During our our trip to Germany in 2013 we visited the remains (memorial) of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp (one of 300 such camps). It was truly a visceral experience for us both.
On this page we will walk you through our tour. Many parts of this experience were eerie and even scary - to think that human beings could actually do these things to others.
As our guide pointed out, that mindset was a result of effective propaganda that was imposed on a population. The typical German person with Aryan characteristics were told they were superior (the master race), and that the typical non Aryan person was a threat to what was rightfully theirs. The logical extension to that argument is that the threat should be removed (eliminated).
Now, if you are ready, we will unveil some of these vile realities:
This bronze relief model was located at the visitors centre. This is what the camp looked like in 1944/45:
Area '1' above is the location of the reception/welcoming area for this memorial site. Our tour starting point is marked by the red dot.
- Area 2 and 3
- Area 4
- Area 6
- Epilogue
Area 2 |
|
![]() |
Area '2', on the the above diagram, is where the staff and their families lived. That compound included schools, gaming fields, theatre, auditorium and other amenities of the typical small community. |
Area 3 |
|
![]() |
![]() |
This is the first gate a prisoner would see as they enter the camp. |
Work Makes (you) Free |
This is the second gate where they would enter the camp area where the barracks are located. For most, their last stop!hr> |
|
Just inside the gates to the right (as you enter) is the guard post; next to that is the morning gathering place where the prisoners were counted, and in some cases executed to set an example for other prisoners. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
This is just in front of where the prisoners lined up for morning inspection and this is where the executions took place. Way in the background is Area 4. |
Guard Tower "A"From the the bay window, above, the Commandant would view the morning activities. From there he would decide if an accused should die. |
The area in the triangle (based by Areas 3 & 4) includes all of the barracks that prisoners lived in. The camp was designed by engineers who arranged the buildings in a semi-circle so that they are offset from one another and all can be viewed easily from the ground or from the guard station. |
|
Boot-Testing Track |
|
![]() |
This was a real work camp. Here they manufactured foot wear (one of many items, including forged British and American currency) for military and domestic use. This is a picture of the boot-testing track around the perimeter of the roll call area - used especially by pink triangle (homosexual) prisoners. The track had a variety of surfaces. Prisoners walked endlessly around the track, covering up to 40 km per day, sometimes dying from exhaustion.
|
The guard posts and fence in the background above marked the boundary for the area that enclosed most of the prisoner's barracks. On the other side of that wall is where the actual work part of the camp was located. As you see in the diagram above (Area 5) all of these buildings were manufacturing plants. |
|