On June 5, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Buchenwald. Elie Wiesel and Bertrand Herz, two survivors of Buchenwald, went with them. During the visit, President Obama said at as a child, he had heard stories about Buchenwald from his great-uncle, who was part of the 89th Infantry Division. This Division was the first group of American soldiers to reach the Ohrdruf forced labor camp, one of Buchenwald's smaller camps.