Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp - Berlin - Things To Do Reviews

The construction of Sachsenhausen began in 1936, actually while the the same year that the Olympic Summer games where held 30km further South in Berlin. Prisoners from the Esterwegen Concentration camp where transferred to Oranienburg to build the new Model Camp in the Third Reich. During its 9year of operation as a concentration camp for male visitors conservative estimates say 100.000 people perished here, while other estimates say that the number is closer to 200.000 people.

Among those 100-200.000 people the most prominent prisoner was "Yakov Dzhugashvili" , the son of Joseph Stalin. He served in the Red Army during the WW2 and was captured by the Wehrmacht in 1942 and was sent to the Sachsenhausen Concentration camp for forced labour. He lost his life in 1943. There are several rumors about the cause of death , ranging from being assassinated , running into an electrical fence, suicide and starvation. The Wehrmacht tried to exchange Yakov for Friedrich Paulus , a German war Marshall captured during the battle of Stalingrad, but Stalin should have said allegedly have said: "I do not change the soldier for the marshal" or "I have no son," (As him and Yakov didnt get along)

Sachsenhausen was the pride of the German Concentration camps, and all the SS troops being trained for other Concentration / Extermination camps where trained in Sachsenhausen.

UN actually was on visit in Sachsenhausen in before the war and they categorized the conditions as tough, but fair. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that Hitler was Elected Man of the Year by Time Magazine in 1936

Well, My personal Verdict is that the camp is absolutely recommended to go to. In my opinion its not as touching as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp. You really should Visit the Sachsenhausen Memorial when you are in Berlin

Directions: You can either take an New Berlin Tour at 11:00 in front on Starbucks next to Brandenburger Tor (12euro) or do the excursion yourself. The tour is really entertaining, but as with all tours, you're only rushing through the entire camp.
Or you can do it yourself for free. Take the S-Bahn to Oranienburg (45min) and walk for 20mins to the Camp.


Puh.. Quite a lot of research for this review.