Arbeit macht frei

Posting this on 6th March 2018, two days after the Italians went to the polls and around 50% voted for populist, right-wing parties and again setting off the debate about Europe and the future of the EU. Spurred on of course by the Brexit supporters in the UK, the fascist government of Hungary and no doubt supported by such elements in Poland, Austria and wherever else the fascists and racists can stir up fear and gain support. Tactics used by others in living memory with unscaled consequences.
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Nigel and I taking the opportunity of a German Bank Holiday, the "Tag der Arbeit" or International Workers Day in many countries and if it happens to fall on a Monday, "Mayday" in the UK.

We drove out to the Dachau Concentration Camp on the western outskirts of Munich.

I don't think I need to recall here all the events that went on there, the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Jews, Catholic clergy, physically and mentally disabled people, gays, intellectuals, politicians, Princes and Princesses, Dukes and Duchesses of German royal families, intellectuals, writers, communists and anyone who resisted Hitler and his right-wing fascist movement.

The site is "clinically clean" and in itself lacking any emotion. There are no monsters jumping out from behind walls, the paths and gravel are immaculate, the huts the prisoners lived in are gone, the ovens silent and cool, the gas chamber showers clean and free of smell.

And yet my lasting memory is that throughout the walk in the grounds, buildings and museum, hardly a word was exchanged between us. We were both simply in a state of numbness from the moment we entered the infamous "Work Brings Freedom" gates.

We didn't say much on the walk back to the carpark or drive to Munich.

Nigel was most recently at the site in August 2017with one of his daughters who was not yet born when we did our visit.

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