Historical context

In May 1945, towards the end of the Second World War, a goods train carrying concentration camp prisoners from Dachau reached the town of Seeshaupt in Bavaria. This transport is one of the many tragic and brutal events that took place in connection with the death marches and transports of concentration camp prisoners as the Allied troops drew closer and the Nazi dictatorship collapsed.

The train that departed from Dachau at the end of April 1945 was supposed to be travelling to Tyrol. However, due to the ongoing chaos of the war, the destroyed infrastructure and the disorganised retreat of the Nazis, the transport ended in Seeshaupt. The overcrowded wagons contained numerous prisoners who were transported in appalling conditions – many died en route from hunger, exhaustion, illness or were murdered by the guards.

When the American troops reached Seeshaupt on 30 April 1945, they found the train with hundreds of dead and surviving prisoners. The survivors were immediately given medical treatment and liberated. This event symbolises the atrocities and suffering endured by millions of people in the concentration camps and on the death marches.

Today, a memorial in Seeshaupt commemorates this terrible event and serves as a reminder of the atrocities of National Socialism and the need to stand up against such crimes and never forget them.

Seeshaupt railway station May 1945 Prisoner train – Pixelated. Bodies. Original only on request. Photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown; subject to licence; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media.