Berlin is a city you really need to go visit in your lifetime and one of the places you should include on your Berlin travel schedule is Sachenhausen. Just outside of Berlin, former Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen. In this all encompassing handbook we will discuss the background of Sachsenhausen, its relevance and advice for visiting this important memorial place.
1. Sachsenhausen: The Background
The SS built Sachsenhausen in 1936 as among the first Nazi concentration camps. Originally designed to be the major training ground for SS guards and officials, it first acted as a model camp. Sachsenhausen later, for tens of thousands of detainees, became a place of great pain and death.
Sachsenhausen grew and became a key camp for political inmates, including intellectuals, resistance fighters, and anyone judged opponents of the Nazi government, during World War II. At Sachsenhausen, prisoners suffered forced labour, medical experiments, torture, and execution. Additionally serving as a transit station for detainees transferred to other extermination camps, including Auschwitz, the location served
2. See Sachsenhausen.
Today Sachsenhausen is a memorial and museum, a reminder of the crimes carried out during the Holocaust. Here are some crucial information for your visit planning:
2.1 Place and Opening Times
About 35 kilometres north of Berlin, in the municipality of Oranienburg, Sachsenhausen is situated Public transit or a car will get one to the memorial site. The official addresses are:
Street of the Nations 22, 16515 Oranienburg, Germany
The memorial is open everyday in different hours depending on the season. Before your trip, it’s advisable to consult the official website to find the most current material.
2.2 Entrance Fee andguided Tours
Sachsenhausen is reachable to all guests since entrance is free. Guided visits, however, are strongly advised if one wants to properly appreciate the relevance of the site. The guides offer perceptive knowledge and first-hand accounts to help to bring the past to life. For a nominal charge, audio instructions also come in several languages.
2.3 Sachsenhausen: What to View
Knowing the main sites to see helps one to avoid overwhelming exploration of Sachsenhausen’s wide grounds. Among the significant sites within the memorial are:
- The Appellplatz was the roll call square where several times daily counts of convicts were made.
- The guards used these tall buildings, the Watchtowers, as surveillance stations.
- A sobering reminder of the horrific murders at Sachsenhausen is the Crematorium.
- See the confined living circumstances inmates endured by visiting rebuilt barracks.
By use of these important sites, guests can better appreciate the daily existence and great pain endured by the inmates.
3. Recalling the Past
Examining Sachsenhausen requires approaching the site with respect and understanding. Remember, this is a memorial to the victims and a site of great historical relevance not only for visitors. Here are some salient features to bear in mind:
- Be polite and quiet throughout while your visit.
- Steer clear of inappropriate behaviour and selfie taking.
- Think back on the victims and their tales.
- Spend time considering and reflecting.
Approaching your visit with respect will allow you to honour the memory of people who endured at Sachsenhausen.
4. Extra Information
There are many tools available to help you to grasp Sachsenhausen and the Holocaust:
- Books including “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl and “Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp 1936-1945” by Hermann Kaienburg.
- Documentaries “Night and Fog” and “Sachsenhausen: The Truth.”
- Memorial website: The official Sachsenhausen Memorial website offers thorough background on the camp’s past and visiting policies.
These materials can guarantee a more significant experience at Sachsenhausen and allow you to enhance your knowledge.
5. Review
Sachsenhausen is quite important historically since it was a Nazi concentration camp once. Visiting this memorial monument helps us to respect the victims and guarantee that the crimes carried out during the Holocaust never go forgotten. Spend some time learning about the background, schedule your trip, and approach the location respectfully. Sachsenhausen reminds us of the value of empathy, tolerance, and the urgency of stopping such crimes from occurring once more.
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