The Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen is a historical place situated in OranienburgSachsenhausen situated in Oranienburg, Germany. Originally, it was constructed by the Nazi authorities in 1936 as a concentration camp and set an example of other similar camps. Today it is a memorial and an educational center with the mission to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to make people aware of that terrible tragedy.

The History of Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen was among the first of the concentration camps created by the Nazi regime. Earlier, it was used as a prison for political dissidents such as the Communists and Social Democrats as well as all other anti-regime groups. But as the war began to go on, SS started to include other groups in Sachsenhausen too as Jews homosexuals Jehovah’s witnesses and other deemed to be undesirables by the Nazi party.

Over the years Sachsenhausen was also used for medical experiments, forced labor and in the extermination process. It was estimated that tens of thousands of prisoners were exposed to barbaric treatment and ended up dead.

Welcome to the Memorial and Museum

While at the location you will be able to tour the site of the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen and gain knowledge of the place’s history. The museum presents different photographs but also true stories and personal belongings of the prisoners.

Guided Tours

Self-guided tours are however provided whereby there is opportunity to get past and present history of the camp. Professional tour guides will lead you round the compounds allowing you to visit the prisoner sleeping area, the dark cells, and the hanging compound. They will explain how people survived, how some tried to oppose the occupation regime, how men and women struggled for their lives within the walls of the Ghetto.

Memorial Sites

In the territory of the memorial there are several Askhenazi memorial dedicated to the victims. The Appellplatz, the place for performing roll calls, is represented as reminding the audiences of prisoners’ daily schedules. The reconstructed crematorium in the form of the so-called the Station Z is the main evidence of causalities in the camp. About the International Monument: it is devoted to the victims from different countries.

Reflection and Education

War can be regarded as visit to the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen, for contemplation and enlightenment. It helps people to face the criminal actions of someone and make sure that the people who suffered would not be forgotten and people would understand that in the world, you should respect everyone and accept all their distinctions.

Educational Programs

Besides, the memorial operates a program of educational workshops for schools and individuals. These programs should be used to get more insight into the act committed by the Nazi regime and the effects of the act. They promote problem solving, understanding other people’s feelings, and learning about the moral code.

Research and Documentation

Sachsenhausen is also recognized as place for research and documenting activities. This is the case since different scholars come to the camp while others come to study the prisoners and the holocaust events. The museum keeps records and works with research facilities to make the collected information available in the future.

How to Prepare for Your Visit

Visiting the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen, one should awaken the necessary emotions and thoughts in oneself. The history that you will have the privilege of witnessing can be verbally, emotionally disturbing and sometimes downright traumatic. Here are a few tips to help you:

Check the history of holocaust and concentration camps to have proper understanding about it.

Do not be rude when you are at the memorial. What has to be understood is that it is a site of memory and commemoration.

Wear decent clothing and comfortable shoes because majority of the movement is done by walking.

One can visit the site by joining the guided tour in a bid to gain better insight and understanding of this site.

Make sure you give yourself enough time to sit back and think about what you are reading and what you are being told.

Conclusion

The museum of Sachsenhausen at Oranienburg is a reminder of cruelty against people in general and Jews in particular. When we visit, we pay tribute to the lives that were lost and work at not allowing the tragedy to fade into oblivion. In this case it also becomes a powerful learning instrument, which, by showing the value of human rights and tolerance, encourages respect.

Just as a reminder, a walk through a concentration camp like Sachsenhausen is not for the faint hearted.. Before you can plan a visit, it is important to have your welfare in mind.