During World War II, Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, was an important hub for the Nazi regime. It was home to several concentration camps where millions of innocent victims tragically lost their lives. Although there were many concentration camps across Europe, the closest one to Berlin was Sachsenhausen.

Sachsenhausen: The Closest Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen concentration camp was established 35 kilometers, North of Berlin. It was formed in 1936 and quickly turned out to be one of the main and biggest focus camps in Germany.

The Purpose of Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen’s main function was political conviction as the Nazis regarded the prisoners as enemies of the state.

The ill treatment of prisoners, torture and inhuman treatments were the general practices that the camp represented to its prisoners, it was meant to make the prisoners live in fear of the Nazi regime ideas. It also functioned as a training site for SS officers who were to oversee other concentration camp in the future.

How the prisoners had lived in Sachsenhausen

The plight of the inmates living in Sachsenhausen was pathetic, their living conditions were really deplorable. Since 15th February prisoners are taken to forced labor, starving, and being severely beaten.

The camp had many partitions like living quarters, punishment pen, parade ground, and a kitchen. Prisoners were made to work on labor-intensive tasks with horrible working conditions, at surrounding factories or construction sites.

Numerous prisoners toil, thereby experiencing a considerable level of exhaustion leading to numerous deaths of the prisoners.

So my third piece is called ‘The Liberation of Sachsenhausen’.

In this year and in April the Soviet Army approached and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was liberated on 22nd April 1945.

The liberation prevented continuation of the suffering found in the prisoners. But Sachsenhausen went on to be used as a prison camp for political detainees during the Soviet occupation until 1950.

Remembering the Victims

As it has been mentioned it is high time to commemorate all those innocent people who suffered and died in Sachsenhausen and all the other concentration camps.

Thus, people try to remember this tragic period in an attempt to make sure that no ones repeats the acts of evil again.

Visiting Sachsenhausen Today

Sachsenhausen concentration camp is now preserved as a museum type memorial. Bruening has the SS experience tours that allow visitors to tour the area and see other exhibition showing history.

And it is a chance to have people remember the victims, read their stories, and think about the values of tolerance and appreciation for everyone.

Conclusion

Sachsenhausen concentration camp is said to be the closest to Berlin, during the Second World War in Europe. It still has a relatively somber history that helps people to realize the given period’s violence.

Only when such histories are known and understood can there be efforts made to ensure that a similar nightmare is never again made happen to someone.