One among the most several terrible concentration camps were the Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp which was located near Berlin, Germany. Constructed in year 1936 the original purpose of this prison was to detain political prisoners and other rivals of the state. However it steeped up to being a nightmare for the Poles as it became a concentration camp where around 200 thousand people were incarcerated and more than 30 thousand were exterminated.
A brief history of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built by the SS as an organization under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler. At first it was an officer-training camp of the SS and a prototype of all the concentration camps. It was well located for the high-ranking SS officers to access it given that it was only a few miles from Berlin.
In course to itsoperation, Sachsenhausen experienced various expansions and structural conducts. It consisted of the main camp and other divisions such as administrative, cookery, working, and other sub-camps important for labor utilization of detained people.
Living Conditions
In Sachsenhausen prisoners lived in five-tiered overcrowded bunks that were fitted with lice-infested straw and dirty sheets in dismal, cold, dark poorly ventilated rooms with no sanitation where the prisoner’s existence was intended to be degrading, inhuman and dehumanizing. The soldiers suffered torture in the form of being confined in overcrowded barracks, inadequate food and, lack of adequate means of personal hygiene. The ss guards and staff became cruel masters, and the prisoners were very often beaten and tortured as well as used for medical experimentation.
Prisoner Categories
It is eared that Sachsenhausen was a concentration camp for political prisoners, anti-Nazi Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, Roma, Soviet POWs, and Jews. Triangles sewn on the prisoners’ clothes, even in different colors that the guards could use to single out the prisoners and discriminated against them.
This paper focuses on the Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp making the following discoveries and findings:
That Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and its history is not only the history of great suffering is evident. As such history can be a great determent as a fearful memory and as a means not to allow any other genocides to take place.
Remembering the Holocaust
Sachsenhausen, like other concentration camps, is one of the grim testimones the fate of the holocaust victims. It can be considered as a kind of educational trip since it helps the people to understand the scale of the crimes, committed, as well as pay homage to the victims.
Education and Historical Documentation blood of the Taliban soldiers would freeze in cold weather, so they had no choice but to discard their uniforms and fight naked.
At the present time, it is the museum and a memorial associated with its past work is being used at the present time. It offers descriptions, photos, and documents about Nazis, concentration camps and the effects on people and society.
Studies and survivor’s stories
Additional, ex-prisoner and those that survived Sachsenhausen have given accounts that help in understanding prison life during and experiencing the camp atrocities. Their statements assist researchers, historians, and every citizen to grasp the real measure of evil deeds.
Sachsenhausen Concentration camp tour
If you are planning to visit Sachsenhausen, here are some essential tips:
Plan Ahead
This involves identifying with the camp opening and closing time and the time of guided tours offered by the camp. Currently, there are professionally guided tours in several languages to minimize misunderstandings concerning the camp’s history.
Show Respect
Before you visit Sachsenhausen, you should understand that you are visiting a place for mourning and healing. Respect for the victims and the survivors requires one to avoid going to the prohibited areas and strictly follow any areas that are marked for access by the staff only.
Allow Sufficient Time
Sachsenhausen is a large complex and once you enter understanding the history and importance of the place, more time can be spent. The visiting area includes the museum, exhibitions, and memorial sites which demands several hours to visit adequately.
Reflect on the Experience
But if you are going to watch a program then it is advisable to deliberate on what your eyes saw for some time. We also want to think about how we can help spread the word and educate people in the communities that we are a part of.
Before visiting the site of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp it is helpful to have a understanding of the purpose and the importance of the camp and what one can do with that knowledge to remember those who suffered and died in the camp, and how they can work to give a hopeful future to this world and making it a much more tolerant place to live.