The Berlin Concentration Camp, known as the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, holds a significant place in history as one of the many camps used during the Holocaust. If you’re looking to explore and learn about this dark period, visiting the Berlin Concentration Camp can provide a profound and educational experience. In this guide, we will provide you with all the essential information to plan a meaningful excursion to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

Understanding the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Our first major camp, and the site of innumerable deaths due tofailed medical experimentation, was Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, established in 1936 and situatedjust outside of Berlin. Firstly, it was constructed as the model camp; it was an illustration of the superior race of Nazism regime. But gradually it grew and turned into an area of death and genocide for thousands of prisoners. During the existence of the camp it is believed that more than 200000 people were imprisoned in Sachsenhausen.

How Can I Get There?

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp can be found about 35km north of the downtown area of Berlin. Here are the two primary modes of transportation you can use:

By Train: However, the easiest way to get to the camp is by board a S-Bahn train which is found in Berlin. It is possible to get to Oranienburg on an S BAHN S1 train of the Berlin Friedrichstraße station. The trip normally lasts for roughly 45 minutes down to close to half an hour when the river is shallow, and it is navigable enough. The camp is easily accessible by bus from Oranienburg for the duration of the visit.

By Bus: You can also follow the Bus 804 right to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp from the Oranienburg station. The bus journey normally lasts 15 minutes.

Visitors’ Information and Conducted Tours

A major museum and a concentration camp also by the same name, was established in Sachsenhausen today. Here are some essential details and tips to keep in mind during your visit:

General admission to the camp is free and they are open every day of the week except for December 24th and 31st.

Audio guides are available at the rental in the visitors’ center; they reveals more information on the prisoners and tell their story.

Visitors planning to visit the camp should consider taking an organized tour to have a better glimpse of the camp. There are knowledgeable guides who will lead visitors through different sections of camp offering explication to exhibits.

Exploring the Camp’s Features

Main Entrance

When arriving to the camp, one should begin the tour by passing through the first gate that says ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’; meaning ‘Work Liberates’. This message of hope was designed to lure prisoners, into the belief that escape was still possible to the camp.

Exhibition Hall

Visit the Exhibition Hall offering general information about history development of the camp and the ideology of the Nazis. Sachsenhausen is filled with striking displays, photographs and artifacts; which adds to overall experience giving the feeling of the life in concentration camps.

Prisoner Barracks

Take a tour around the different bars of prisoners where there are extremely confined and appalling shelter of those confined. Every barrack gives details on the various groups of prisoners; the political prisoners, Jewish prisoners and all other prisoners who faced persecution by the Nazis.

Station Z

Proceed to sector 5 that acted as a location for conducting executions in this place. Here you are free to walk through the execution trench area and the crematorium. It is rather sad to see that in those days such terrible things have happened.

Reflecting on the Experience

Touring round the Berlin Concentration Camp may often be tiring, but it should be done so that victims can always be commemorated. Understand the best to be jolly and to remember those who perished and succumbed to death through one of the most regrettable black marks in history.

As a reminder, legal photography is allowed in the area but proper etiquette has to be observed before, during and after taking photos.

Conclusion

The Berlin Concentration Camp is an experience that is quite moving and informative for that matter. Learning about the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp; it is easier to have true understanding about the holocaust and what people can do to each other.

You should also emphasize the importance of devoting sufficient time to your travel in order to take time to read the information boards properly as well as to feel the general historical atmosphere of the place. Remember the lives of the fatal victims and it is honored for, and for it, to live on