Sachsenhausen Memorial

Probably what I most remember from the trip to the memorial was standing over the trench just staring at the roughly cobbled ground. The sun’s rays were frying my back, but I honestly didn’t notice as I listened to the audio guide’s description of the area. There was an incline to my right into the wood log-lined pit. “They used to unload trucks of people into the ramp, forcing them to run down into the trench where soldiers would shoot them from above,” the audio explained.

I followed one of my friends down the incline. My mouth sort of felt a little dry, I don’t think it was from dehydration. Not many people were going down into the trench. Most of them just stood to the side and stared. The area was a misshapen rectangle with no shade. I felt kind of vulnerable while standing inside it and looking up.

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp wasn’t as I expected. A large grass field replaced what used to be rows and rows of barracks. Only a few were left for tourists to look at. It was almost surreal that I was standing on the same grounds where so many were unjustly tortured and killed. The museum had so many stories to tell, even a whole day wouldn’t be enough to learn them all. I really enjoyed hearing the different accounts, even though it made me think a lot. There were some charcoal drawings in what used to be the hospital section of the camp that were especially memorable. They were drawings of skeleton-looking figures in striped outfits, the standard camp uniform. I can’t imagine how broken their spirits were after being tortured, starved, and treated like scum everyday. 

Visiting the camp helped me learn how much enmity could cause large-scale destruction. It was eye-opening to see how much effort Germany put into reminding people of the distress caused by WWII, especially the Nazi Party. It gave me a sense of respect towards the Germans and also reminded me at how important it is to be aware of one’s own country’s political scene.