Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen (Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum)

Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen (Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum) Review

This concentration camp near the Third Reich capital was established in 1936, where 200,000 prisoners from every nation in Europe, including British officers, Joseph Stalin's son, and 12,000 Soviet prisoners of war were held, and it's estimated that 50,000 died here.

Between 1945 and 1950 the Soviets used the site as a prison, and malnutrition and disease claimed the lives of 20% of the inmates. The East German government made the site a concentration camp memorial in April 1961. A few original facilities remain; the barracks, which has exhibits, are reconstructions.

To reach Sachsenhausen, take the S-bahn 1 to Oranienburg, the last stop. The ride from the Friedrichstrasse Station will take 50 minutes. Alternatively, take the Regional 5 train, direction north, from one of Berlin's main stations. From the Oranienburg Station it's a 25-minute walk (follow signs), or you can take a taxi or Bus 804 (a 7-minute ride, but with infrequent service) in the direction of Malz. An ABC zone ticket will suffice for any type of train travel and bus transfer. Allow three hours at the memorial, whose exhibits and sites are spread apart. Oranienburg is 35 km (22 mi) north of Berlin.