Dachau possesses a rich past with a historic town center housing several medieval churches and age-old buildings that have withstood the test of time. The Dachau Palace and Royal Gardens here have existed for almost 900 years now and is a testament to the town's glorious heritage. Dachau was the location of one of the earliest concentration camps, established by Heinrich Himmler - one of Adolf Hitler's most powerful men, in 1933, at the site of a former munitions factory. This move quickly changed the town's outlook. Now, a memorial stands at the site of the former camp in memory of the tens of thousands of people that lost their lives during the oppressive Nazi regime.