I don’t think people can be indifferent to the historical places they have visited. However, there are few places that would give one a gruélling glimpse of how concentration camps appeared during the Second World War, and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp situated near to Berlin in Germany is one of them.

Moving on from the previous topic in dailies and propagandist materials from the Second World War, this paper aims at providing a brief introduction to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is one of the oldest SS concentration camp that was built in the Nazi Germany. Situated in Oranienburg, 35 km north from Berlin, it was an archetype of the future numerous camps and evolved into the key stomping-ground for the political undesirables, intelligentsia, and subsequently the POWs.

Nowadays, the camp became historical site and museum which informs the people about Holocaust and the genocide, which took place in the territory controlled by the Nazis. The tour of Sachsenhausen is an opportunity to honor the victims and to consider how to preserve memories of this historical evil.

What to Expect on the Tour

Tourists should know that visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp will be a shocking experience for them. This will see you being taken around a number of sections in the camp each with an important tale to tell.

1. Entrance and Appellplatz

Usually the tour starts from the main gate and the railroad track to the gate bears the inscription ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’. From there you move to the Appellplatz, this is the parade ground or the area where prisoners were counted before roll call.

2. Shelter, Accommodation and Shelter – Barracks and Living Conditions

The time has come when you can visit the former prisoner barracks and find out the general idea of the appalling conditions inmates had to live through. The displayed exhibitions of the prisoners life within the barracks are put in form of artifacts, photographs and stories of the prisoners and it can be seen that a brutal glimpse of the life the prisoners endured is depicted here.

3. Trench and Crematorium are those that lies in the execution domain.

After this you will go to the execution trench where so many were shot dead. The crematorium which is located close by explains how people were put to vapor and the memorials signify the many who perished through holocaust.

4. Medical Experiments and Pathology Laboratory

As part of the tour, visitors are also able to observe the area of the camp which housed medical experimentation facilities and pathology laboratory. That part of the camp focuses on the inhumane treatment of the Mistel sufferers, as well as the unethical interventions provided by the Nazi doctors.

5. Special Prisoners and Soviet Memorial

Sachsenhausen detained and imprisoned many categories of “special inmates” such as politicians, eminent military, and resistance fighters. You will be able to walk round the site which contains Soviet Memorial – it was created to honour Soviet soldiers who perished in the camp.

Important Tips for Visiting

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your visit to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp:

There is fair bit of walking included in the tour, so wear comfortable shoes.

Do not dress indecently to avoid making the victims and the survivors uncomfortable when they see it.

You may also try using a self-guided tour through a headphone, which is available for anyone interested in knowing more about the site.

Do not hesitate reading the informative boards and plates situated throughout the camp area.

Yes, make sure you are ready for a highly charged emotionally charged tour and allow yourself adequate time to decompose your feelings after the tour.

Each tourist should take time to visit the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp since the tour offers a rather devastating lesson on one of the worst forms of the holocaust. By engaging yourself with historical facts and the concentration of events of genocide, you will be taking part in mass promotion of history and in one or another – being an eye-witness, so today’s generations will not re-live such events.