We took a tour bus to the state of Brandenburg for this trip. It was about an hour's ride from the Relexa Hotel.
We visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp on a dank, dark, dreary day and it seemed appropriate given what happened here. Sachsenhausen was built in 1936 by prisoners from other camps. It was the first camp after the installment of the new head of the German Police in July of 36'. The complex was designed by an SS architect as a model for other concentration camps. It's basically in the shape of a triangle. It was designed to enhance Nazi Germany's world view and symbolize the submission of the prisoners to the SS.
I also learned that Sachsenhausen had special status in the National Socialist Concentration camp system.
In its entirety, Sachsenhausen imprisoned more than 200,000 people between 1936 and 1945.
At first, the Nazi regime mostly arrested political prisoners but they were later joined by others considered racially or biologically inferior. The aryan race was blonde haired and blue eyed. Many here were the exact opposite.
Tens of thousands of prisoners died from disease, strict and inhumane working conditions, maltreatment and starvation. They were also murdered (killed by gunfire and the gas chamber thanks to members of the SS).
Thousands of others were killed in death marches too after the camp was cleared out by the SS in 1945.
The Soviets and Pols came and liberated about 3,000 prisoners in April of 1945.
The small rooms in which prisoners were tortured, shot and killed or gassed in, caused a great sense of sadness. People had essentially no way out. The barracks where they slept were cramped, dark and dirty. I can't imagine being brought here to live out my life (knowing like so many of these people did there was no hope for them). And the fact they were ripped away from their friends and families, what an awful feeling.
After the war ended, and Europe was liberated from the National Socialist Rule, the Soviet Secret Service moved one of their camps into the area that was Sachsenhausen. Most everything - was used for the same "services" as before. The camp then housed Nazi functionaries, but political prisoners as well. Men and women were sent here; with and without a Nazi past.
After 1948-Sachsenhausen was the largest of three special Soviet camps. The camp was finally closed in 1950 and at that time 60,000 people were prisoned here. 12,000 of them died from disease and not enough proper nutrition.
Sachsenhausen is a national memorial. The land here was converted into a memorial site symbolizing the victory of anti-fascism over fascism.
I am so glad, I got to see a concentration camp. We went into the top floor of a lookout building and it was cold and scary. The sign at the entrance to the camp said "work will set you free" in German. That phrase sent chills down my spine.
I also forgot to mention on our tour of Berlin the first day, we got to see different sites throughout the city where the Berlin Mauer is still standing. That's the Berlin Wall for those of you who don't speak much German (like me!)
What amazed me the most about the Berlin Wall is that there were actually two parts of the wall. Both portions of the wall were in East Germany, because that's where the wall was built (by the East Germans). There was a security area in between both walls, manned by guards who would shoot you if you attempted to scale the wall and get to West Berlin.
That area was also considered "no man's land." The size of the wall fascinated me as well, being that it didn't seem that tall or difficult to climb over.
The East-West Tensions were strong in Germany. The West wanted to spread Democracy, the East wanted a more communist regime. It divided the city and the country. I can't believe the Wall only came down in November of 1989, tensions here in modern day Germany are still present today.
It amazes me how much Germany's past is present in today's society. There are so many reminders all over the city of Germany's terrible history, but I like the fact they don't try and hide their horrible past. The people understand what happened here and they know a lot of it wasn't right.
I respect that so much and I also wish I could re-take my history, government and political classes in high school and college. I think they would have so much more meaning to me now!
Delicious - a group of us went "out on the town" and chowed down on some yummy Vietnamese food. I had tofu and veggies in a tasty peanut curry sauce. It was marvelous.
We walked around Berlin for quite awhile before retiring for the night. I love it here!
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