wedding of Alexander’s sister Kleopatra.

As I stand looking out over the ruined tiers, I try to image the scene on that fateful day. The wedding was to be a big show with carts bearing statues of the twelve gods, including one with an effigy of Philip crowned as a god. As Philip entered the theatre and dismounted from his horse, he was stabbed to death by his bodyguard. The assassin dashed out of the theatre but was overtaken and killed. Family and political intrigues were behind the murder. At the time, Alexander was estranged from his father. His mother, Olympias, a ruthless, impassioned woman, was jealous of her rivals. Soon afterwards she had Phlip’s newest wife and infant daughter murdered.

Philip is interred in the royal tombs located a short walking distance below the palace on the plain. Found in a farmer’s field in 1976 and excavated, the tombs remain under the earth mound where they were discovered and entrance is through an underground passage.

Alexander would have been buried there in the tradition of the Macedonian kings, however his body was hijacked while it was being transported from Babylon and taken to Egypt where it was supposedly interred in a magnificent glass sarcophagus.

The new Tomb Museum incorporates several royal tombs and all the treasures found in them.As I climb down the stone steps to the tombs, tears fill my eyes. To me, this experience is as precious as the wealth of gold taken from the graves. All the years I have read and researched about Alexander, I have never imagined that one day I would stand before the graves of his legendary father and possibly that of his son, Alexander IV.

Philip’s tomb, a small marble temple, was hastily finished after the king’s sudden death. A young woman, identified s one of his barbarian wives, was buried with him. It is said that Alexander gave his father a Homeric funeral, fashioned after that of brave Hector in The Iliad. Items from the cremation pyre are displayed and they include pottery shards, pieces of weaponry, remnants of food offerings and harnesses from horses.

Next to Philip’s tomb is that of a Macedonian prince, believed to be Alexander IV, who was murdered at age 14. His remains are in the silver funeral urn that is displayed along with other grave offerings and a golden oak wreath.

Alexander became king at the age of 20. At the time of his assassination, Philip had been about to start a campaign against the Persians. Wishing to excel over his father and rival his glory, Alexander took up the challenge and marched eastward to conquer the world. Centuries later he is still revered as one of the greatest warriors the world has ever known.

Back in Thessalonki, as I ponder the two wreaths at the base of his monument, a group of Macedonian youths skateboard around it, dodging the rows of shields and sarissas that are the emblems of Alexander’s mighty army. I’m certain Alexander is smiling an approval.

Thessaloniki Private Historic Walking Tour

If You Go:

Getting Around: There is frequent daily bus and train service from Athens and from Thessaloniki to other parts of northern Greece.

Where to Stay: Reasonably priced hotels are available near the Thessaloniki train depot. Check with the local tourist-information office for pensions and hostels. There are good hotels in Veria but limited accommodations in Vergina. Samothraki has pensions and hotels at Kamariotissa near the ferry port.

Other Sites:
♦ Chaironeia, northeast of Athens, is the site of a decisive battle in 338 BC that established Philip II as ruler of the Greek city-states.
♦ Delphi, on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus, was a shrine of Apollo, God of the sun, music, reason and wisdom. Alexander came here to consult the priestess Pythia.
♦ Dion, one of the most important Macedonian shrines, is located on the north side of Mt. Olympus on a wide plain
♦ Dodoni, in the Pinos mountains of Epiros, was the home of Olympias, and Alexander spent much of his youth here.
♦ Mieza, near Naoussa, is where Aristotle taught the boys during Alexander’s early youth.

About the author:
Ruth spent a number of years researching and writing a novel dealing with the fall of Alexander’s dynasty. “Shadow of the Lion” is currently making the round of publishers. During the time she researched the novel, she lived in Greece and spends nearly every year visiting there. She also used her research trips to write travel articles about Greece and the country’s history. www.ruthkozak.com

Photo credits:
Alexander the Great statue by Classical Languages / CC BY
Alexander mosaic by Berthold Werner / Public domain
All other photos by Ruth Kozak

Escaping From The “Real” Europe

Palermo, Sicily, Italy

by Raluca Maier

Palermo is a playful mix of traffic, tiny streets full of motorcycles and cars trying to make their way through the crowds walking up and down, people of all colors, noise, parties in the street, loud music, markets where all sorts of smells mix together, sellers trying to market their products by shouting out loud, like in old times, but also many hidden treasures, like: Palazzo di Normi, Santa Caterica Church, Capuchin Catacombs, Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, Capella Palatina, Massimo theatre and many others.

Situated in the northwest of the island of Sicily, Palermo has architectural and cultural influences from Northern Africa, Greece, but also Spain and Italy – although in Europe, makes you realize since the first moment you step on the Palermiam ground, that this is not typical Europe at all and not even Italy, the way we knew or imagined it.

It’s the kind of place where the multiculturalism becomes so obvious, that even the names of the streets are written in three different languages: Italian, Hebrew and Arabic.

The city was founded by the Phoenicians, but named by the Ancient Greeks as “Panormus”, which then became “Palermo”, with the basic meaning of a place “always fit for landing in.” This aspect becomes pretty clear once to see all the people coming from Tunis and Northern Africa, for whom Palermo represents a way to make some of their dreams come true and the Tyrrhenian Sea is their only escape to a better world.

These poor people coming from the Third World are making a living nowadays in Palermo, through selling jewelries and souvenirs or washing windows of cars in the city centre – Piazza Centrale.

One of the Tunisian men selling jewelries in this Piazza was actually a very good marketer. He told me that the jewelries were good quality, real silver, because he wouldn’t sell some material that is not good and that would affect his reputation as a seller. He told me, “You, as a client, will tell someone else and I will lose a client. But if the product is good, you will tell someone else about it, to a friend or to your family and I will get more clients.” This seemed practical advice.

What to visit / What to do?

In Palermo, you can enjoy a refined trip, full of culture while walking on the magnificent streets in the city centre and visiting the most important treasures left by the ancestors. At the same time you can have an exotic trip, full of shocking discoveries. It all depends on which side or quarter of Palermo you choose to visit.

If you want to visit the most well-known “tourist places” in the city, I would suggest you don’t miss out on Palazzo dei Normanni, one of the most beautiful Italian palaces and a notable example of Norman architecture. It also houses the famous Cappella Palatina, which you’ve probably seen in many pictures by now. Zisa and Cuba are are magnificent castles, which served as hunting places for the kings of Palermo in the past. Palermo Cathedral is the main church of the city – a blend of different, if not opposed architectural styles. The cathedral can be found on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, corner of Via Matteo Bonello.

Another place of great interest for all tourists is the Capuchin Catacombs, with many mummified corpses in varying degrees of preservation. The main attraction is a little girl, who looks as if she was really still alive.

If you want to enjoy the seaside and get tanned, Cefalu is the best place for that. Palermo is right by the sea, but there aren’t any sandy beach in the city, just the port and heavy rocks. Cefalu is a half an hour away from Palermo and you can get there by bus. It has a beautiful cathedral, tasty restaurants and one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.

If you want to see the more exotic side of Palermo, visit Ballaro, one of the really poor quarters of the city, with huge markets. Here you can see the way sellers market there products right in the street. Ballaro is also interesting during the night. It’s full of street parties, pubs extending on the street with chairs and tables next to the cars that drive close, scaring some of the tourists. People of all colors and nationalities mix together and dance in the middle of the streets. Drinks are sold in small plastic glasses that cost around €2 to €3. A beer can be €1.50, depending on the brand, and you can find mostly any brand from all over the world. I even noticed Guinness being sold in the market place.

Basic Precautions

You might have heard of Palermo as being a dangerous place to go to, with stories of all the Mafia present around the streets. I’ve walked all alone or with just one other companion in Ballaro, one of the most dangerous quarters in Palermo and never encountered anything scary or frightening.

Most of the Palermiam people and those who came to live in Palermo, are easy-going and friendly. The only thing that I would consider as a danger in Palermo is the traffic. There are many cars, but especially many motorcycles, making their way in the middle of the crowds or in tiny streets so you have to pay special attention when you are walking. The traffic lights don’t matter that much either, so whenever you want to cross the street, you’d better follow an advice one Italian girl gave me: just make sure they notice you out there and if you’re not sure they did, just hold one hand straight, directed to the left or right, depending where the cars are coming from. This will definitely make them stop and wait for you to cross.

Palermo 2-Hour Private Guided Tour

If You Go:

Palermo is usually a nice, hot place to go to, but there are times in the year when the weather is nicest.

Autumn tends to be the wettest time of the year, but you wouldn’t expect a lot of rain though, as Palermo doesn’t experience that much rainfall compared to other parts of Europe. Temperatures usually range between 11°C / 52°F and 17°C / 63°F.

Winter is quite short – between December and February and with temperatures that don’t fall under 10°C / 50°F, which makes Palermo the perfect place for Italians living in other parts of Italy, to escape from the cold winter.

Spring in the best time of the year to visit Palermo, as temperatures range between 10°C / 50°F and 18°C / 65°F.

During May and June, it’s even warm enough to take a bath in the sea and get tanned on the beach.

Summer can be a bit too hot, but it all depends on your preferences – expect high temperatures in July and August, starting at 28°C / 82°F and getting even higher. If you want to enjoy time by the sea, it’s the perfect time.

Have a great escape in Palermo!

For visitor’s information: palermo.com

About the author:
Raluca Maier is originally from Romania, with half-Austrian origins. She enjoys traveling a lot. She studied Journalism and Communication Studies and is an editor of a women’s magazine in Romania – Belva.

All photos are by Raluca Maier.

Gutenberg Museum: Where the Printed Word Began

Mainz, Germany

by W. Ruth Kozak

New computer technology including the current rage for e-books, has brought about a new printing revolution, and it seems that traditional printing presses will soon be extinct. When I was an aspiring young journalist fresh out of high school working in a newspaper editorial department, one of my tasks was to run errands to the composing room. I was in awe of the type-setters who sat behind their massive machines preparing the print for that day’s newspaper. My most prize possession was an old Underwood manual typewriter. The printed word has always meant a lot to me, so when I visited Mainz, Germany recently, I made a point of visiting the Gutenberg Museum, to have a look at the world’s first printing press. It was in Mainz in the early 1450s that the first European books were printed using moveable type.

A German goldsmith, printer and publisher, Johannes Gutenberg invented the mechanical moveable type printing press and this invention started the Printing Revolution. His first major work was the Gutenberg Bible (known as the 42-line Bible). 180 of them were printed on paper and vellum, though only 21 copies survive, two of them may be seen in the museum. There is also a replica of Gutenberg’s printing press, rebuilt according to woodcuts from the 15th and 16th century.

Located in the heart of Mainz historic inner city, right next to an impressive Romanesque cathedral, the Museum was founded in 1900 to honour the inventor and to exhibit the writing and printing techniques of as many different culture as possible. Many of the objects and presses were donated by publishers and manufacturers. Later the museum expanded to include book art, graphics and other types of printing, plus modern artists books.

This museum is a must-see for anyone interested in books and printing. The Gutenberg Museum displays two copies of the Bible and Shuelburgh Bible as well as other publications representing the history of the printed word. Here you may see the very earliest typesetting machines and books that were published centuries after the Gutenberg Bible. There is also a small library open to the public that contains a collection of books from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

After you’ve looked at the fascinating displays, be sure and visit the Museum’s gift shop where you’ll find an interesting array of unique souvenirs to purchase as mementos of your visit.

Wiesbaden and Mainz Day Trip from Frankfurt

If You Go:

The Museum is open from Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5 and Sundays 11 to 3. Closed Monday and holidays. Admission: 5 Euro adult, 2 Euro children 8 – 18, 3 Euro students and disabled.

The Gutenberg Museum Mainz

Johann Gutenberg

Gutenberg Bible

KD Rhine Pass from Mainz

About the author:
Ruth has been interested in the printed word since she started reading as a child, and then when she got her first typewriter at the age of 16. When she worked as a copy-girl in the Vancouver Sun after she graduated from high-school in the ‘50s, she became familiar with printing presses. So this visit to the Gutenburg Museum was a fascinating experience especially since these days it’s the computer age and those old presses are now part of our history.

All photographs are by W. Ruth Kozak.

Germany: Inside the Dachau Concentration Camp

by Alexis Brett

When planning a trip to a former concentration camp in Europe, Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland tends to be the first one that comes to mind. But no more than 16 kilometers away from Munich lies another former concentration camp that was once used as a model by the Nazis to help design future concentration camps in Europe during the 1940s. This “Dachau Model” was often used by the Nazi party leaders to plan many other infamous camps like Auschwitz, and at the time served as an “instrument of terror” for not only the Jews, but Germans who spoke out against the Nazi party as well.

Not only was the Dachau Concentration Camp the first camp to imprison the Nazi’s political prisoners in Germany, it was also the only concentration camp that existed throughout the entire twelve years that the Nazi ruled over Germany as well.

By the early 1940s, Dachau was also the most well-known concentration camp in Europe, and apparently even whispering the word “Dachau” would spread a wave of fear and terror throughout the many communities who lived in fear of the Nazis. But for the 206,206 prisoners who were sent to Dachau as well as the 31,951 prisoners who died there, this fear would soon become a dark and deadly reality.

The Dachau Model

On March 20th, 1933, Heinrich Himmler and the temporary chief of police in Munich announced that a concentration camp had been built in small town of Dachau in Germany to imprison anyone who “opposed’ the Nazi political party.

The public was told the camp was designed to hold 6,000 political prisoners (such as members of the German Communist Party, the Socialist Workers’ Youth and the Catholic-Conservative Bavarian People’s Party). But soon after, Jews and political prisoners from countries such as Poland, France, Russia, Austria, Italy and the former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, as well as Catholic priests, Gypsies, homosexuals, or anyone else deemed “asocial,” were being sent to Dachau by the thousands. By the time Dachau was liberated on April 29th, 1945, approximately 32,000 prisoners lived within its walls.

Polish and Jewish prisoners represented the majority in the camp, and nearly 11,000 Jews were sent to Dachau in 1942 alone. The camp had a ranking system for prisoner hierarchy, for which the Germans were considered to be at the “top,” while Jews, Italians and Soviets were at the “bottom.”

As soon as they arrived the prisoners were forced to give up their clothing and belongings, and were often beaten and emotionally abused by the officers while they were being registered. Officers would interrogate each prisoner as they arrived, and would shout racial jokes and slurs at the prisoners.

After the prisoner was registered in the system, they would be forced to leave the room naked so they could cleanse themselves in the baths. As they bathed, the officers would continually harass the inmates. Once the registration was complete and the prisoners entered the camp grounds, their eyes would have been immediately drawn towards the roof of the maintenance building which stood near the camp entrance. The Nazis had plastered a saying on the roof of the building which read: “There is a path to freedom. Its milestones are: Obedience, honesty, cleanliness, sobriety, hard work, discipline, sacrifice, truthfulness, love of thy Fatherland.”

The prisoners attended roll call twice a day. During this time they were forced to line up in front of the barracks and stand motionless for an hour as the camp officers would count each prisoner. If anyone had died during the night, the corpse would then be dragged to the roll call area in front of all the other prisoners to be counted. If one of the prisoners had attempted to escape during the night, all of the other inmates were forced to stand at attention for hours on end, regardless of whether the attempt was successful or not. The officers would often torture or punish the prisoner for the others to witness. Sometimes the sick and dying inmates would collapse during roll call, and if any of the fellow inmates dared to help them, they would be punished. Punishment became an hourly occurrence inside Dachau. Prisoners were punished by food withdrawal, mail bans, or at worst, the infamous pole-hanging. Inmates were forced to work throughout the entire day and well into the evening, and were only given a limited amount of time to sleep during the night. They were also forced to put on heavy winter coats while they worked outside during the summer months, or even stand naked while they worked in the cold. If a prisoner was declared “unfit for work,” they would then be transported to the Hartheim Castle, (which was about 17 kilometers away from Linz in Germany); never to be seen or heard from again.

Life (and death) inside the barracks

The barracks were used as day rooms and dormitories for the prisoners, and although each barrack was designed to hold 200 prisoners, by the end of World War II in 1945, up to 2,000 prisoners were packed into these small living quarters. (The Jewish prisoners slept in barrack #15 which was separated from the rest of the camp with barbed wire).

The windows of the barracks were painted over with chalk so the prisoners couldn’t see outside, and the rooms were packed from wall to wall with bunk beds which made it impossible for any of the prisoners to sit up or move around.

The road between the rows of barracks, also known as “The Camp Road” was used as a central meeting place for the prisoners. The inmates used this long stretch of road that separated the several rows of the barracks to exchange information during the few hours after work. These meetings were called “the Spirit of the Camp Road” because it resembled a “solidarity” among the prisoners; a solidarity that was much needed given the fact that life inside the barracks was anything but ideal.

The inmates were given food with very little nutritional value, and because of this, along with overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions, their bodies were unable to fight against diseases like tuberculosis and phlegmon, which was an infection of cell tissues. There was also a typhus epidemic that spread throughout the camp in the winter of 1942/1943.

In the beginning, prisoners were given one-fourth of a loaf of bread each day, and every once in a while one liter of thin soup as well. In the evenings, the prisoners were given a small piece of sausage or cheese, as well as another half liter of soup. But as time went on, food portions for the prisoners dwindled, and because of this many prisoners suffered from malnutrition and dysentery.

Death became an “everyday event” within the camp walls, and often whenever a prisoner died the event was “met with little sympathy.”

The crematorium and death chambers

Dachau’s crematorium was built in 1940 in order to deal with the increasing number of deaths at the camp, followed by a larger crematorium as well as a gas chamber at the end of 1942. It was inside this gas chamber where the mass murders at Dachau occurred. Fake shower sprouts were installed in the ceiling in order to fool the prisoners into thinking they were going to take a shower. Within a period of 15 to 20 minutes, approximately 150 victims would have been poisoned to death inside the gas chamber. A separate room in the crematorium area known as the “death chamber” used to store the corpses that were brought in from the camp. These corpses were then cremated in one of the stoves, and it is said that each of the stoves could cremate two to three bodies at the same time.

By February of 1945, the crematorium was shut down due to a coal shortage in the camp, and the dead prisoners were then buried in mass graves just outside of the crematorium area; (these “ash graves” are now marked with various stones and tributes to the victims who were “laid to rest” here).

Discovery and liberation

Unfortunately by the time American soldiers discovered Dachau on April 29th, 1945, it was already too late for many of the victims.

Initially the soldiers first reported seeing open box cars on train tracks just outside of the camp that were stashed full of bodies from the floor to the ceiling. Little did they know exactly what lay ahead of them inside the walls of Dachau. In the area surrounding the crematorium, soldiers discovered approximately 3,000 corpses piled up on top of each other in a mass grave just outside of the crematorium area, as well as a pile of ashes from possibly thousands of different corpses as well. There was also a small area around the corner from these mass graves which was apparently used as a spot for last-minute executions just before the camp was liberated.

When the soldiers first entered through the gates of Dachau, they reported that the camp looked empty. However, within a few minutes prisoners started to slowly appear from all directions, some skeletal-looking with torn clothes, who were screaming, crying, and kissing the soldiers’ hands.

Years later, many of these former prisoners helped create the Dachau Memorial Site, which was rebuilt in 2003, to educate the thousands of tourists who visit the former concentration camp each year. And although the “Dachau Model” was once used by the Nazis to help design many of the other concentration camps throughout Europe in the 1940s, today Dachau serves a model to educate visitors on how the mass murder killings should always be remembered, and the countless numbers of victims who should never be forgotten.

Private Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site Tour from Munich

If You Go:

The Dachau Memorial Site is only a short train and bus ride away from Munich, and the admission is free. Take the S-2 train from Munich to the Dachau stop, and then take a free shuttle bus directly to the Memorial Site.

For more information visit www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de or call 49 8131 669 970.

About the author:
Alexis Brett is a Canadian journalism graduate and is currently working as a freelance writer and living in Scotland. Her articles have been featured in Travel Thru History, Go Nomad and DIWYY.com, as well as various other music and travel blogs. You can follow her travel tweets @RambleOnEh.

All photos are by Alexis Brett.