This Day in Christian History: April 29, Dachau Liberated
April 29, 1945: Dachau Liberated by US Troops
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American troops guarding the main entrance to Dachau just after liberation, 1945 |
Dachau is the oldest of the Nazi concentration camps. It was the first, opened in 1933. The Dachau system grew to include over 100 sub camps located throughout southern Germany and Austria. The prisoners lived in constant fear. Their treatment was brutal, including floggings, confinement in standing cells, tree or pole hangings, and other atrocities.
Dachau was liberated by American troops on this day in 1945, freeing more than 30,000 people. Most were terribly sick.
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Women of the Dachau camp wave to their liberators |
There were 32,000 documented deaths, mostly Jews, during the camp's 12 year existence. Thousands more went undocumented.
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