The Museum at the Dachau Memorial Site

A new Dachau museum exhibit in the former concentration camp administration building was opened to the public during the annual Dachau Memorial Service, held on May 4, 2003. The new exhibits replaced photos and artifacts which were set up in the same building at Dachau on May 9, 1965.

The museum is the first stop for all the tour groups that visit the Dachau Memorial Site on the grounds of the former Dachau concentration camp. It is located in the U-shaped service building where the incoming prisoners were registered. The new entrance to the Museum is through the west wing, which is on the right-hand side in the photo below.

Admission to the Dachau museum is free. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the week except Monday. The museum is designed for serious researchers, as well as tourists: the archives contain over 14,500 documents and photographs; there is also a library of over 5,000 books. There is no timed entry to the museum, and visitors may come and go as they please. There is no X-ray machine at the entrance; backpacks do not have to be surrendered at the door and photography is allowed.

The entrance to the museum is located in the west wing of the service building which was opened to visitors for the first time in May 2003; the former entrance on the east side of the center portion of the building is now the exit.

The east wing was also opened to visitors in May 2003. The east wing has new restrooms and space for personal memorials which were formerly in glass cases at the end of the old exhibits.

The photo below shows the door into the west wing of the service building through which the incoming prisoners entered the building. The display on the right shows a photo of prisoners arriving at Dachau. It was taken in 1933, long before this building was completed in 1938. The original uncropped picture is shown in the second photo below.

The new museum has displays in honor of the prisoners from the different countries that were sent to Dachau. The first photo below shows the display for the prisoners from Austria; the second photo shows Jewish prisoners at Dachau.

US Army veterans who were part of the liberation of Dachau in 1945 were invited to participate in the unveiling ceremonies for the new Museum in May 2003.

Shown on the extreme right in the photograph below is Donald E. Jackson, who was with the 40th Combat Engineer Regiment during the liberation of Dachau. In the center of the photo is an official from the American Consulate, carrying a wreath from the Ambassador of the United States, and on the left is a Jewish survivor.

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