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Media Essay

Dachau (Abridged Article) - Photograph

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Dachau concentration camps liberation medical experiments forced labor

Dachau opened in Germany in March 1933. It was the first regular concentration camp of the Nazi regime. Prisoners were subjected to horrific conditions, forced labor, and medical experiments. Dachau became the model for all Nazi concentration camps. It was liberated by American forces on April 29, 1945.

One of the first photographs of the Dachau camp

Photograph of a field with a camp in the background featuring low buildings and a factory with a tall thin smokestack.

View of barracks and the ammunition factory in one of the first photos of the Dachau concentration camp. Dachau, Germany, March or April 1933.

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US soldiers view bodies of victims of Kaufering

American soldiers view bodies of victims of Kaufering, a network of subsidiary camps of the Dachau concentration camp. [LCID: 74577]

US soldiers view bodies of victims of Kaufering, a network of subsidiary camps of the Dachau concentration camp. Landsberg-Kaufering, Germany, April 30, 1945.

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Boxcars containing bodies of victims outside the Dachau camp

An open boxcar containing dozens of dead victims. Several uniformed officers stand behind a few young people in front of the open boxcar door.

US soldiers discovered these boxcars loaded with dead prisoners outside the Dachau camp. Here, they force German boys—believed to be members of the Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend; HJ)—to view the atrocity. Dachau, Germany, April 30, 1945.

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Human remains in the Dachau crematorium

Human remains found in the Dachau concentration camp crematorium after liberation. [LCID: 0315]

Human remains found in the Dachau concentration camp crematorium after liberation. Germany, April 1945.

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Survivors of Dachau

Camp survivors after liberation. Dachau, Germany, after April 29, 1945. [LCID: 0481]

Camp survivors after liberation. Dachau, Germany, after April 29, 1945.

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Dachau survivors at liberation

Camp survivors in barracks at liberation. Dachau, Germany, April 29-May 1, 1945. [LCID: 85559]

Camp survivors crowded in barracks at liberation. Dachau, Germany, April 29-May 1, 1945.

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Romani (Gypsy) victim of Nazi medical experiments

An emaciated man with light skin tone lays on a cot with a wrap around his upper right arm. The veins in his arm are pronounced and visible. He grimaces while a figure leans over the bed.

A Romani (Gypsy) victim of Nazi medical experiments to make seawater safe to drink. Dachau concentration camp, Germany, 1944.

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Medical experiment performed at the Dachau concentration camp

A male prisoner sits with a harness with testing equipment wrapped around him. The prisoner wears a uniform, with dark hair shaved close and light skin tone. He appears to be unconscious, with his head angled to the side and limp arms.

Medical experiment performed at the Dachau concentration camp to determine altitudes at which German pilots could survive. Germany, 1942.

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Prisoners at forced labor in Dachau

Prisoners at forced labor. Photo taken during an SS inspection. [LCID: 11251a]

German Jews at forced labor in Dachau. Photo taken during an SS inspection. Dachau concentration camp, Germany, June 28, 1938.

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Crematoria at the Dachau camp

The crematoria at Dachau concentration camp, soon after the liberation of the camp. [LCID: 85670]

The crematoria at Dachau concentration camp, soon after the liberation of the camp. Germany, after April 29, 1945.

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Prisoners' barracks in Dachau

View of prisoners' barracks soon after the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. [LCID: 37255]

View of prisoners' barracks soon after the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. Dachau, Germany, May 3, 1945.

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View of the Dachau concentration camp

View of the Dachau concentration camp, after liberation. [LCID: 55026]

View of the Dachau concentration camp, after liberation on April 29, 1945. It shows the electrified barbed wire fence, the moat, and a watchtower. 

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Survivors of Ampfing

Survivors of the Ampfing subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp soon after liberation by US troops. [LCID: 67871]

Survivors of the Ampfing subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp soon after liberation by US troops. Ampfing, Germany, May 4, 1945.

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