Visiting historical sites, especially those related to World War II, can be a powerful and enlightening experience. One such site located near Berlin is the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. If you’re planning a trip and wondering about the distance between Berlin and Sachsenhausen, this blog post will provide you with all the information you need.
The Location and Brief History of Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen, known as the Oranienburg concentration camp is in Oranienburg 22 miles 35 km from Berlin. The camp is one of the oldest that was created by the Nazis, and it had a large part in the holocaust.
Sachsenhausen was constructed in 1936 and initially used to detain political prisoners were to be sent. Originally it was a centre for imprisonment of people considered undesirable by the Third Reich regime but later on assumed the roles of work and death camp, as well as a medical experimentation ground for Nazi scientists. This camp acted as a prototype camp for other concentration camps which were constructed later; it became a chamber of horror during the war period.
Transportation & Distance Regularly Used
The distance between Berlin and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp can be covered in various ways, depending on your preferences and available transportation options:
- Train
Today traveling by train is one of the most comfortable ways of getting to Sachsenhausen from Berlin. Trains can be caught daily from the Hauptbahnhof, Berlin’s main train station to Oranienburg, the town nearest to the camp. This ride usually takes approximately 20-30 mins depending on the train used.
- Car
If you wish to drive, it will be easy to hire a car in Berlin and then follow the signposted A111 motorway to Oranienburg. The trip usually lasts approximately 40-50 including time spent in traffic.
- Guided Tours
Alternatively, there are organized tours completed with transportation from the centre of Berlin to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. such tours offer explanations as well as the historical and cultural background of the camp in case you want to know more about it while on the tour.
Entry and Visit Information
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is open to visitors throughout the year, but it’s essential to consider the following information before planning your visit:
- To enter the camp there is no charge required.
- Office space of the camp is opened throughout the year; nevertheless, it’s working hours depend on the season, so they suggest visiting the camp’s website or calling the camp administration for more information.
- There are multilingual descriptions from a recorded guide where one can learn the features of parts in the camp.
- This is because going through the camp can be an emotional experience and one has to be ready for the mood by trying to pay as much respect as possible to the voltage.
- However, you may carry out some extra walking across the camp since it is huge, and therefore, ensure that you wear comfortable shoes.
This guide will help you understand what visit to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp will involve.
And as soon as you will get on the territory of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, you will be in the place which witnessed inhuman suffering and tragedy. What is more, given the highly tragic history of the camp, one can consider the preserved and reconstructed buildings, barracks and the numerous memorial monuments to be impressive.
During your visit, consider exploring the following key areas:
- Appellplatz
This is the roll call square, through which prisoners went for daily roll call assemblies. Today, it functions as a place to convene and one of the first, when visiting the camp, to be seen.
- The second and the third main chapters are also mentioned as The Tower and the Camp Entrance.
Then there is the guard tower and as you enter, there is the main gate, which, in an irony that takes some vantage, over the door is the inscription ‘Arbeit macht frei’ meaning ‘Work will set you free’. It reminds us of other words that were tailored to lure people into the camp such as trust me, I will never harm you.
- The Barracks
Tour the reconstructed barracks to view the representatives of tight and deplorable living scenarios prisoners suffered from. The remaining of the rooms of the barracks are turned into exhibitions and displays adding to the understanding of lives of the prisoners.
- Execution Trench
A serious and psychologically demanding area, the execution trench is the place where many prisoners died. It also tells the audience how barbarous the camp was.
- The Museum and Documentation Center
The Museum and Documentation Center is a museum dealing with the Holocaust with branches in New York, Montréal, and Jerusalem. The museum and documentation center on the territory of the camp describes the history of the camp, the life of prisoners, and the Holocaust in detail. This is a must go for those who want to get more information about the occurrences that took place.
A Solemn Reminder
It is important and insightful to visit and learn about the pervious Concentration Camp Sachsenhausen to treat and not repeat history. For that I believe it was a dignified message about human rights, acceptance and kindness.
And while visiting this historic area, think about the meaning of the time, make some reverence and communicate with the stories of suffering people. It is crucial always to inquire with care and compassion when paying a visit.
Thus, every time you visit Sachsenhausen you feel that the evil that was perpetrated there is not going to be forgotten by anyone.
