At the site of an old munitions factory about 10 miles outside of Munich, the Dachau concentration camp began operation on March 10, 1933. It was the first of the infamous Nazi confinement facilities and would have the longest tenure, lasting until April 29, 1945, when U.S. forces liberated the surviving inmates.
Over the course of 12 years, the Dachau camp received more than 200,000 prisoners, about 3,000 of whom were Catholic clergy. Dachau was the most popular confinement setting for clergymen (most of them Roman Catholics, though there were smaller numbers of Protestants and Orthodox Catholics).
In 2016, the last priest from Dachau passed away.
Pope Leo noted the anniversary at the end of the April 29 general audience, in his greeting to Polish-speaking pilgrims. He noted how in Poland, the date marks the "Day of the Martyrdom of the Polish Clergy during the Second World War."
He invoked "the protection of the bishops, priests, and seminarians martyred by the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century," especially asking their prayers for young people seeking to "respond to God's call."
Check out some of our inspiring stories from Dachau (many more can be found in the archives).
Here's the story of an incredible shrine where survivors returned year after year:
The story of St. Titus:
And Bl. Karl Leisner, who was actually ordained in Dachau:
