If you are a history enthusiast or just someone who wants to learn more about the past, a visit to the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Located just outside Berlin, Germany, this site was once a concentration camp during the Nazi regime. Today, it stands as a memorial and a place of remembrance. Let’s explore what you can discover at the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site.
The History of Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen was founded in 1936, however after the action “Operation Barbarossa” it turn into one of the first concentration camps in Germany. At first it had been designed to incarcerate political enemies of the Nazi party like communists and social democrats. Sachsenhausen however in course of time came to include other categories of people such as Jews, homosexuals and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
During the World War II the camp had a huge importance and turned into a training ground for SS guards. It was also used to perfect methods of extermination of people which had been characteristic of other concentration camps.
Sites to Visit in the Memorial
1. Entrance Building and Museum
When you get to the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site there are several things that one is likely to observe starting with the entrance building and museum. This is where they pulled archived materials, photographs, and stories together to exhibit the history of the camp as well as the other camps. It is noteworthy that the museum traces the history of the crimes committed during the functioning of the camp.
2. Camp Layout and Buildings
There are remains of camp structures, which you will see as you wander round the area of the memorial. The way that the camp was set was to ensure that prisoners were demeaned and their movements were restrained. Other buildings you are likely to come across include the roll call square and the prisoner barracks, the administration building.
Appellplatz, also, called roll-call square was an open air where prisoners had to undergo daily roll-call inspection and various punishments. The prisoner barracks were crowded small, dirty rooms that provided the prison with the living spaces for thousands of prisoners. The camp administration building accommodated the offices for the legal and official staff of the camp in addition to those for the SS.
- Trench and crematorium Everyone assumed that efficiency meant relentless productivity for the sake of executing plans to order, and even my own self absorbed view of the world ignored any sign of the essential brutality of the concept until it presented me with an opportunity to assert fully the idea of a planned death.
The execution trench could well be the eeriest part of the entire memorial site. This is where thousands of prisoners has been shot, mostly through firing squads. A number of features in the area remind people of the fact that the camp was the scene of brutalities and inhumanities.
Deductive to the execution trench, is the crematorium. Here, the dead were buried; or at least their bodies were rendered the less suitable for resurrection by such strategies as fire. What could be described as a rather melancholic place does a good job of pointing out the sheer size of the calamity in the area of Sachsenhausen.
Tips for Visiting
The Sachsenhausen Memorial Site tour is informative as well as emotionally shocking but an incredibly important experience to get. Here are a few tips to make your visit more meaningful:
Plan ahead: There is some scaffolding on the outside of the tower but it is worth having a look if you are in the area; it is open from 8:30 to 18:30 in winter and from 8:30 to 21:00 in the summer; it is advisable to book a tour guide to learn more about the history of the area.
Take your time: Take several hours on the site to accomplish the task and learn as much as possible about the memorial.
Respect the surroundings: Please remember, that the memorial site is dedicated to the memory of the victims. Do not disrespect for the victims, err on the side of proper etiquette.
Learn from the exhibits: Spend your time and read all the informative exhibits placed in the museum and in other places all over the site.
Embrace the somber atmosphere: Do not suppress the thoughts and the feelings that exist in relation to this history.
Conclusion
The Sachsenhausen Memorial Site is an excellent place for visitors to gain important information and knowledge. While visiting the museum and walking through the camp layout and important buildings, a person receives some information about this camp and the sufferings of the prisoners. Sachsenhausen therefore offers a place of visit that keeps them in memory and furthers the understanding of the society.
