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What can I expect on a tour of Sachsenhausen?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Concentration Camp

Want to explore sachsenhausen concentration camp? Come and join us on the Original Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour.

Sachsenhausen located near Berlin can be also classified as the historical representation of the machineries of National socialist Germany. Visiting a historical site under a guide’s supervision offers tourists the chance to understand the events of the Second World War and the Holocaust by visiting the liberated area of Sachsenhausen.

1. Interpretation of the Historical Background

Sachsenhausen Tour and A Brief History Before getting into the specifics of a tour, it important to know the history behind Sachsenhausen. Because it was one of the original concentration camps that belonged to the Nazis, it set up the pattern for the subsequent camps. Originally intended for political prisoners, Sachsenhausen was thereafter used for other intended prisoner categories as well, such as Jews, homosexuals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

2. The Guided Tour Experience

When going for the Sachsenhausen tour it advisable that one takes a guided tour so that the tour can be more fulfilling. These tours are conducted by friendly professionals who give excellent information during the course of the tour. Park rangers give information on general and specific aspects of the camp including history and personal anecdotes.

Highlights of a Guided Tour

Walk around the principal’s entrance and arrival zone called Appellplatz.

Going through the different barbed barrack, as a way of experiencing the treatments that prisoners went through.

Watching the barred cells, former punishment chambers of the camp.

Visiting the crematoriam and being educated on how the mass extermination occurred.

Thinking, especially while visiting memorial places including the Soviet Special Camp one and the International Memorial.

3. Tips for a Meaningful Tour

To make the most of your visit to Sachsenhausen, keep the following tips in mind:

Dress so as to feel comfortable and this includes the type of shoes you are going to wear.

This means that you should be ready for lots of walking because the site is quite large. It is very advisable to wear comfortable shoes and have many layers of clothing in case the weather changes after midday.

Bring Water and Snacks

There are no many facilities available within the camp, therefore you should take with you some water and perhaps some snacks in for the tour.

Respect the Site

Sachsenhausen is a memorial site, and thus there are specific formalities which the visitor should follow when observing the site. No inapproriate gesture, talking loudly or any kind of commotion should be done and also follow any instructions given by the guide.

Take Time to Reflect

It is socially demanding if one has to visit a concentration camp. Brief the participants on what happened and what they got to learn from the neighbors, give them this time to digest the experience.

4. Further Educational Resources

If you’re interested in diving deeper into the history of Sachsenhausen, there are several resources worth exploring:

Books:

Witness : The Boys Who Challenged Hitler – Phillip Hoose

‘Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning’.

“Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz, Buchenwald: Ein Bildband” by Sascha Lange

Documentaries:

Night and Fog (1956) – Directed – Alain Resnais

Memory of the Camps (1985) – A film by Sidney Bernstein

“Sachsenhausen: Figuratively titled “A Closer Look at ‘The Truth Behind the Lies’” (2014) – by Sascha Lange

Sachsenhausen tour is not only an impressive learning experience, but is also a chance to remember the holocaust victims and honour their memory. Regarding the analyzed movie, by watching it, we get to know this terrible part of history and thus come to appreciate and embody the values of tolerance, respect, as well as compassion in contemporary society.

Want to explore sachsenhausen concentration camp? Come and join us on the Original Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour.

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What can I expect on a tour of Sachsenhausen?

Mar 7, 2024