Up for auction is a beautiful Picture postcard cover from Dachau, West Germany commemorating the two year anniversary of the liberation of the camp by American troops.

Postmarked in May 18th 1947

Cover is in good condition.

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest running one, opening on 22 March 1933.

The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, social democrats, and other dissidents. It is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Munich in the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany. After its opening by Heinrich Himmler, its purpose was enlarged to include forced labor, and eventually, the imprisonment of Jews, Romani, German and Austrian criminals, and, finally, foreign nationals from countries that Germany occupied or invaded. The Dachau camp system grew to include nearly 100 sub-camps, which were mostly work camps or Arbeitskommandos, and were located throughout southern Germany and Austria.

The main camp was liberated by U.S. forces on 29 April 1945.

By October 1945, the former camp was being used by the U.S. Army as a place of confinement for war criminals, the SS and important witnesses. It was also the site of the Dachau Trials for German war criminals, a site chosen for its symbolism. The trials were taking place during the release of this postcard cover and 5 days before the date on this item a number were sentenced to be hung for the part they played within the Nazi regime.

In 1948, the Bavarian government established housing for refugees on the site, and this remained for many years.