Gedenkt Macht Frei

Loosely translated: Remembering frees.

As the prisoners entered the Dachau contraction camp, they were greeted with the words ARBEIT MACHT FREI in wrought-iron letters. The door slammed behind them and they entered a world of forced labor, starvation, medical mistreatment, and intentional mass murder. When the SS told the Holocaust victims that "labor frees" it was a disgusting and horrible mockery of an idea otherwise valid and venerated in society.

What does make those tortured souls free -- what will make us all free -- is remembering. Taking serious note of what happened, sharing with others the truth of the past, and vowing to rise above, appreciate our differences, and find a better way.

Somehow we have managed to reach our picture limit for Google's Blogspot (unless we want to start paying... no thank you). From here on out, we will post thoughts and reflections on here and then provide you with a link to any pictures related to the topic. Videos will still be linked directly on this site.

Please check out Our new picture venue! to see some of the photos from Dachau. Seeing these photographs comes nowhere near providing you with the direct experience every human needs to have at a camp memorial, but it gets you started.