Sachsenhausen - the first purpose built Nazi concentration camp. These were the words that came to be so closely associated with the industrialised extermination of whole groups of people under the Nazis. Heinrich Himmler was very proud of this new approach to terror. The camp was built to detailed designs to ensure maximum control and efficiency of execution of their warped ideas about who was on the right side of the Nazi project and who was on the wrong side.
If you were unfortunate enough to walk through those gates this is the panorama that greeted you. In front is the roll call area - scene of daily counts of the inmates, appalling abuse of power and cruel and summary punishments.
There is a 'boot testing' walkway around it. Some inmates were forced to march over 30km a day loaded down with weights to test new boot designs. You were deliberately given boots that did not fit. Many died doing this.
One example of the partnership that emerged between German industry and the Nazi's to use forced labour to pursue their individual aims. Many of these companies are still around - VW, BASF, Siemens, Krupp to name just four.
If you were lucky you got to share a bunk with one or two others. Room was regularly created by death.
The prison within the prison - to quote one inmate "if you ask me was it really that bad I will tell you it was a 1000 times worse".
The punishment posts in the prison - you would be hung up from these by your arms tied behind you. Dislocates the shoulder in most cases.
No way out - the electrified fence. In front of this would be a killing zone - cross it and get shot. Many just walked into it to end the suffering.
The Execution trench - mostly for shootings. You would be marched out around a circuitous route. Loud music may be playing to drown out the shots to prevent you realising you are marching to death.
The mortuary - this is only one small part of it. The bodies would be piled up in here early on in Sachsenhausen's history - later they went straight to the crematorium.
The Crematorium at Sachsenhausen. Built once the 'Final solution' was agreed in 1942 at the Wannsee conference.
Contemporary photograph of the entrance to Sachsenhausen - the 'Arbeit Macht Frei' gate is under the watch tower in the centre.
Sachsenhausen was liberated in April 1945. They were still executing prisoners right up to the day if was freed. 300 died of illness after it was liberated.
The Soviets cynically took it over and reused it - this accounts for most of its survival as a site to visit and reflect on.
It is a chilling experience. It is the methodical, organised approach that disturbs me the most. This was the first of a huge and well organised killing machine. I don't know who said this but I think it was one of the leading Nazi's
'If you kill 6 children everyone is appalled. If you kill 60,000 they cannot comprehend it'
So if there are any things that are worth fighting for I would have to say preventing people who are capable of that sort of thinking getting into power and staying there is one of them.
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