On my first visit to Munich in the 1980's, I did get to visit the "City of Dachau." I did not realize that it was an entire Municipality and not just the camp. It looks like any normal suburban city (ranch housing on regular streets on which kids would play). There's an "S-Bahn" stop there from Munich. The "campsite" (known as the "Concentration Camp Memorial Site") is slightly beyond the City Limit as I recall. You had to take a tour bus to it. But it had not been bulldozed over. Some of the barracks may have been leveled down but all the foundations were still there. Except for one of the barrack buildings that was maintained for "tourist"purposes. And all the other buildings were maintained (Crematoriums, "Brausebad" rooms, etc.). It was sickening. Literally. I had seen the main crematorium building (a red brick monstrosity with 4 units in a row) and the main "brausebad" room next to it and was feeling like i was getting ready to hurl. I had to leave there and find a smaller building (it looked like a smaller "utility shack" or "storage" building) and go inside for some relief from the sun. Bad mistake. That building had two separate cremation units inside it.
Later on in that trip, I also happened to visit the cemetery at Bitburg. If you'll recall, there was bit of a controversy regarding that cemetery in which then President Reagan got caught up. I guess it was the curiosity of the controversy that made me visit it. The controversy being that it contained a lot of Military graves. Military graves of Nazi Soldiers/Officers that is. All you saw in the MSM coverage of the controversy was the Military graves. You'd think that's all that was there. I come to find out that the entire cemetery is massive! And the Military portion of the cemetery was small and sectioned off from the other portions by a short stone barrier fence. I recall there being a sign in the Military section (in German) that said something to the effect of, "Do not disturb the peace and tranquility of the dead." and it was signed, "Der Burgermeister."
I had always wondered if they'd put that sign up "before" or "after" the controversy!
