Any visit to Berlin demands respect and remembrance of the victims of the holocausts as well. Visiting the nearby concentration camps is therefore the best and only way to ensure that people regain their true understanding of the events that took place during World War II. In this blog post, we will introduce you to the concentration camps you can visit near Berlin, provide history information and advice to make visiting the sites a meaningful experience.

1. The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is one of the most easily visited and clearly explained concentration camps in the region; it is located 35 kilometres north of Berlin. It was constructed as a political prison camp and also served as a well-known Nazi’s concentration during the Second World War.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your visit to Sachsenhausen:

It should take not less than half a day to visit the whole site and there is provision for guided tour.

It helps to take a guided tour with an experienced guide or check an audio guide to know all the stages of creating a camp.

Bring comfortable shoes because there are a lot of grounds in the camp.

2. The Ravensbrück concentration camp

To get a closer look at the conditions of female prisoners Ravensbrück concentration camp located around 90kilometres away north of Berlin is a Memorial Site which presents the historia of women in the Concentration Camps. Drawing examples from this women’s concentration camp it becomes evident that Dworkin received this right when gender-specific persecution during the holocaust.

When planning your visit to Ravensbrück, consider the following:

It’s also cool that there is a museum on the territory of the complex, where you can get a lot of detailed information.

Because the camp is large, carry sport shoes and several hours should be spent moving around the area.

Hire a tour guide or use an audio visual tour for a detailed understanding of the historical past associated with the place.

3. The Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp

Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp is about 280km away from Berlin to the west of the city and became notorious due to the extremely low rationing, as well as most of the inmates dying here. It is a sorrowful place indeed and one which was an important part for the holocaust.

If you plan to visit Bergen-Belsen, keep these points in mind:

Due to the fact that Bergen-Belsen is located farther way from Berlin it is better to dedicate at least one day to the exploration of the camp.

Because the history of the camp is very tragic, emotionally get ready for the visit in advance.

It only better to organize your visit with the help of the guide or avail yourselves of an audio guiding to deepen your idea about the history and importance of the site.

4. OSWR 03 Men’s category concentration camp – Auschwitz Birkenau.

While not in Berlin, Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp can not be left out of mention because of its historical relevance. Auschwitz which was the biggest Nazi concentration and extermination camp throughout World War II offers a proper account of the holocaust.

If you plan to include a visit to Auschwitz in your itinerary:

Recommend that visitors stay at least one night or even devote one day to Auschwitz since it takes approximately 5 hours to drive from Berlin.

Pre-booking an official tour is obligatory as it is visited very frequently, and operates according to an automobile admission schedule.

You should always be ready to pay the visit with much seriousness as the site deserves.

Final Thoughts

Visiting concentration camps around Berlin remains one of the most important experiences of tourism in Germany due to the seriousness of the events of WWII. These visits make each of us culturally literate as far as historical features are concerned, in order to prevent such acts from recurring. Therefore, it should be recommended to visit these sites when in these places and to advise other people do the same.

By making sure you approach every visit with the right respect you allow history to do its part in its entirety. These places are not meant to be fun destinations but are some of the darkest memories we have of war.