Dachau Facts for Kids

Dachau is a city in southern Germany, located about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Munich. It is home to around 40,000 people. The city has a charming old town center with a beautiful castle built in the 1700s.

Dachau was founded a very long time ago, in the 8th century. In 1933, a concentration camp was built here. This was the first camp created by the Nazis. It became a model for all their other camps. More than 30,000 prisoners died or were killed there.

Dachau: A City with a Story
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Dachau: A City with a Story

Dachau is a city with a long and interesting history. It is known for its beautiful old town and its important role in World War II. The city is a popular place for visitors who want to learn about its past.

Early History of Dachau

The city of Dachau was first mentioned in the 8th century. It grew over time and became an important market town. In the 1700s, a grand castle was built in the city. This castle is still a major landmark today.

The Dachau Concentration Camp

In 1933, a very sad part of Dachau's history began. The Nazis built their first concentration camp here. This camp was meant to hold people who opposed the Nazi government. It quickly became a place where many innocent people were imprisoned.

What Was a Concentration Camp?

A concentration camp was a place where people were held against their will. They were often forced to do hard labor. Prisoners included political opponents, Jews, Romani people, and others the Nazis disliked. The conditions in these camps were very harsh.

Life in the Camp

Life for prisoners in Dachau was extremely difficult. They faced hunger, illness, and cruel treatment. The camp was designed to break people's spirits. Many prisoners died from exhaustion, disease, or violence.

The Camp as a Prototype

Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp. It served as a model for all the other camps that were built later. The methods used at Dachau were copied in other places. This made Dachau a very important, but tragic, part of history.

Liberation of Dachau

On April 29, 1945, American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp. This meant the prisoners were finally freed. The soldiers found terrible conditions inside the camp. The liberation brought an end to the suffering for those who survived.

Dachau Today: A Place of Remembrance

Today, the former concentration camp is a memorial site. Visitors can come to learn about what happened there. It serves as a reminder of the terrible events of the past. The memorial helps ensure that such atrocities are never forgotten.

The city of Dachau itself is a vibrant place. It has a rich cultural life and beautiful surroundings. People visit to see the historic town center and the castle. The city works to remember its past while looking towards the future.

Images for kids

Aerial photo of the Dachau complex with the actual concentration camp on the left
The camp commander gives a speech to prisoners about to be released as part of a pardoning action near Christmas 1933.
Heinrich Himmler (front right, beside prisoner) inspecting Dachau Concentration Camp on 8 May 1936.
German concentration camps: Auschwitz, Oranienburg, Mauthausen and Dachau in "The Polish White Book", New York (1941).
The gate at the Jourhaus building through which the prisoners' camp was entered contains the slogan, Arbeit macht frei, or 'Work Sets You Free.'
Roll-call of Jewish prisoners (wearing Star of David badges), 20 July 1938
Prisoners' barracks in 1945
Polish prisoners in Dachau toast their liberation from the camp. Poles constituted the largest ethnic group in the camp during the war, followed by Russians, French, Yugoslavs, Jews, and Czechs.
Priest Friedrich Hoffman testifies at the trial of former camp personnel and prisoners from Dachau. In his hand he holds records showing that hundreds of priests died at the camp after being exposed to malaria during Nazi medical experiments.
SS Guards arriving at the Dachau "Protective Custody" Camp 27 May 1933 (Photo: Friedrich Franz Bauer)
SS men confer with General Henning Linden (man with helmet, looking to his right) during the camp's liberation (29 April 1945)
Female prisoners at Dachau wave to their liberators
Photograph allegedly showing an unauthorized execution of SS troops in a coal yard in the area of the Dachau concentration camp during its liberation—part of the Dachau liberation reprisals. 29 April 1945 (U.S. Army photograph)
Liberated Dachau camp prisoners cheer U.S. troops
Adolf Eichmann on trial in 1961
Dr. Hans Eisele in American internment
Memorial sculpture by Nandor Glid erected in 1968
Orthodox chapel in the memorial.
Aerial photo of the memorial in 2012
Reconstructed shack with bunk beds (October 2011)