Sachsenhausen was a Nazi concentration camp, founded in 1936 for einfache Hitlerjugend, that is, simple boys and those committed political crimes. It is situated in Oranienburg, Germany, somewhat to the north of Berlin. This camp was of a critical part of the holocaust in which thousands of prisoners were exposed to inhuman conditions, forced labor and genocide.

Sachsenhausen Campo de Concentración Part I The history of 

Sachsenhausen Campo de Concentración

Sachsenhausen was among the first camps established by the Nazi government as a concentration camp. It also became the symbolic model of other camps. At the beginning it was for political prisoners, then groups of people were taken there as Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah’s witnesses, and any other members of society that the Nazis deemed unworthy were shipped there.

The camp itself had guard towers, electrified fences, and watching towers. The prisoners were enclosed within high barbed-wire fences which gave a general impression of near confinement. There were several branches of Sachsenhausen; each of them had different functions while the central part concentrated on administration.

Living Conditions

Concentrated living conditions in Sachsenhausen were substances, inhumane and unfavourable. The uninformed communities were subjected to cramped confinement, lack of proper meals and execrable standards of hygiene by their prison captors. They were hazed into slavery, to labor in deplorable conditions most of the time. Barracks, blocks, and punitive cells were part of the camp’s layout: inmates had to live packed in extremely small and dirty rooms.

Medical Experiments

As other concentration camps, the Sachsenhausen was also famous for medical experimentations. A prisoner was used as a scapegoat in that they were injected with new medications, vaccines, and that a host of other tests and surgical procedures were tried on them. The lives of many people were ruined or claimed by the performance of these cruel tests.

Memorial and Museum

Current, Sachsenhausen is a memorial and museum, which tells and remind the history and sufferings of the people behind the barbed wires in the camp. The memorial is designed to let people see at least a glimpse of struggling for life in a concentration camp and learn the history of holocaust.

While there it is possible to hear more about the concentration camp through drawings and testimonies by the survivors, to see the actual items once being used by the prisoners and to learn more about their everyday life and the mechanism of the camp. Special guided tours can be taken to fully understand the history of the camp and memorials that no one will ever forget the victim.

Visiting Tips

One of the things that I needed to know before visiting Sachsenhausen is that psychologically it may be a very strong experience with an impact. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your visit:

The number of rooms at the memorial and the amount of information presented in the museum should be allowed sufficient time to cover.

Touring is also recommended in order see more of the camp and learn more about its history than what is offered in the TP tours in Seattle area.

Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to do some walking – much of the event takes place on your feet.

Take water and some snack as there are no shops inside the perimeter of the memorial area.

People throughout the world need to remember the past to move to the future by creating a better New World.

Sachsenhausen Campo de Concentración is one of the most terrifying places I have visited, the memory of the Holocaust is still fresh. Hence why it remains preserved as a strong reminder and learning lesson to the world whenever such acts need to be prevented are to be prevented.

By visiting concentrations camps such as Sachsenhausen, one and future generations can show respect to the victims, to remember them and to study about effects of hatred,being prejudice, discrimination etc. By knowing our history it is possible to actively strive for better future with less prejudice, hate and suffering for all minorities.