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What Can You Discover on a Free Tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp?

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.

If someone is history lover and wants to know about World War II, they can get a feeling by visiting a concentration camp. Of course, one of the most important concentration camps in terms of history is Sachsenhausen, which is situated near Berlin. In this blog post, we will reveal all the things you can learn on the free tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

About the History of Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is among ldc of first concentration camps built by the Nazi regime. Constructed in 1936, the camp acted as one of the earliest prototype for other camp structures. It evolved from a concentration camp for political prisoners through to a training ground for SS officers, a medical experimentation ground and genocide centre. Nowadays it is a memorial and museum where people can remember what a terrible war was like.

Exploring the Camp Grounds

What is more, during the free tour you will be able to visit various parts of Sachsenhausen camp which used to be crucial for the camp’s activity. You will be visiting the entry point with the sign ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ meaning ‘Work Set You Free`, The corner where people were counted several times a day and the large compound where the prisoners’ barracks used to be.

The appellplatz or roll call area

The Appellplatz was a courtyard where large numbers of prisoners were assembled for parades, decisions by commanders as to new duties, work, and welfare of the prisoners which sometimes took a number of hours. On the walls of this place, you will feel how the prisoners suffered physically and mentally and the inhuman treatment they had to go through.

The Prisoner Barracks

Visiting the area where the prisoners’ barracks were located you will get the idea of the on going life of inmates at Sachsenhausen. Some of the facts included the poor of living standard, overcrowding and the treatment prisoners were subjected to in this camp can be learned from exhibitions and the information provided at certain plaques. This fact makes the visitors realize that severe pain was present within the walls of this castle.

Visiting the Museum Exhibits

Don’t worry about paying for the tour after getting through the camp grounds, the next likely stop will be the museum in the camp grounds. Here you can read about the history of this concentration camp through things like personal belongings, photos and documents that were recovered from the site. The exhibits present the experiences of the victims, and presenters give the knowledge to make you decipher the importance of the place.

Personal Stories

Another remarkable constituent of the museum is storytelling. Accounts of life from letters and diaries as well as statements from former victims of the camp give a glimpse into the life within Sachsenhausen. They make the victims more tangible and allow someone to feel that they were connected to the event in some way that books or documentaries do not.

Commemoration and Reflection

In any case, the free tour will end here and the memorial site inside the camp may be visited towards the end of the tour. This is a place where one can lay their wreath and ponder over hundreds of thousands of human lives lost. In this arrangement, several sculptures, plaques and a small well-proportioned pond for reflection of this important site are installed.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

Always go for shoes that you are comfortable in because there will be much walking done.

Take water and some food with you because there may be no shops within the camp territory.

Treat this memorial as such and do not engage in activities such as laughing or joking during your time here.

A guided tour can furthermore be recommended to get an appreciation of the history of the site as well as understand its importance.

Conclusion

Fielding a free tour at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is considered a great chance to discover the bloody facts of WWII and to honor the victims. When you walk around the camp grounds, the allowed access to the museum, and the overall memorial site, you have an idea what transpired in this place. Try to always respect and be open to understand the visit by probing deeper into this part of history.

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 You Discover on a Free Tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp?

Mar 7, 2024