--- title: "Dachau" description: "Discover the history, facts and legacy of Dachau Concentration Camp, the first major Nazi concentration camp. Learn about its prisoners, victims, liberation and role in the Holocaust" url: "https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/dachau" date: "2026-07-07T15:09:51+00:00" language: "en-GB" --- ![Concentration Camp Dachau was the first camp in Nazi Germany](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/Holocaust/dachau/d-day-normandy-beyond-dachau-main-slider.jpg) # Dachau ### The history and facts about Victims: 41.500 people murdered [](#) [](#) - [ Dachau](#) Remember the victims of Dachau ![ A Star of David, a yellow star as a tool of exclusion of the Jews](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/32/D-Day-normandy-beyond-Jodenster-32c9fec7.png) **Dachau Concentration Camp** was the first major concentration camp established by **Nazi Germany** and was originally created for political opponents of the Nazi regime. Opened on 22 March 1933 near the town of **Dachau**, approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Munich, it became the prototype for the entire Nazi concentration camp system. During its twelve years of operation, **more than 200.000 prisoners** passed through the camp and its subcamps. **At least 41.500 people died** as a result of **imprisonment, disease, starvation, executions, medical experiments and mistreatment**. Dachau was liberated by troops of the **US 45th Infantry Division** on **29 April 1945**. ###### "For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing". ##### Simon Wiesenthal --- - [ History ](#history) - [ Footage ](#footage) - [ Liberation ](#liberation) - [ Commanders ](#commanders) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-01.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-02.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-04.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-06.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-09.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-10.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-11.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-13.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-12.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-14.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-15.jpg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/color/dachau/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-16.jpg) [](#) [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) - [](#) Copyright: USHMM, Bundesarchiv, Camps, Arolsen Archives and others (used with permission) ## History, definition and facts about Dachau ### Quick Facts - **Location:** Dachau, Bavaria, Germany - **Operational:** 22 March 1933 - 29 April 1945 - **Type:** Concentration camp and forced labor camp - **Founder:** Heinrich Himmler - **Prisoners:** Approximately 188.000 - **Victims:** At least 41.500 - **Liberated:** 29 April 1945 - **Known for:** First major Nazi concentration camp and model for the Nazi camp system ### Origins and Construction Following the appointment of [**Adolf Hitler**](https://www.normandy1944.info/home/commanders/life-and-death-of-adolf-hitler) as Chancellor of Germany on **30 January 1933**, the Nazi regime quickly moved to eliminate political opposition. On **22 March 1933**, the first prisoners arrived at a newly established concentration camp on the grounds of a former munitions factory near Dachau. The camp was established under the authority of [**Heinrich Himmler**](https://www.normandy1944.info/home/commanders/life-and-death-of-heinrich-himmler), then Police President of Munich and later **Reichsführer-SS**. Initially intended for political prisoners, including communists, social democrats, trade unionists and other opponents of the Nazi regime, Dachau soon became a symbol of Nazi repression. > Unlike many later camps, Dachau remained in operation throughout the entire twelve years of Nazi rule, making it unique within the concentration camp system. ### Dachau as the Model Concentration Camp After **Operation Hummingbird**, commonly known as the **Night of the Long Knives** (**30 June - 2 July 1934**), during which the leadership of the **SA** (**[including Ernst Röhm](https://www.normandy1944.info/home/commanders/life-and-death-of-ernst-roehm)**) was purged, Heinrich Himmler expanded Dachau significantly. New prison facilities and administrative buildings were constructed adjacent to the original camp. The organizational structure, guard regulations, punishment system and camp layout developed at Dachau became the model for future concentration camps across Nazi Germany and occupied Europe. SS officers and camp personnel received training there before being assigned to camps such as [**Auschwitz**](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/auschwitz), [**Sachsenhausen**](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/sachsenhausen), [**Buchenwald**](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/buchenwald), [**Mauthausen**](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/mauthausen) and many others. As the concentration camp system expanded during the 1930s and the Second World War, Dachau became the training ground for thousands of SS guards and administrators. Among the senior officials who later oversaw the camp system was [**Richard Glücks**](https://www.normandy1944.info/home/commanders/life-and-death-of-richard-gluecks), who succeeded **[Theodor Eick](https://www.normandy1944.info/home/commanders/life-and-death-of-theodor-eicke)e** as **Inspector of Concentration Camps** in **november** **1939**. Under Glücks' administration, the concentration camp network expanded dramatically across Germany and occupied Europe. > The Nazi regime frequently showcased Dachau as an "exemplary camp" while concealing the brutal reality experienced by its prisoners. ### Expansion of the Prisoner Population As Germany expanded its territory, the prisoner population at Dachau grew dramatically. Following the **Anschluss of Austria** on **12 March 1938**, Austrian political opponents and Jews were deported to the camp. Later that year, after Germany annexed the **Sudetenland** on **1 October 1938**, Czech resistance members, political opponents and Jews were imprisoned in Dachau. Similar arrests occurred throughout occupied Europe during the following years. Among the prisoners were **Germans**, **Austrians**, **Poles**, **French**, **Dutch**, **Belgians**, **Czechs**, **Yugoslavs**, **Italians**, **Soviets** and many other nationalities. The camp held **political prisoners**, **clergy**, **resistance fighters**, **Jews**, **Roma and Sinti**, **Jehovah's Witnesses**, **homosexuals** and **prisoners of war**. ### Prisoner Groups in Dachau The first prisoners included communists, social democrats, trade unionists and other individuals considered enemies of the state. Over time, the prisoner population expanded dramatically as Nazi persecution spread across Germany and occupied Europe. During its twelve years of operation, Dachau imprisoned a wide variety of groups. These included **political prisoners**, **Jews**, **Roma** and **Sinti**, **Jehovah's Witnesses**, **Catholic and Protestant clergy**, **homosexuals**, resistance fighters, prisoners of war and civilians from occupied countries. Prisoners came from more than thirty nations across Europe. One of the largest special prisoner groups held in Dachau was the clergy. More than **2.700 clergymen** were imprisoned there, the vast majority of them **Roman Catholic priests**. Because of this, Dachau became known as the camp with the **largest concentration of imprisoned clergy within the Nazi concentration camp system**. Although Dachau was not primarily established as an extermination camp, thousands of Jewish prisoners were deported there, particularly following events such as the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938. Many Jewish inmates later died in the camp or were transferred to other concentration and extermination camps. > By the time of liberation on 29 April 1945, the prisoners held in Dachau represented almost every group targeted by Nazi persecution policies. ### Dutch Prisoners in Dachau Many Dutch citizens were imprisoned in Dachau. Most were members of the resistance, political prisoners or individuals persecuted because of their Jewish background. Approximately **1.935 non-Jewish Dutch men** and around **200 non-Jewish Dutch women** were imprisoned in Dachau. The exact number of Dutch Jewish prisoners remains unknown due to incomplete wartime records, transfers between camps and the chaotic conditions of the final months of the war. > On **5 October 1942**, **Heinrich Himmler** ordered that Jewish prisoners held in Dachau be transferred to **Auschwitz** and other camps in occupied Poland. ### Conditions Inside the Camp Life in Dachau was characterized by overcrowding, forced labor, starvation, disease and brutal punishment. Prisoners were subjected to constant intimidation and violence by SS guards. Inmates worked in workshops, factories, construction projects and later in numerous satellite camps that supplied labor for the German war effort. Food rations were inadequate and sanitary conditions were poor, leading to widespread illness and death. Executions were carried out by shooting, hanging and other methods. Thousands of prisoners also died from exhaustion, disease and malnutrition. ### Medical Experiments Dachau became one of the principal locations for Nazi medical experiments. Prisoners were used as unwilling subjects in experiments involving hypothermia, high-altitude survival, malaria, seawater consumption and infectious diseases. Many prisoners suffered permanent injuries or died as a result of these experiments, which violated every principle of medical ethics. ### Victims and Death Toll More than **188.000 prisoners** passed through Dachau and its network of subcamps between **1933** and **1945**. Modern historical research estimates that at least **41.500 prisoners** died as a result of executions, disease, starvation, forced labor, medical experiments and the harsh conditions imposed by the SS. The true number may never be known with complete certainty due to missing records and the destruction of documents during the final stages of the war. ### Eyewitness stories To learn more about the people imprisoned in Dachau, read this personal story preserved on Normandy1944.info. These eyewitness accounts help illustrate the human impact behind the statistics and historical facts. - [Kate Mueller Slonim](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/kate-mueller-slonim) ### The Death Marches As Allied forces advanced into Germany during the spring of **1945**, the SS began evacuating concentration camps and attempting to conceal evidence of their crimes. Thousands of prisoners from camps across the collapsing Reich arrived in Dachau during the final weeks of the war, placing enormous strain on the already overcrowded camp. > On **26 April 1945**, the SS began evacuating approximately **7.000 prisoners** from Dachau. These prisoners were forced onto death marches toward southern Germany. Many prisoners, already weakened by years of imprisonment, collapsed along the route. Those unable to continue were frequently shot by SS guards. Countless others died from exhaustion, starvation, dehydration and exposure. ### Liberation of Dachau As the situation deteriorated, the final **Lagerälteste** (senior prisoner), **Oskar Müller**, feared that the SS might massacre the remaining inmates before Allied forces arrived. He arranged for contact to be made with advancing American troops. On **29 April 1945**, soldiers of the **US 45th Infantry Division** and elements of the **US 42nd Infantry Division** reached Dachau. Before entering the camp, American troops discovered a train from **Buchenwald**. Approximately **2.000 corpses** lay inside the freight cars. Within the camp itself they found thousands more dead prisoners near the crematorium and throughout the camp grounds. The horrific scenes shocked the liberators. In the immediate aftermath of liberation, several captured SS guards were summarily executed by American soldiers, an event that remains the subject of historical debate. > Approximately **32.000 surviving prisoners** were liberated from Dachau that day. ### The Legacy of Dachau Dachau occupies a unique place in Holocaust and concentration camp history. As the first major Nazi concentration camp, it served as the blueprint for the vast network of camps that followed. The infamous slogan **"Arbeit Macht Frei"** ("Work Sets You Free"), displayed above the entrance gate, became one of the most recognizable symbols of Nazi deception and cruelty. In **1965**, a memorial site was established at the former camp. Today, the **Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site** welcomes visitors from around the world who come to learn about the crimes committed there and to honor the memory of the victims. Dachau remains a powerful reminder of the dangers of dictatorship, antisemitism, racism, political extremism and the abuse of state power. Its preservation ensures that future generations continue to remember the victims and learn from the lessons of history. --- ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_placeholder_map.svg) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_icon_openstreetmap.svg)OpenStreetMap service required to load this map. ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/templates/yootheme/assets/images/consent_icon_openstreetmap.svg)OpenStreetMap service required to load this map. Location: Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany --- Camp slogan: ##### Arbeit macht frei Date of operation: ### March 22, 1933 - April 29, 1945 ###### Number of prisoners: ± 200.000 ###### Prisoners murdered: 41.500 [ Official website or memorial ](https://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/en/) [ Discover the camp commanders ](#commanders) --- Page updated on: 26 June 2026 ### The victims, survivors and liberators of Dachau The history of Dachau is not only told through dates and statistics, but through the lives of the people who suffered there and those who witnessed its liberation. Survivors carried the memories of the camp for the rest of their lives, while Allied soldiers were confronted with scenes they would never forget. Their stories help ensure that the victims, surviors and liberators are remembered as individuals rather than numbers. [ ![Kate Mueller Slonim](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/e5/Kathe-Mu%CC%88ller-April-1934-age-6-e56d0fa6.jpg) ### Kate Mueller Slonim Survivor Kate Mueller (born Kathe Mueller in July 1, 1927 in Stuttgart, Germany) was just 11 years old when her life was shattered by the viole… Read the stoy ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/kate-mueller-slonim) [ ![Felix A. Cizewski](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/5a/cizewski_011-5ae1838f.jpg) ### Felix A. Cizewski Liberator On April 29, 1945, the 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Division were among the liberators of Dachau. No more than 5… Read the stoy ](https://www.normandy1944.info/stories/felix-a-cizewski) [ ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/c3/alpanebi_001-c34b91fd.jpg) ### Albert R. Panebianco Liberator We then looked forward to taking Camp Dachau . On 4/25/45 we crossed the Danube and on 4/28/45 the 157th received notice that when Dac… Read the stoy ](https://www.normandy1944.info/stories/albert-r-panebianco) [](#) [](#) ###### Original video footage Copyright of this video: CriticalPast ### When did this camp cease operations? --- ### The camp ceased operations on: April 29 1945 following its liberation by soldiers of the following unit(s) ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/45th_infantry_division_US.png)### US 45th Infantry Division ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/42nd-Infantry-Division-US.png)### US 42nd Infantry Division ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/images/patches/20th-Armored-Division-US.png)### US 20th Armored Division [](#) [](#) ##### Camp commmanders A list of the people who ordered and inflicted the atrocities on the prisoners. ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/74/Hilmar-Wackerle-74ead5f6.jpg) #### Hilmar Wäckerle 22 March 1933 - 26 June 1933 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/e5/Theodor-Eicke-e58a6f64.jpg) #### Theodor Eicke 26 June 1933 - 4 July 1934 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/d3/Alexander-Reiner-d356e99a.jpg) #### Alexander Reiner 4 July 1934 - 22 October 1934 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/00/Berthold-Maack-00be5121.jpg) #### Berthold Maack 22 October 1934 - 12 January 1935 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/cb/Heinrich-Deubel-cb381db7.jpg) #### Heinrich Deubel 12 January 1935 - 31 March 1936 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/5e/Hans-Loritz-5ee58e5b.jpg) #### Hans Loritz 31 March 1936 - 7 January 1939 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/51/Alexander-Piorkowski2-512fd6f5.jpg) #### Alexander Piorkowski 7 January 1939 - 2 January 1942 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/9c/Martin-Wei-9c42fb4e.jpg) #### Martin Weiß 3 January 1942 - 30 September 1943 ![](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/5d/Eduard-Weiter-5dcfdc6a.jpg) #### Eduard Weiter 30 September 1943 - 26 April 1945 [](#) ###### Other concentration camps [ ![Dachau](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/29/D-Day-Normandy-beyond-Dachau-05-294e35fc.jpg) ### Dachau Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/dachau) [ ![Auschwitz](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/f3/d-day-normandy-beyond-auschwitz-007-f3ac14cd.jpg) ### Auschwitz Oswiecim, Poland ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/auschwitz) [ ![Natzweiler-Struthof](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/43/Entrance-at-Natzweiler-Struthof-after-liberation-4371364c.jpg) ### Natzweiler-Struthof Natzwiller, France ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/natzweiler-struthof) [ ![Workcamp Geesbrug](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/ce/kamp-geesburg-concentration-camp-grounds-ce4229ff.jpg) ### Workcamp Geesbrug Geesbrug, The Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/workcamp-geesbrug) [ ![Sobibor](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/aa/d-day-normandy-beyond-sobibor-002-aaccdbd1.jpg) ### Sobibor Sobibor, Poland ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/sobibor) [ ![Kamp Schoorl](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/3c/kamp-schoorl-concentration-camp-grounds-3cb46d65.jpg) ### Kamp Schoorl Schoorl, The Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/kamp-schoorl) [ ![Majdanek](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/de/majdanek-concentration-camp-history-prisoners-group-dee8c783.jpg) ### Majdanek Lublin, Poland ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/majdanek) [ ![Neuengamme](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/05/Entrance-to-the-SS-barracks-with-the-first-wooden-guard-tower-neuengamme-05be6f2a.jpg) ### Neuengamme Hamburg, Northern Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/neuengamme) [ ![Camp Erika](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/72/camp-erika-netherlands-road-entrance-to-camp-724886e3.jpg) ### Camp Erika Ommen, The Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/camp-erika) [ ![Mauthausen](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/dd/d-day-normandy-beyond-Mauthausen-main-gate-dd7bcf90.jpg) ### Mauthausen Mauthausen, Upper Austria ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/mauthausen) [ ![Buchenwald](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/4f/D-day-normandy-beyond-Liberated-Prisoners-Buchenwald-April-18-1945-003-4faefff1.jpg) ### Buchenwald Weimar, Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/buchenwald) [ ![Ravensbrück](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/d5/d-day-normandy-beyond-ravensbruck-001-d51ec609.jpg) ### Ravensbrück Fürstenberg/Havel, Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/ravensbrueck) [ ![Bergen Belsen](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/92/d-day-normandy-beyond-bergen-belsen-011-9261470b.jpg) ### Bergen Belsen Lower Saxony, Northern Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/bergen-belsen) [ ![Westerbork](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/9d/D-day-normandy-beyond-Westerbork-008-9d0ea87e.jpg) ### Westerbork Westerbork, the Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/westerbork) [ ![Kamp Vught](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/47/d-day-normandy-beyond-vught-001-47dd1820.jpg) ### Kamp Vught Vught, Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/kamp-vught) [ ![Amersfoort](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/4b/D-day-normandy-beyond-Amersfoort-004-4bf094d7.jpg) ### Amersfoort Amersfoort, The Netherlands ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/amersfoort) [ ![Sachsenhausen](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/ad/d-day-normandy-beyond-Sachsenhausen-010-ad5676b5.jpg) ### Sachsenhausen Oranienburg, Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/sachsenhausen) [ ![Mittelbau Dora](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/11/d-day-normandy-beyond-concentration-camps-dora-mittelbau-026-11ce5fed.jpg) ### Mittelbau Dora Nordhausen, Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/mittelbau-dora) [ ![Flossenbürg](https://www.normandy1944.info/media/yootheme/cache/34/d-day-normandy-beyond-concentration-camp-flossenburg-germany-001-3471f7e3.jpg) ### Flossenbürg Flossenbürg, Germany ](https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/flossenbuerg) [](#) [](#) #### Help to share this page on social media The stories on my website are meant to educate people about WW2. You can help by sharing them with your family and friends on your social platforms. Thank you so much for your assistance. - [](https://www.facebook.com/Normandy1944) - [](https://www.instagram.com/Normandy1944) - [](https://www.twitter.com/Normandy_1944) ## Schema ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Holocaust", "item": "https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Concentrationcamps", "item": "https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dachau", "item": "https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/dachau" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.normandy1944.info/holocaust/concentrationcamps/dachau" }, "headline": "Dachau", "description": "Discover the history, facts and legacy of Dachau Concentration Camp, the first major Nazi concentration camp. Learn about its prisoners, victims, liberation and role in the Holocaust", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.normandy1944.info/images/photos/Holocaust/dachau/d-day-normandy-beyond-dachau-main-slider.jpg" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Normandy1944.info – D-Day, Normandy and Beyond", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.normandy1944.info/images/logo/D-Day-Normandy-1944-WW2-logo.png" } }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank C. Everards", "url": "https://www.normandy1944.info/blog/how-it-started" }, "datePublished": "2026-06-09T12:14:08+02:00", "dateCreated": "2026-06-09T12:14:08+02:00", "dateModified": "2026-06-26T10:59:37+02:00" } ```