Munich's Concentration Camp Memorial Tour: Dachau

(this tour lasts about 5 hours. Please click here to go straight to start times and locations)

Soon after the Nazis took power, the future head of the SS (Heinrich Himmler) ordered the construction of Dachau to serve as a prison for political (and later social and ethnic) enemies of Nazi Germany. By the time American soldiers liberated the camp in 1945, more than 40,000 people had lost their lives to the camp's deadly conditions and the guards' brutality.

We our proud that our guides have recieved special permission to provide this tour within the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, something that very few guides recieve permission to be able to do. Many companies offer a simple 'pick-up' service to take you to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial but our native English speaking guide is the same historical tour expert who will tour you through the history of the Memorial over the three hours we spend there.

Our tour to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial includes:

Jourhaus
Where prisoners first entered the camp and passed through the gate with the now infamous words "Arbeit macht frei" (work will set you free).
Walking through this gate meant giving up three things: their possessions, their rights as a human being, and their diginity.

Shuntroom
Where the prisoners were registered and given a number as their new identity. Our tour uses the exhibition on display to explore what new prisoners experienced when they arrived at the concentration camp.

Prison Bunker
Where "special prisoners" were kept, such as well-known political and religous leaders. Regular prisoners were also brought here for torturing to extort confessions, as well as for other types of "special treatment."

Barracks
The camp barracks were built to hold approximately 6,000 prisoners. When the camp was liberated in 1945, over 30,000 prisoners were being held at the concentration camp. Here we will explore the effects of overcrowding on camp life.

Crematorium / Gas Chambers
The crematorium grounds were strictly off limits for prisoners and separated from the prisoner camp. This area was also used to carry out executions. On our tour, this is where we discuss the difficult subject of death in the camp.

Where and When? EVERY DAY at 12:00 pm (except for MONDAYs, as the Memorial is closed to visitors) by the column in the center of Marienplatz (S/U-Bahn). €19, €15 for students (includes transportation to and from the memorial)