Introduction

The world that was engulfed in gruesome horrors would not let people forget about the events of the Holocaust. One of them which has in fact become bland reminders of history is the concentration camp-known as Sachsenhausen which is in Berlin, Germany. The goal of this blog post is to help readers understand what Sachsenhausen was and is, and the stories of the victims who endured the horrors of the camp.

The History of Sachsenhausen

Sachsenhausen was set up in the summer of 1936, long before the beginning of the Second World War. First it was a testing camp which was used to train SS officers who would then control other camp around it. Situated just beyond the outskirts of Berlin the camp was strategically situated to be easily managed and overseen by the capital city.

Nazi Germany saw Sachsenhausen being used as detention and concentration camp with primary focus on the political prisoners. Until the close of the Second World War, it remained one of the oldest working concentration camps. During its existence, the camp fulfilled several functions and was established for storing political prisoners of various nationalities, as well as for the use of ethnic, religious, sexual, and other rejectionist measures prescribed by the Nazis.

The camp grew over the years and more barrack, factories and even gas chambers were built in Sachsenhausen. That is because with the increasing numbers of the prisoners, the living conditions deteriorated and people began to die like flies within the camp.

Life Inside Sachsenhausen

Living conditions in Sachsenhausen were fraught with inadmissible visa violation of a human being’s elementary rights and freedoms. Like other persecuted groups, political prisoners, Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and anyone else considered to be enemies of the state, had to endure forced working and medical experimentation, torture, and extermination.

The process of prisoners’ arrival was the process of the violent disablement of prisoners’ individuality with their personal belongings, hair, and names being taken away from them. They were then categorized into different prisoners, and each category wore different outfits; which depicted their ‘level of danger’ to the Nazi’s.

The prisoners labored under extremely terrible conditions which included harsh feeding regimens, sickness, and physical assaults. Rebels or any person who did not meet work deadlines or was considered rebellious was punished severely – beaten, stripped naked in public and could be killed.

Resistance and Liberation

Effectively but even under these conditions people did not lose hope and rebellion as well as mutual support appeared in Sachsenhausen. Inmates joined conspiracy, they were ready to die so as to maintain their identity and help other inmates. Symbols, paintings and songs were then a way of communicating, a means of retaining some sort of compassion in the most gruesome of searches.

The freedom came to the last captives of Sachsenhausen on April 22, 1945, and the Soviets were the liberators. Their arrival mean unleashed an end to terror but forever the memories of Sachsenhausen will always remain and stand as evidence of the crimes against humanity perpetrated therein.

Visiting Sachsenhausen Today

Now, Sachsenhausen serves as a memorial and museum and affords people a chance to study the history chapter of death camps and pay tribute to sufferers. The site provides walking tours, display cases and educational programs that tell the histories of this camp, the prisoners and holocaust.

Still when visiting Sachsenhausen, it is required to remain polite of the place and the history that took place there. However I strongly urge Mr. Specktor to recall that it is a place of remembrance and reflection of the victims of Nazi terror. While there take full time to listen to the testimonies of survivors and reading about the stories written on the walls, and seem or think about the past that makes sure that they are not repeated again.

Conclusion

Sachsenhausen Berlin Concentration Camp remains a sad example of denying human morality and upgrading mass inhumanity. It reminds a young generation about the holocaust events and the devastating influence that it has had to their lives. If one wants to learn the details of what actually took place at Sachsenhausen and give honors to its victims, then one will be prepared enough to ensure that such schemes are never to be experienced again in future.