Just outside of Oranienburg, Germany there is the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site which stands as a reminder of the practices of the Nazis. It was commemorated as a museum to signify the memory of the losses and inform the public on aspects of the past regrettable horrors. In this post of my blog it will be rational to focus on the main facets of the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site and review its history more detailed.

Sachsenhausen’s Past

Sachsenhausen was one of the earliest camps constructed during the era of the Third Reich; the camp was built in 1936. Originally constructed to detain political dissidents and so called ‘enemies of the Reich’, it was subsequently applied to Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and a multitude of other groups of people.

Sachsenhausen therefore functioned as an extended model of the ‘perfect’ concentration camp, promotional and training grounds for SS officers as well as a laboratory in which new techniques of repression could be developed and implemented. The published data provide information that as many as 200,000 prisoners, from all regions of Europe, experienced inhuman conditions in the Sachsenhausen camp.

Visiting the Memorial Site

Now Sachsenhausen is the museum of the tragedy of World War II and witnesses the sacrifice that was made to put an end to the war. They can visit the rebuilt buildings, various installations which have become exhibits and the memorial sites that allow the understanding of the history of the camp.

Exhibitions

Tours of the memorial site include several permanent expositions that help to reveal different aspects of Sachsenhausen. Such exhibitions are for daily life of prisoners, camp structures, andocial discrimination against various groups of people. The history of the camp is presented through photographs, artifacts, and compelling stories which must be heard and seen to be believed.

Memorial Places

There are many points of commemoration within the site: The Jewish Barrack, The Soviet Special Camp and The Station Z. Every one of these places provides a different view of the life and deaths of the victims who perished in the confines of the camp.

Reflecting on History

The camps of the Sachsenhausen Memorial Site are the testimony of a terrible and incomprehensible human past. That is why, by visiting and interacting with the space, we can understand and make people more tolerant in the future.

Learning Resources

This means the memorial site has a number of informative services that suggest the memorial is a perfect place for students, scholars and anybody who wants to know more about the holocaust. Lectures, guided tours and workshops try to explain the purpose of creating the camp, the context in which it was used, and why people should not forget about the victims.

Conclusion

Sachsenhausen Memorial Site is a silent testimony of all the pain this generation and previous ones went through during the Nazi regime. As we visit this historical site and take part in any educative activities in this site we are part of ensuring that those in the future learn these lessons.

The first factor is essential to retain history. We shall be able to create a society where there is understanding and persons of such heinous actions will never be in existence again.