When you are tour planning in Berlin Germany, you may wish to go and see a rather sad yet historical site known as the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Oranienburg Sachsenhausen is one of the most historical important places in Germany; it is located in Oranienburg, not far from Berlin. Here in the blog entry I will specifically discuss the history and general background of Sachsenhausen as well as recipes for your trip.

1. The Origins of Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen was created by the Nazis in 1936 as one of the initial concentration camps The camp was also known as the”]=”Oranienburg Concentration Camp” and was located in Oranienburg, a primarily industrialised town in the Federal-state of Brandenburg. It was used as an example for other camp and was later used as a centralized base for the whole camp system. It was initially planned to host political prisoners, who for the most part were regarded as opponents of the Nazi regime. Nevertheless, the camp changed its direction in the process of making, and different groups of persons were sent there, such as Jews, Gypsies and Sinti, homosexuals, Jehovah witnesses and other people.

2. Life in Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen was a very strict and violent colony to live in. They were forced to work while in prison and many were starved to death, tortured, experimented with, and sexually abused and slaughtered. The circumstances in which the prisoners lived were just appalling, and although in this camp most of the prisoners did not die of the diseases which were rife in other concentration camps, a very high Mortality rate was recorded through exposure to other factors such as hunger and cold, or execution.

2.1. Classification System

Sachsenhausen had a classification system that labeled prisoners by various symbols, for colour triangles, to signify the social order, or the potential physical threat that the labelled prisoner posed to the Nazis. Some of the features of this system helped the camp administration to classify and thus discriminant some groups of prisoners.

2.2. Prisoner Barracks

In the Sachsenhausen there were prisoners’ barracks, which were overcrowded and lacked the most primitive sanitary processes. Prisoners of Block 11 slept in overcrowded wooden beds poorly isolated from the weather, in the middle of a severe winter at the height of summer. These worst forms of human treatment led to the high death rate of the prisoners in the camp.

3. Liberation and Commemoration

Sachsenhausen was liberated by the Soviets, in April of 1945, thus closing the chapter on its worst period. After the war many will know it was a Soviet’s internment camp for Germans until around 1950. The GDR, in 1961 founded the Sachsenhausen Memorial and the Museum to inform visitors after the Nazi crimes and to commemorate the innocent victims.

3.1. Visiting the Memorial Site

One must not take a visit to Sachsenhausen lightly; there is a certain amount of respect that I believe should be given to such a place. The memorial organization offers tour services and displays that offer information regarding the camp. One is free to roam the barracks, cells where prisoners were punished, the hospital, which is among other interesting places in the camp.

You must give adequate time to make the visit and be ready for an emotional ordeal. One should come informed of the holocaust and Nazi days before paying a visit to appreciate what Sachsenhausen represents.

3.2. Paying Tribute

Throughout your stay you will be able to honor the victims at the memorials and monuments that are situated at the camp. Regard the events that did occurred in Sachsenhausen and pay our tribute to all those people who experienced pain and suffering.

4. The Importance of Remembering

Sachsenhausen is an eye-opener for it reminds every visitor of the ruthlessness ever practiced in the world. People need to pay respect to those who perished and never forget their stories in order to prevent such tragedy to repeat itself. It makes everyone pause a moment and consider what hatred does or what discrimination or violence does when ideologues promote them.

This way we can at least help make people at least somewhat aware of the existence of Sachsenhausen and in doing so be that much closer to a more tolerant society.

Final Thoughts

Sachsenhausen is a painful and for that reason vital for a visit place to any traumatized who wants to learn about the history of the Nazi regime and holocaust. It is a usual reminder of a terrible chapter in human history that took many innocent lives and a monument to them. When going through such places as Sachsenhausen, we pay homage to the victims and work towards the prevention of the acts being performed in future.