CW: Please keep in mind that this course is about Nazi history which includes working with original sources (including photos) and that therefore its contents might be difficult to deal with. This class will be about Dachau concentration camp - the very first one and the one that existed the longest, from its establishment by the Nazis in 1933 to its liberation by the US Army in 1945. We will work with original sources (knowledge of the German language not required), focusing on examples of inmates and liberators as well as the influence World (War) history had on the camp. Questions that will be discussed include: Why was Dachau concentration camp (and today the memorial site) a unique institution? How is World War history connected to the camp’s history? And which role have survivors/ liberators played in the remembrance of this part of history?

Instructor: Anna O'Connell