SACHSENHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP

Sachsenhausen concentration camp, located near Berlin in Oranienburg, was established by the SS in 1936. Initially intended to house political prisoners, it soon expanded to incarcerate Jews, Romani people, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other groups deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime. Designed as a model camp, it featured an administrative center and training grounds for SS personnel, who would go on to command other camps.

The camp was notorious for its brutal conditions, forced labor, and medical experiments. Prisoners were subjected to grueling work, inadequate food, and constant abuse, leading to high mortality rates. Sachsenhausen also contained a small gas chamber and crematorium, used primarily from 1943 onwards. Significant numbers of Soviet POWs were executed here, and in 1945, death marches further decimated the camp's population.

Liberated by Soviet and Polish forces in April 1945, Sachsenhausen's horrors were unveiled to the world. Post-war, it served as a Soviet special camp until 1950, housing Nazi functionaries and perceived opponents of the Communist regime. Today, Sachsenhausen is a memorial and museum, preserving the memory of its victims and educating visitors about the atrocities committed there. Its preservation stands as a poignant reminder of the consequences of hatred and totalitarianism.