In addition to our battlefield tours, Knee Deep Into History offers two tours that focus on Nazi Germany and will help participants come away with a better understanding of the Holocaust. Before we describe the tours, let’s first step back and look at the historic timeline.

As I write this week’s article, much of western civilization is celebrating the 80^th Anniversary of VE-Day! Only a relative handful of survivors are still alive, making it more important than ever to explore and remember the past through a history tour.

Because many more concentration camps were situated outside of Germany in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Army was the first army to liberate concentration camps and to describe the horrors that they saw. The first camp liberated was Lublin-Majdanek in Poland on 23 July 1944, just weeks after the Normandy landings. Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet Army some six months later on 27 January 1945.

In March 1945 the American and British Armies broke through the Westwall and advanced rapidly through Germany. Ohrdruf, a subcamp of Buchenwald, became the first concentration camp liberated by American GIs on 4 April 1945. Many more were discovered and liberated by American and British troops in the following weeks, including Buchenwald on 11 April. Historian and guide, Graham Gaulke, states that, “Once they pushed into Germany fighting lessoned significantly and the thing that most GIs talk about in their memoirs is the concentration camps they liberated.”

On 12 April Generals Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton toured Ohrdruf. General Eisenhower was so moved by the experience that he wrote in his memoir, Crusade in Europe: “I have never been able to describe my emotional reactions when I first came face to face with the indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency. I had known about it only generally or through secondary sources. I am certain, however, that I have never at any other time experienced an equal sense of shock.” After his tour, he ordered nearby American troops, including elements of the 65^th Infantry Division advancing around Arnstadt, to visit the site. He also ordered citizens from Gotha and other nearby towns to be marched through the camp at bayonet point and to be made to help bury the camp’s dead. After the citizens returned home, the mayor of Gotha and his wife hanged themselves.

Generals Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton visit Ohrdruf

Understanding the Holocaust Through a History Tour: Allied Bombardment, German Arms Production and the Holocaust

Our Third Reich Underground: Rockets, Aircraft and More Tour (10 – 15 October, 6 days / 5 nights) explores the relationships between these topics. Stated briefly, as Allied bombardments intensified in 1944 the desperate German war industry went underground, burying its factories and assets in disused mines or newly-built tunnel systems, hundreds of which were constructed using concentration camp labor all over the Reich by the war’s end.

This tour visits underground installations in central Germany, along with the associated forced labor sites, including the rapidly-expanded Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, where V-2 rockets and V-1 flying bombs were made, as well as the secret REIMAHG factory on the Walpersberg, where Me-262 jet fighters were assembled. Additional sites visited will include: Ohrdruf, the first concentration camp liberated by the GIs, sites where aircraft engines and parts were made, an underground jet-fuel refinery excavated by Jewish-American POWs, and the Merkers salt mine where Patton’s army famously discovered the Reichsbank’s gold reserves.

At Mittlebau-Dora Concentration Camp, Graham Gaulke explains the underground manufacturing that occurred in the hill behind him as well as the rapid expansion of this camp.

This very unique above- and below-ground tour showcases the lengths the Nazis went in order to continue war-time armament production and the resulting horrific cost in human life. Participants will come away with a better understanding of the Holocaust after visiting these key sites.

Understanding the Holocaust Through a History Tour: The Beginning and the Ending of Nazi Germany

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: Bavaria and Austria Tour (2 – 7 October, 6 days / 5 nights) will look at key sites of the early and final years of the Third Reich. In the 12 years of Hitler’s “Thousand Year Reich” vast construction projects were a staple of the regime, from the monumental displays of power during the early years to megalomaniac bunkers to shield the collapsing Reich from Allied bombs.

This tour will include the famous parade grounds in the “Führer City” of Nuremberg as well as the Palace of Justice, site of the war crimes trials of key Nazi leaders. Additional sites will include: Landsberg Prison, where Hitler penned “Mein Kampf;” the Landberg prison cemetery, which is resting place of key Nazi leaders; Nazi Germany’s first concentration camp, Dachau; as well as other key aircraft and missile program sites. Finally, we’ll visit Berchtesgaden / Obersalzberg, location of elite Nazi residences.

The Beginning: Postcard showing Landsberg Prison, where Hitler penned Mein Kampf.

The End: Court Room 600, Nuremberg Palace of Justice, where the famous Nuremberg Trials took place

The juxtaposition of scenic beauty and haunting locations of the Nazi regime makes this tour an unforgettable experience. Again, participants on this tour will come away with a much better understanding of the Holocaust by visiting these sites.

Why Tour with Knee Deep Into History?

Knee Deep Into History designs military and history tours that take clients into the field. We design and guide small-group tours that maximize interaction with the guides in contrast to a bus tour with 35 participants. We promote a balanced view of both sides of the story, and we design our tours for passionate history buffs. Finally, because our guides are European or have lived in Europe for many years, we bridge cultures, helping Americans feel comfortable traveling throughout Europe. If you are a history buff who wants to better understand the holocaust, get knee deep into history with us!

A traditional European dinner back at the hotel allows our small group to ask questions and reflect on sites visited.

Remembering concentration camp victims who died on the death marches in April 1945. This memorial is situated near Ohrdruf in the Jonastal Valley.

I will close with a few testimonials from 2024’s Third Reich Underground Tour: (Note: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Tour is new in 2025.)

“Randy and Graham, another great tour. Fast paced and a great amount of knowledge. This is my 3^rd tour with Knee Deep and all have been sweet. Best of luck in the future! Glück Auf!” Michael Mancuso, Arizona

“When Randy sent the 2024 brochure for KDIH Tour I took one look at the Third Reich Tour I said I had to do it. Well, it did not disappoint. It was Graham’s first tour, and he was a star. Everything was well-organized, great hotels, great food and best of all superb tours and good conversation. Five stars all round and an extra one for Graham. Thanks to everyone.” Christina Holstein, UK.

Third Reich Underground Tour participants exploring the Walpersberg

After decades of personal battlefield tours, Randy Gaulke quit his job as a financial analyst in Manhattan and spent eight months in France in 2017-18 as a freelance guide during the World War I Centennial. He subsequently founded Knee Deep Into History, with a philosophy of getting clients into the field on a small-group tour designed for the military history enthusiast. Equally important is the attempt to tell both sides of the story and to help Americans bridge cultures. Most tours are led jointly with European guides, including retired Bundeswehr officer and historian Markus Klauer. The groups enjoy family-owned European hotels and restaurants. Experience a military history tour that brings the battlefield to life! Learn more at www.kneedeepintohistory.com Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.