6 Jul 2026
German-Language Journalism on the Dachau Concentration Camp from the Immediate Postwar Period in the Collection of the LMU Munich University Library (1945–1950)
© UB der LMU München
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The Dachau concentration camp served as an instrument of state terror from the beginning to the end of the Nazi regime—and thus for more than twice as long as the other concentration camps on German soil. At least 41,500 prisoners died as a result of murder, violence, forced labor, starvation, and disease. Immediately after its liberation by units of the U.S. 7th Army in late April 1945, film footage documented the horrific conditions in the camp, which brought the Dachau concentration camp to the world’s attention and made it the very epitome of Nazi crimes of violence.
Between 1945 and 1950, approximately 80 German-language monographs—some of which were reprinted in multiple editions—were published in the Allied occupation zones in Germany and Austria, as well as in the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR, and in neighboring countries. These works examined the Dachau concentration camp from a wide variety of perspectives. Just under half of these have been preserved to this day in their original form in the collection of the LMU Munich University Library. A special exhibition showcases a selection of these works.
Exhibition Dates and Location
Contact Person
Dr. Sven Kuttner
LMU Munich University Library
Deputy Director
Department of Historical Collections
Email: sven.kuttner@ub.uni-muenchen.de