About Dachau, there is not really much to say. It has all been said. It is all on internet. Already we know everything. We have already studied about this. It is already in our hearts. Hopefully in our DNA. Truly a place of human sadness; "a black spot on the pages of human history." It is unbelievable, but in the 1960's, I lived in Blaubeuren, only two hours from Dachau. I did not know about Dachau, so I did not go there. Dachau was the first of many camps, and so it becomes important to us. The designer and first commander of Dachau became the designer and commandant of all such camps in countries. It was the prototype, the model. And it was completely successful and completely efficient. Designed for "undesirables" from different countries, of different colours, of different political/religious/social/economic/sexual ideas. For people, probably just like you and me. Different. Undesirable. How many camps in total? What do you think? 100 camps? 200? 400? 750? 1000? 1500? 12,000? 15,000 camps maybe in 17 countries. In your country maybe?
My country? Yes. Lemon Creek Japanese Concentration Camp was only 10 minutes up the road from my house. Dachau was the first dot of ink on the map; from that dot many many camps sprung-up.
In August, "KOSMOS" goes to Dachau. With great sadness in our hearts, with a spirit of reconciliation, we will just offer "A Bowl of Tea for Peace into the Four Directions." Please join us: in your hearts, or in your kitchen or garden or practice place. Or join us in front of Dachau Gate, "Arbeit macht Frei" on Sunday, August 28, at 10:00 am.
One short story from those days many many years ago. At a campgrounds in Germany, a man from another country asked me why I am so eager to speak German and to study about modern history. After my answer, probably my quite stupid answer, he said to me: "You should be careful my young friend. Many many people did cruel things to the prisoners in these camps. It was not just the German Naziis." Then he described how his comrades received some extra food and better living conditions, by amusing the Nazi overlords. They were given the chance to entertain the camp staff, by designing a new torture and death for the the recently arrived prisoners. He said that most of his countrymen could not do this, but that a few said "YES." Their unique torture was to sprinkle broken glass around a big tree, and force the prisoners to run around the tree. So they ran and ran and ran. And they dropped. They were forced to keep moving on hands and knees and bellies until they could move no more. Until they bled to death. "Be careful!" this man said to me. "I saw all this. I saw my countrymen do this and I saw them receive some beer and sausages and a nice bed. Be careful! Maybe you too can do this to other people." Thus have I heard. And it is true. Maybe I could. This is the very scary part of his story. Maybe I could.