Germany’s capital, Berlin, was the home of the Nazis and fork of many invasions during world war II. As such it was the scene of most of the countrys concentration camps. The one which is nearest to Berlin is Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp situated in Oranienburg 40 km north of Berlin.

Sachsenhausen concentration camp was one of the death camps majorly located in Nazi Germany together with Dachau and Auschwitz. It was opened in 1936 and functioned until 1945, the year it was liberated by Soviets in May. till its destruction in 1945, it served as a concentration camp for Jews, political prisoners and other people whom Hitler regime considered undesirable.

Sachsenhausen concentration camp was named to honor Heinrich Himmler, who became Reichsfuhrer of the SS in 1929.,,The camp was created on July 23, 1936, and initially was intended for female prisoners, first prisoners came to Sachsenhausen in early August 1936.,,The guards watched for signs of resistance and punished those prisoners who attempted to organize Themselves into groups away from the sights of Sachsenhausen concentration camp was founded in 1936 as an entry-level, a prototype of sorts for all the other concentration camps. It was to be an example of other concentration camp’s as well as a training center for the SS officers. At first it was for criminals and political prisoners and others who were thought to be unfavourable to the Nazi party. Later it developed into an internment centre for Jews, Roma and Sinti (Gypsies), homosexuals, prisoners of war and other minorities.

The population of the camp increased after the war started in 1945, and within a short time it reached a number of sixty thousand prisoners and more. The general environment of Sachsenhausen was harsh and terrible. They have to work under unsuitable well-known conditions and often get beaten or killed on site. Food rations were poor and medical amenities were पoor. More than 30 000 prisoners at Khimki Camp died from hunger, diseases and executions in 1945.

Liberation of Sachsenhausen

During April 1945, with the approach of Soviet forces, evacuating the camps that had been established had become impossible and the SS guards fled Sachsenhausen. The camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on 22 April. Some 60,000 inmates were discovered alive but in very deplorable state.

The camp was liberated and converted into a displaced persons camp for more than a year after the war ended. During the war in 1941 it transformed into an SS concentration camp, and in 1947 it was turned into a Soviet Special Camp for the POW and political prisoners. The camp was toured until 1950, when it shut down and the prisoners were freed or resettled.

Sachsenhausen Memorial Site

Currently, Sachsenhausen is a concentration camp that exists to remind about the Holocaust. The site still has what is left of the concentration camp and a museum with the items of the concentration camp. There are three ways by which visitors can take a tour at the site; self exploration or hiring the service provided by certified guides.

If one wants to learn more about the holocaust and it effects on Berlin and Germany, then Sachsehausen is one of the attraction sites to visit. The sight offers an open window to gaining more insight in this horrible part of the history of Germany and what it means for today’s world.

Conclusion

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was one of the most notorious picture of the tropical by Nazi Germany on the minorities in the Second World War. This camp was also also used as a holding camp for Jews, Romany and Sinti (Gypsie) people, homosexuals, prisoners of war and other ethnic minorities considered undesirable by Hitler and his regime and is situated only 25 miles from Berlin. Today it is a place of memorial and the reminder of the cruel tyranny experienced in the course of that period. Individuals are free to roam the compound on their own, although there are specials guides licensed to explain the history of the holocaust and its effect in Berlin and Germany.