What Concentration Camps in Berlin Can I Visit?
For tourism purposes, there are numerous places of historical and cultural significance that you can go see when in Berlin Germany. Another important idea that can be connected with this country is World War II and the Holocaust. Being the capital city it also feature a lot of historical value especially the bad part of history if you are interested in the concentration and being able to learn more about them, then you are able to learn from the camps in and around Berlin. This article will highlight some of the concentration camps that are available for tourists and why such tours are important.
What are Concentration Camps?
Concentration camps were created by the Nazis during World War II to contain and kill millions of people who were seen as ‘unnecessary’ including Jews who were the main target, political prisoners, Gypsies, homosexuals, and others that Hitler administration deemed to be inferior. These were the camps that were characterized by high levels of suffering in that prisoners were forced to work hard, tortured and killed in large numbers. Through visiting concentration camps, it is also possible to own up for what happened and put an end to it as a society.
1. Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
Sachsenhausen was among the first and the largest concentration camp that was located near Berlin, Germany. It was established in 1936 and it also worked as replicating camp and more than 200000 prisoners were incarcerated here. Now it is possible to walk through the prisoner’s cabins, cells and watch the execution trench. It also has a museum to enhance the history of prisoners’ lifestyle and their experience in the premises.
2. Ravensbrück Concentration Camp
Ravensbrück camp which is located 90 kilometers north of Berlin was one of the biggest concentration camp that was exculsively for women. It was primarily a confinement and killing Centre for women, although it also housed men and young ones. While at the site, one is allowed to take a round of the site, view the memorial and be informed about the lifestyle of the women held captives. It is a symbol of survival and tenacity of the camp’s survivors.
3. Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum
Sachsenhausen concentration camp is a municipal museum of death and suffering, and the memorial which is situated in the same place is called the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum. It contains displayed that may allow tourists to learn about the past of the camp. Furthermore, this tomb conducts guided tours and educational activities where members of the public are enlightened about the holocaust so that tolerance can be enhanced.
Tips for Your Visit
- Prior planning: You should ensure that the park is open when you intend to visit since it has a certain operational timetable for the guided tours. Some of them may be booked in advance or are only open during certain periods of time of the year.
- OS: It can be very touching Process–You will need to be mentally prepared when visiting concentration camp areas, as touching experiences often occur there. It is very important to be silent and polite while visiting as these places are sacred.
- Be smart in your dressing; to show some respect for the culture, wear moderate dressing and for the exercises in the outside terrains, wear comfortable shoes.
- Have patience: Ensure enough time is spent in order to fully go round the venues and in the process gather enough information. This is in order that you do not get to grasp the sentiment of the experience due to this rush.
- However, nobody was with the audio tour guide that I heard countless valuable information and history about the site. Multimedia is well aware that the locals can expound more on historical and perhaps daily experiences that surrounded the identification, setting up and running of these camps.
Conclusion
Actually, it is quite useful to visit concentration camps in Berlin that acquaints with one of the most terrible pages of the history. These places are informative in estends to the gruesome acts of the Nazi regime thus, when we visit such places, honor the victims and at the same time acknowledging the fact that such acts cannot be forgotten. If you plan, you visit effectively you are going to be moved by what you experience and it will not be a wasted trip.
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