Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp has a significant area in history of the World War II. This camp was constructed in Oranienburg, Germany, and was designed first as a prototype of all other concentration camps for the Nazis. This blog is to look at the finer details of Sachsenhausen, the role it played, and the events that happened.

1. Origins and Construction

That year, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was built and used as training grounds for SS guards who would run the camp, forced labor and political prisoners. Originally it had twelve barbed-wire enclosed barracks mainly for political prisoners, though later it underwent extension.

The history of Sachsenhausen cannot be understood without regard to the geography of the place. The latter was situated near Berlin, thereby ensuring convenient transportation of prisoners and building materials – all that the Nazis needed.

2. Life inside Sachsenhausen

Conditions prevailing in Sachsenhausen were strictly far and inhuman. One of them entails that prisoners were tortured through physical and psychological means, forced to work, starved and used in experiments. These were attempted by denying the inmates any comfort and ensuring that they were demoralized by using the camp to ‘deprogram’ them.

The prisoners led very unhygienic lives with very little food, minimum requirements of sleep and physical work for exceedingly long hours. Torture and executions for example were the order of the day making the atmosphere very dreadful.

Nevertheless, spectacular acts of fraternization and defiance arose from these people. Education became a clandestine activity accompanied by culture and spirituality through performances, which helped keep the prisoners human and encourage them from deep within.

3. Liberation and Memorials

Their torment at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp ended later in April in the same year when the Soviet army liberated them. The German government later converted the former camp into a Soviet Special Camp, too, which underlines the fact that the site was used as such.

Currently it is a memorial and museum, which is aimed at telling the future generations the sad story of the Holocaust victims. The following preserved building and exhibitions and the archives give a record of those who were incarcerated in the facility.

3.1 Memorial Sites in Sachsenhausen

Some important memorial sites within Sachsenhausen include:

‘Tower A,’ of which now is only a roof, but once housed administrative offices and was recently converted into a museum telling stories of the camp.

The ‘Station Z’ as an execution area where more than thousands of people were shot dead.

The Jewish Barrack that portrayed the Jews during the holocaust.

3.2 Visitor Experience

Thus, the Sachsenhausen is open for tourist and they can either take the guided tours or just roam around the memorial. Education and even entertainment is possible in the form of programs and exhibitions giving people information on the camp’s history, holocaust, and remembering.

4. We looked to the past and envisioned the future

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is regarded as one of symbols of the horrendous criminal actions in the Second World War. Thus, saving and disclosing the history allows people to remember the victims and will not let cruelty happen again.

During these periods of time, people should take lessons from the past, practice tolerance and respect in relations with other individuals. It means that supporting these values we will be able to create a better future, the future when everyone will be accepted.

I propose that everyone plans a visit to Sachsenhausen concentration camp and become a member of a community seeking to comprehend the horrors of hatred and sometime in the future strive to make a difference.