Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen — Attraction in Oranienburg

what a terrible time. how can you be so inhuman. unfortunately man does not learn enough from history. being in this place is impressive, especially since some members of the family were locked up in these blocks.

The "Sachsenhausen Prisoner Death March" refers to a tragic event that occurred during World War II. Sachsenhausen concentration camp was a Nazi concentration camp located in Oranienburg, Germany, established in 1936.

During the final stages of the war, as Allied forces advanced and the Nazi regime collapsed, many concentration camp prisoners were subjected to forced marches by the Nazis, also known as "death marches." These marches involved prisoners being forcibly evacuated from camps and transported on foot or by train to other locations, often resulting in the deaths of many prisoners due to exhaustion, starvation, or being shot by guards.

Death marches were carried out by the Nazis to prevent the liberation of prisoners by the advancing Allied forces and to eliminate evidence of their crimes. They were a horrific part of the Holocaust and its aftermath.

Among the prisoners were a significant number of political prisoners, resistance fighters, opponents, Jews, homosexuals, other individuals deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime and prisoners of war who had been captured by the Germans during the war.

During the march, the prisoners were forced to walk for many days, often without sufficient food, water, or shelter. They were frequently beaten or shot by the SS guards if they could not keep up with the pace or showed signs of weakness. The prisoners faced extreme hardships, including exhaustion, starvation, exposure to the elements, and the constant threat of violence.

In April 1945, as Soviet forces approached Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the Nazis initiated the evacuation of prisoners. As part of this evacuation, a group of approximately 7,000-8,000 prisoners, including both Jews and non-Jewish inmates, were forced to march towards the city of Lübeck.

The purpose of this march was to transport the prisoners to Lübeck and subsequently board them onto ships in the Baltic Sea, with the intention of destroying them at sea. The Nazis aimed to eliminate evidence of their crimes and prevent the liberation of prisoners by the advancing Allied forces.

However, due to the rapid progress of the Allied forces, the plan to transport the prisoners by boats could not be carried out fully. As a result, the march was redirected to the Neuengamme concentration camp, which was closer to Lübeck.

Many prisoners died during the arduous march due to exhaustion, starvation, and mistreatment by the SS guards. Upon reaching Neuengamme, the surviving prisoners were either liberated by British forces or subjected to further hardships until the liberation of the camp in early May 1945.

It is important to remember and honor the victims of such atrocities, as the death marches during the final stages of World War II were horrific events resulting in the loss of...

This was the first concentration camp built by the Third Reich. It was originally built outside of the city, but with Berlin expanding, they now merged so you can get there with Berlin public transportation.

The camp is amazing. You can easily feel the disturbing atmosphere without by any way being shocked or horrified. The museums there are well organized and rich in information. There are many interactive screens and gadgets, the graphics are good and everything is well explained. You can easily spend several hours there. I didn't post the best photos here to let you discover it by yourself.

I give it only four stars because there is really a huge amount of information there. Most of them are unfiltered, so you will either spend a lot of time reading something that doesn't interest you, or miss some interesting stories. Most importantly, do not take the audioguide, there is already a lot to hear and see in there.

Transportation: The camp is located in zone C. Some applications (Google maps included) will suggest you to get down at "Sachsenhausen (Nordb)". But I don't recommend it since you will be at the back of the museum and will have about 30 min to walk. The best is to get down at "Oranienburg" station. From there, you can either take a bus to the museum (with the same ticket of the train) or take a scooter (they are available everywhere and a bit more fun than the bus)....

Of extraordinary historic importance, the preservation of the concentration camp is the result of the memorial historians and staff's hard work. Their commitment is dedicated to ensure that mankind, throughout the generations, does not forget the horror that ensues when we lead our lives disconnected from our hearts and souls and overlook that diversity is the greatest of our blessings. And choose and follow leaders that do the same. The space, the images, the original documents, the original voices provided by the audioguides and the buildings themselves - destroyed, rebuilt, preserved - tell unequivocally one and only one story. Take your time and visit it at your own pace, following your own personal journey through this excruciatingly painful collective memory that we share. Only when we all have learned this lesson and own the message, we will be finally free from the intergenerational trauma and live in a democratic, peaceful and just world where we all rejoice of each others diversity and at eachother's prosperity and free expression of our unique selves as individuals and groups. Admission is free. The audio guides cost EUR 3.5. You can visit it in guided groups or individually. The 804 and 821 bus stop is few metres from the entrance and reaching the camp through public transport takes about one hour from the...