On this day in 1945, American Forces liberated the Dachau concentration camp.

Dachau was a Nazi German concentration camp, and the first one opened in Germany, located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria which is located in southern Germany.

Opened in March 1933[1], it was the first regular concentration camp established by the coalition government of National Socialist (Nazi) NSDAP party and the German Nationalist People’s party (dissolved on 6 July 1933). Heinrich Himmler, Chief of Police of Munich, officially described the camp as “the first concentration camp for political prisoners.”[2]

Dachau served as a prototype and model for the other Nazi concentration camps that followed. Almost every community in Germany had members taken away to these camps…

In the 1940’s people had no idea where Dachau was, until they saw it on the news. At least they knew where Germany was. These days most kids don’t even know where the Outer Banks are located, let alone a war that happened more than 60 years ago.

You can find out more about this day in history at Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease.

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