Object: Door leaf from the „old tailoring workshop“
This audio track deals with the door leaf from the “Old Tailoring Workshop”, the former main court building of the Dachau Trials, which is shown in the special exhibition on the “Dachau Trials”. The object is on loan from the 6th Riot Police Division in Dachau. The historic building on the grounds of the riot police still exists today, but is not open to the public. This door therefore serves as a kind of placeholder.
It is a panel door with three segments. It is 1.10 metres wide, two metres high and weighs about 25 kilograms.
Door leaf from the „old tailoring workshop“ in the special exhibition room – Photo: Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
The building in which the tailoring workshop was housed was erected in 1941 and 1942 as part of the economic operations in the SS camp. Staff seamstresses and prisoners probably tailored uniforms for the Wehrmacht here. The north wing of the building consisted of a single large hall that housed the work and production facilities. The side walls consisted almost entirely of glass facades which, together with the skylight, illuminated the work areas of the seamstresses and sewers. The southern wing housed the administration and supply rooms. There, the large hall served as a dining or communal room.
The “Door no. 4” shown here comes from the back of the large working hall in the north wing. It is clearly marked with an “Exit” sign. However, the door’s current position in the wall means that the room is no longer accessible. It was 1.16 metres above the floor and probably led to a loading ramp on the outside of the building. The passageway has since been bricked up from the outside, so the door no longer serves any function.
Door leaf from the „old tailoring workshop“ in the original position – Bavarian Riot Police Dachau