inner yard of carmelite convent
Wiedemann commented on his design: "The cells are surrounding the altar like a flock its shepperd. The whole resembles a figure: The cells are the arms, the cloister is the head, chapel and chancel are the body, altar and tabernacle are the heart, gate and presbytery are the legs touching the camp's wall". Inside the convent's church (at the left side wall) you will find the impressive 'Madonna of Dachau', originally donated by salvatorian monks for the chapel of the priests who were imprisoned in the concentration camp. Entrance to the church is right across one of the watch towers of the former camp. Construction of the expiation convent - its foundation stone had been laid by bishop Neuhäusler on 28 April 1963 - raised significant technical problems. Load capacity of the ground proved very low. This place had been a gravel pit where prisoners had to work as slaves until it was finally filled up. Additionally ground-water level was only 1.2 meters below surface. Therefore a depth of up to 7.8 meters was necessary for the foundations. Still during construction of the convent Berta Vorbach and 5 nuns moved from the Carmel in Pützchen to Dachau. They started to support the bricklayers as handymen. This way it was possible for Neuhäusler to inaugurate the carmelite convent already on 22 November 1964. But to Mother Superior there didn't remain much time for her self-imposed task. She already died on 10 March 1970 and was the first to be buried on the cemetery of the convent. Suffragan bishop Neuhäusler who died on 14 December 1973 was buried in the convent's church.
The Carmelites praying in the expiation convent for the victims of the concentration camps are living in strict enclosure for live. They are obligated to earn their living and to produce their food as far as possible in their own garden where they additionally have two ponds for carp-farming. Eating meat isn't allowed according to carmelite rules. The smallest of three bells of their church is a witness of nazi terror that never becomes silent. It originates from the Stadelheim prison in Munich where it was the knell for many executed persons like Hans and Sophie Scholl of the resistance group 'Weiße Rose' (white rose), killed there on 22 February 1943.
Returning to the drill square on the main camp road, which devides the area into two equal halves, you may still visit one of the two reconstructed huts. It gives a shocking impression of overcrowding of the camp during the last two years of World War II. You leave the former concentration camp across the drill square.
If you are visiting the memorial site by car you may still visit the tombs of victims of the former concentration camp: Following 'Alte Römerstraße' to the north you will arrive at the former SS shooting range shortly before reaching Hebertshausen. At this location the SS killed thousands of Soviet prisoners of war based on the so-called 'Kommissarbefehl' (order concerning commissioners) of Adolf Hitler. Exact figures are not known. A commemorative stone reminds of the victims. Made by sculptor Will Elfers it was unveiled on 3 May 1964.
On the road from the shooting range to Dachau city, immediately after crossing the railway tracks Munich - Ingolstadt, you turn right and enter the parking lot below the 'Leitenberg'. Located on this hill are the tombs of 7439 prisoners who died shortly before or after liberation of the camp. Uphill there are 14 stations of the cross, consisting of unpolished marble blocks from Montegrotto-Termi near Padua with reliefs of the Veronese sculptor Vittorio di Colbertaldo. The trail leads to the Italian memorial chapel 'Regina Pacis' (Queen of peace). The dome-shaped building in renaissance style, designed by the architect Ronca Euena, was erected in remembrance of all deported Italians who had died in German concentration camps. For the votive chapel, inaugurated on 29 July 1963, the Milan cardinal Montini donated marble from Candoglia.
The nearby cemetery of honour for the victims of the concentration camp is surrounded by a wall of rough stones 1.2 meters high. At the center of the burial ground there is a striking wooden cross with votive tablets made by the Munich sculptor Klaus Backmund showing well-known christian martyrs. The cemetery, which was consecrated on 16 December 1949, was designed by director of horiculture Christian Bauer. Behind the cemetery there is a commemorative hall, designed by architect Prof. Harald Roth and sculptor Josef Hiller, both from Munich. The octagonal tower-like building of 9 meters diameter is 11 meters high. Inside there are the emblems of all nations mourning victims died in the Dachau concentration camp. The topping-out ceremony of the hall took place on 17 September 1951.
Following the road to Dachau city you may turn right into 'Weblinger Weg', this road is leading to the 'Waldfriedhof', the main cemetery of Dachau, where 1268 prisoners are buried who died after liberation. In addition Jewish prisoners are buried here who died on an evacuation march from the concentration camp of Flossenbürg (north-east Bavaria) to the Dachau camp. In remembrance of them the 'Association of Jewish victims of persecution and invalids of concentration camps' initiated erection of a memorial. Designed by the Cologne sculptor Dieter Aldinger it is 4 meters high and was inaugurated on 1 May 1964.
From concentration camp memorial site to the just visited cemetery you have covered a distance of 6.5 km. Using 'Krankenhausstraße' you will finally reach downtown Dachau. You shouldn't leave Dachau without considering, that its citizens were neither more nor less involved into Nazi crimes than other Germans of these days. But according to a statement of the former mayor "they do not want to play down or even deny the terrible events which had happened here." At a special meeting of the city council on 25 April 1970, the 25th anniversary of liberation of the camp, Dr. Lorenz Reitmeier declared: "The city of Dachau claims condemnatrion of such horrible events from now on, just the way all Germans and mankind in general should do".
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