Description

Insider Tours has produced an extraordinary history necessary for a place that played such an integral role in the execution of the Holocaust. Researched and guided mainly by Nigel Dunkley former British Military attaché in Berlin and one of the leading military historians world wide.­

Built in the Summer of 1936 some 70 years ago Sachsenhausen initially facilitated the removal of "antisocial" elements as Berlin hosted the spectacular Olympics held that year.

More than 200 000 were imprisoned here by the Nazis of which some 50 000 were brutally murdered - as opposed to Auschwitz which served the policy of racial genocide, Sachsenhausen victims were a mix of political opponents and then only later groups defined as racially or biologically ­inferior - increasingly from the newly occupied territories of Nazi dominated Europe.

"cutting edge" , Sunday Times

We explain why Nazi architects conceived the grounds as the ideal structure for a concentration camp, giving expression to the SS world view of complete subjugation of prisoners to the absolute power of the SS. As the first camp established under Heinrich Himmler find out how Sachsenhausen was used as a training ground of the Holocaust and the realities of life and death there: from starvation, disease, forced labour, or as victims of systematic extermination of the SS and visit the punishment cells, execution grounds and crematorium, Pathology Laboratory and hospital, and the "pit" where victims were thrown into to simply rot.

Learn of the stories of valour such as the British Royal Marine Commandos used to test German army equipment to breaking point who refused to have their will broken, the fate of Stalin's son here, where Hitler's personal prisoner was detained in isolation for 5 years before his execution, and the attempted use of "death marches" to murder remaining survivors before Soviet liberation.

We also detail life and death in Special Camp No. 1/7 as Sachsenhausen was to become under the Soviets. Until its closure in March 1950 another 60 000 were captive here of which 12 000 died of similarly catastrophic conditions of hunger, psychological and physical exhaustion, many were former Nazi functionaries, German POWs and Soviet deserters.

Beyond the norm and rarely noted we find it essential for a responsible and complete tour to what is essentially a place of death to elaborate on the delicate yet fascinating issue of memorialisation in relation to Saschsenhausen and with some comparison to the Jewish Holocaust Memorial.

Meeting Points / Prices / Times

Year Round:

• 10:00 am EVERY DAY except Monday - from McDonald's opposite the main entrance to Zoo Station
  
  
  

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and also at

• 10:00 am EVERY DAY except Monday  - from A.M.T COFFEE at Hackescher Markt S-Bahn Station
  
  
  

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• € 15 

• € 12 (under 26 yr. olds or Pensioners)

  € 12 (ISIC, Welcome Card or City Tour Cards)
  

• Note: advanced booking is not required however you can buy your ticket online now, or alternatively from your guide directly at the meeting point and time.

• 6 hours inc. travel time

• Note if you join us at either the Zoo Station or from Hackescher Markt please bring along a train ticket, you'll require an ABC zone ticket (one way is €3,00 or a day pass is €6,80 and a small group ticket for up to 5 people for the day €15,50).
  
  

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