Entry No. 6 From Junior Bridget Hamway -- Dachau... Six letters, one word with a Bavarian meaning of "clay island". But this quaint little country "clay island" city soon became the site of the beginning of Hitler's reign of terror in Nazi Germany.

It's quite interesting because we all learn the facts in school, the name Dachau is infamous for the impact it had on the whole German population, as well as the deaths it sentenced for thousands of the persecuted peoples (Gypsies, Jews, Catholics, immigrants, etc). And even though we knew the facts of Dachau, nothing could prepare us for what was beyond the gate inscribed "Arbeit Macht Frei" (translated: Work Sets You Free).

Past the gate, one walks the exact pathway the hundreds of thousands of prisoners took into the Admissions Building where they were subjected to completely undress, shower, and get their head shaved. This process of dehumanizations began at Dachau and was the same one that traveled to all other concentration camps throughout Germany and Poland.

Inside the Admissions Building, it was easy to imagine what the prisoners saw, as it is still in its original form. After exploring inside this building, one opens the door to the main grounds of the camp, with the barracks where the prisoners lived. The starkness of the grounds were haunting. To see the horror these poor men (it was mostly men in Dachau) lived in was extremely powerful and even more real than the pictures one sees in history books. Even the poplar trees that the prisoners planted to line the drive between the barracks stood tall -- as a reminder of the true historical power behind this place.

And amidst all the terrifying horror, I found myself wandering past the back fence, in a beautiful wooded pathway that led to multiple, beautiful and simple memorials for those who lost their lives in the camp. It was a powerful contrast and a lovely reminder that hope and beauty can still live on in such an ugly place. It is easy to say, Dachau is one of the most emotionally powerful places I have ever been in my life and I know all of my teammates feel the same.

After Dachau, we headed toward Munich or "MÃÆ' ¼nchen" (munch-en) as the locals call it. There, we enjoyed a fantastic tour of the city, complete with a full discourse on laderhosen (Google it if you don't know the word). The city is extremely wonderful, chalk full of history and modernity. My favorite spot we explored was the English Garden, a park bigger than Central Park (and proud of it!). This area was fascinating for people watching, as I could see how different the Bavarian culture can be. Also it was a beautiful, sunny day so I couldn't complain about being in the warm air :)

But the highlight of Munich -- for all you futbol-ers out there -- was seeing the Bayern Munich FC team hoisting German Cup trophy they had just won. This sort of reception was attended by thousands of the Munich people and was quite the celebration, and was so fun to be a part of.

We finished the day at our hotel in Edinsberg, feeling reverent and jubilant. History is who we are, the past makes us, and getting to remember those who suffered at Dachau is not something we will ever forget. But in the same hand, that should not weigh us down and celebrating life and futbol lifted the spirits and made us all grateful to partake in such fantastic memories together.

Bridget