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Where Were the Concentration Camps Nearest to Berlin Located?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Concentration Camp

Want to explore sachsenhausen concentration camp? Come and join us on the Original Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour.

Whenever analyzing the history of the Second World War and the holocaust it is crucial to familiarize with the geographical locations of concentration camps. Concentration camps were places where the Nazi during the war used to incarcerate and annihilate millions of people. These concentration camps were set up in different parts of Europe but there were some near Berlin, which were rather central to this wrongly known as the dark ages. In this article, you are going to learn more about concentration camps near Berlin and the information about the role of these places.

Sachsenhausen concentration camp

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was one of the first larger camps built by the Nazis and is situated only 22 miles north of Berlin. Opened in 1936, it became a show camp and training center for SS men. Sachsenhausen functioned initially and mainly as a prison which housed political prisoners, Intellectuals and the unwanted by the Nazis regime.

In Sachsenhausen itself, prisoners encountered that brutality, compulsory working, medical trials, and intentional assassinations. The camp as was mentioned earlier as well was also used for propaganda purposes where the Nazis were presenting their so-called success stories.

What to See at Sachsenhausen?

’Sachsenhausen now serves as a memorial and museum intended for visitors. It offers the tourists freedom to go through the former barrack areas, the watchtowers and check out various other offerings which gives the travelers glimpses of how the prisoners were treated. There also is the impressive memorial of those killed, so their sufferings and deaths are not to remain untold.

Ravensbrück KZ

Found approximately 50 miles north of Berlin, Ravensbrück was mainly a concentration camp for women which was functioning from 1939 to 1945. During the Holocaust, it was one of the operates for female prisoner and the documented death toll of the camp was 34,000.

Originally intended for political prisoners who were women, Ravensbrück extended to include other women including Jews, Romani, antisocial, criminal women among others. The prisoners of Ravensbrück were subjected to beatings and other physical and psychological violences, work and fatigue, and vicious medical experiments.

Suffering the Tragedy of Ravensbrück

Although much of the camp was dismantled in April 1945, some structures have been preserved, for example the reconstructed gatehouse and sections of the actual wall. The Ravensbrück Memorial Museum gives more background information with photographs, documents and narratives that give insight of the lives of the prisoners.

”Oranienburg concentration camp”

Oranienburg Concentration Camp situated only twenty one miles from Berlin was the first concentration camp that was running since 1933 and was operated by the Nazis. Its first purpose was to detain political prisoners however it evolved into prototype of other concentration camps.

The camp was infamous for inhuman treatment of the prisoners and also also acted as training ground for the SS staff. The prisoners were forced to work, tortured and killed in cold blood. It is thought that tens of thousands of political opponents, intellectuals and homosexuals were killed in Oranienburg.

Honoring the Dead of Oranienburg

Currently, it is possible to see little of the camp’s infrastructure, though there is a statue and informative signs that indicate the site. The historical facts and findings about Sachsenhausen and Oranienburg concentration camps would be clearly understood if the visit to Sachsenhausen memorial and museum is made.

In Conclusion

To grasp the scale of the holocaust, and World War II, one must be familiar with how concentration camps operated, and where they were located near Berlin. These commemorative locations give people a glimpse of the aforementioned victims in as much as they allow families to learn from the past and avoid recurrent human rights abuses.

Want to explore sachsenhausen concentration camp? Come and join us on the Original Berlin Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour.

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Where Were the Concentration Camps Nearest to Berlin Located?

Mar 7, 2024