Concentration camps were most infamous during World War II to be specific. These were created during the Holocaust and World War II where the Nazis killed millions of people such as Jews, Roma, homosexuals, disabled people, political opponents, and those who didn’t deem them fit to live by the Nazis. As the states capital in Germany during this period, there were several concentration camps in and around the location.
Concentration camps: function and function
Initially, concentration camps were strictly at first to detain political dissenters, though later in time they were subsequently used for forced labor, medical experimentation, and finally genocide. In Berlin, these camps served multiple functions:
Imprisonment: The main use was to confine persons that were regarded as dangerous to the Nazi government. These comprised of; political rivals, nationalists, those who resisted extermination, and individuals who were racially or socially undesirable in the eyes of the Nazis.
Forced labor: Another punishment prominent in concentration camp was hard physical work, where the prisoners did not only construct buildings, but other complicated works as well. They had to be employed in industries manufacturing products for the German war, building projects or any other type of work under poor standards and no considering their status or health.
Extermination: Certain concentration camps, the later created ones at that, were upgraded into death camps. Such camps as the Auschwitz and Birkenau were indeed built with the express purpose of mass murders, for the genocide of millions of people – mostly Jews – through gassing, shooting in dumps or any other methods.
Concentration camps in Berlin
During the World War II in Berlin, other concentration camps were developed to help in the continuation of the agenda of the Nazi. Here are a few significant camps in and around the city:
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen camp was among the first large camps built by the Nazis and located only twenty kilometers away from Berlin. It was mainly applied to political prisoners and those who were mentally superior, and infamous people who spoke against the Nazi regime.
Ravensbrück Concentration Camp – Ravensbrück Concentration Camp or Rav down) was a woman’s concentration camp during the time of the Third Reich.
Ravensbrück is situated about 56 miles north of Berlin, and it was mainly for women’s concentration camp. It held women prisoners from different sectors of life, politics and rebellion, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Plötzensee Prison
Despite the fact that the building was not originally designed as a concentration camp, Plötzensee Prison was an important part of the Nazi terror system. Originally in Berlin, it served as a prison and a place for prisoners’ execution of primary political opposition in Germany including those involved in the German seek-bounce.
Remembering the victims
The concentration camp victims of Berlin and other parts of the world should not be forgotten. Thousands probably millions of people died and many more who survived suffered the effects psychologically for the rest of their lives. Museum, memorial, and educational activities help to create a memorial for people suffered and to prevent similar acts in the future.
Holocaust Memorial – Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
There is a fairly impressive memorial in Berlin, the so-called Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe or Holocaust Memorial. It comprises 2,711 concrete slabs assembled on a hill: this location causes tension and confusion in visitors. This particular memorial allows the viewers to get an understanding of the extend of the Holocaust.
Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum
The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum situated at the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp, informs visitors through history, display and programmed tours. It works as a memorial and historical center to honour and remember the victims; as well as to prevent similar events from happening in the future.
Conclusion
German and specifically Berlin concentration camp was one of the worst manifestations of Nazi regime violence during the World War II. I like to think that it serves us right with a reminder of what had happened in the past, and how it should not be repeated in the future. In this case, remembering the victims and paying tribute to people whose lives were taken by hatred encourages us to think critically about what we are currently experiencing in our own lives and how dislike and disrespect influence our lives.
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