sachsenhausen camp tour

Tour Details

The original berlin sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial tour.

Take a tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

This tour is also available in Spanish, you can book the Spanish tour here .

Discover the brutal history of the facility that was primarily used for political prisoners. The camp was also used as an administrative center of the Nazi concentration camp system.

Our informative guides expose the grim realities of life and death at Sachsenhausen. Join us for a short train ride just outside of Berlin to this desolate reminder of the worst part of Human History. We will explain stories of tragedy and triumph . Explain how everyday life was in the camp, and some of the tactics used here. Although this is a very sobering and somber tour we also like to celebrate some of the strong personalities survivors and victims that suffered here but whose actions bring inspiration to this day! Join us for the  Original Berlin Sachsenhausen  Tour.

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour takes around 6 hrs & features:

The punishment cells gas chambers guard tower a exception grounds the ‘pit’ detailed tour of camp with a licensed guide stories of triumph and tragedy everyday life in the camp much much more, sachsenhausen camp memorial tour.

Lying just outside Berlin, Sachsenhausen was the first purpose-built camp established under Heinrich Himmler . Originally conceived as a place to subjugate enemies of the Nazis, some 200,000 people were imprisoned here and subjected to systematic torture, starvation, forced labor and some of the worst living conditions. As you tour the memorial you will uncover the truths about the camp where 50,000 people were brutally murdered by the Nazi’s and 60,000 held captive until 1950 during the Soviet era. Today the Sachsenhausen Memorial stands as a reminder of the horrors of the 20th century.

 We think that we are the best in the business and would love to handle any group or private bookings you may have!

Mail [email protected] with any questions!

Sachsenhausen Camp Tour Booking & Meeting Point

PRICE: €29,00 Per Person

The meeting point is in front of Generator Berlin Alexanderplatz, Otto-Braun-Straße 65, 10178 Berlin, Germany

We suggest bringing a bit of food or something to snack on, as there is little available once at the camp.

When visiting the Memorial, keep in mind that a €3 per person donation will be required. This donation is for the Memorial and its maintenance and will be collected by the guide before entering the camp. (Please have exact change ready.) .

Guests will need a valid “ABC transit” ticket.

Table of Contents

What to expect

• Bravery amidst horror
• Details of camp condition
• 6 hour tour
• Informative guides
• Uncover the truths

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Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial

Meeting point.

Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin

aged 18 to 64

Senior/Student/Youth

aged 65 and over/13 to 17

WelcomeCard

aged 12 and under

Required Transport Ticket

ABC 24-hour public transport ticket required

• Our licensed guides uncover the realities of life and death in the camp, where inmates fell victim to starvation, disease, forced labour and systematic extermination.
• Take in the punishment cell block, the execution grounds, the crematoria and the roll call square (site of the camp’s gallows).
• Look around the Jewish barracks and learn about everyday life and survival under the brutal conditions imposed by the SS.
• See the infirmary, where prisoners were subjected to horrific medical experimentation.
• Learn of the fate of various notable prisoners and hear stories of humanity amid the horror.
• Understand what became of the camp and its inmates as the Red Army advanced and how it came to be Special Camp No. 7/No. 1 after Soviet liberation.

Starting Point

Meet your guide on the square next to the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin. Please make sure you have your ABC 24-hour transport ticket, as well as some food and drink for the day – there is no opportunity to buy these once we arrive at the memorial.

Description

Over the nine years that the Nazis operated Sachsenhausen concentration camp, they incarcerated over 200,000 people. Some 45,000 of those interned here succumbed to exhaustion, undernourishment, disease, medical experimentation, and systematic extermination.

Established in 1936, Sachsenhausen was the first purpose-built camp to be set up under Heinrich Himmler, the new chief of the German Police. As such, it was conceived as a “model” structure, its grounds and buildings designed by Nazi architects with a view to subjugating prisoners to the absolute power of the SS. Initially intended to hold political prisoners, it later expanded to include individuals targeted due to their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, effectively becoming a training ground for the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

Our expert guides will help you navigate this sombre and moving site, leading you on a tour of the memorial that takes in the barracks, the infirmary, the punishment cells, the execution grounds, the crematoria, the pathology laboratory, and the gas chamber.

You will be able to hear stories of individual prisoners, such as that of Yakov Dzhugashvili, son of Joseph Stalin, and of Georg Elser, who attempted to assassinate Hitler in 1939. High-profile prisoners at the camp also included a group of British Royal Marines commandos, who were forced to test German army equipment.

Your guide will explain how, as the war moved into its final phase, an unprecedented campaign of mass killings began, culminating in weakened survivors being forced into “death marches” away from the camp. The Soviet liberators then transformed Sachsenhausen into an internment camp for German prisoners of war and suspected war criminals, with some 60,000 inmates passing through the camp between 1945 and 1950.

It was not until 1961 that the East German authorities established a memorial here, and the tour concludes with a discussion of the way in which this dark past is commemorated by Germany today.

Finishing Point

The tour guide will accompany you back to central Berlin – either to Friedrichstraße train station or the Hauptbahnhof (central train station), depending on which route is most convenient on the day.

Insider Tour Berlin donates €3 per visitor to the Sachsenhausen Memorial authority for the upkeep and promotion of the site.

Insider Route

This itinerary is intended to give you a general idea of our route on this tour. You can expect to see and hear stories about all of these sites, as well as many more! Please be aware that the route is subject to change on any given day, should unforeseen circumstances arise.

• Meeting point – on the square next to the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17
• S-Bahn Oranienburg – walk through the town and learn more about how it collaborated with the Nazi regime.
• Former SS villas – built by concentration camp inmates and inhabited by high-ranking Nazi officials
• The Concentration Camp Inspectorate – the central administrative authority for the entire concentration camp system of the Third Reich
• The former SS training grounds – today repurposed as a police training facility
• Appellplatz (roll call area) – where prisoners were forced to assemble for hours, in all weather conditions
• The old Jewish barracks
• The prison cells – where camp inmates faced punishment and special prisoners of the Gestapo were incarcerated
• Boot testing track – slave labour in the form of testing army boots
• Gas chamber – a terrible testament to the many lives lost
• Infirmary – where brutal medical experiments were carried out on prisoners
• Station Z – mass murder, execution trench, “neck shot facility”
• Camp kitchen
• Pathology centre – where SS doctors performed so-called autopsies
• Camp brothel

Insider Reviews

Great experience.

Great experience!!!! Great guide Xaivier!!! Deffenitly recommended!!! Ivana M. June '24

Ex cellent value and Content.

Martin keeps a fast pace, so be prepared to walk. He covers a lot of information that is often unsettling to hear. He speaks with experience as a young boy growing up in the town in which the camp was placed. Booking was easy, meeting place was central and I definitely would recommend this company. Karen B. June '24

I highly recommend this tour.

Will was a fantastic tour guide. He was knowledgeable and friendly and answered many questions. I highly recommend this tour as it takes the guess work out of the travel to and from of Berlin. Kendra M. May '24

Good experience.

Good way to explore the concentration camp with guide! Paul explained all details, he is so good and patient. Really a good tour. Inico C. Apr. '24

This was the highlight of our visit in Berlin.

Our tour with Paul was outstanding. He had a wealth of information and my daughter and I really appreciated both the content and the way it was delivered. He shared information but also gave us space to ponder our own ideas and opinions. The pace of the tour was appropriate and while the subject matter of this tour brought with it sadness and dark ideas, this was the highlight of our visit in Berlin. C. Baummer Mar. '24

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.

Tina our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, in addition to giving us the history, she also answered all our questions with perfection. It was an extremely difficult day (as can be expected) but also very important to hear the atrocious things that happened to those people. Carolina M. Feb. '24

Had a very short time in Berlin...

Had a very short time in Berlin and this was a great use of half a day. The tour guide Chris could not have been better. Very personable and knowledgeable and shared stories and insight that made me so glad I did not just do the audio tour. Really a powerful experience that still sticks with me weeks later. Amy H. Feb. '23

I recommend this experience for everyone!

I recommend this experience for everyone! We all need to learn about the nazi’s cruelty, to stay vigilant against new crimes. Our guide Xavier did an amazing job during the tour. Maicon R. Dec. '23

I highly recommend Insider Tours.

I highly recommend Insider Tours and am grateful for our superb guide, Hannah. Her deep historical knowledge, personal dedication, and passion for storytelling informed and engaged everyone in our group. Walking from the train station to Sachsenhausen and seeing first-hand how prisoners (including my uncle) lived, and died, was a profoundly meaningful and poignant experience. These stories must not be forgotten - - or repeated. L. J. Pontec. Dec. '23

This tour was excellent.

This tour was excellent. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining at appropriate times. It's a heavy-hitting context, and it was a snowy day, which added to the sombre mood. But so important to understand better the things that happened, lest we forget. I'd highly recommend the tour. Emma S. Dec. '23

Our guide was knowledgeable, respectful and passionate.

Our guide was knowledgeable, respectful and passionate. It was a very moving and informative tour, made even more poignant by the guide’s own story. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to learn more about the Nazi camps. K. McC. Oct. '23

Best way to fully understand the site....

Best way to fully understand the site and the history. Thanks Tina,the guide,who took care of the group by her practical informations and history knowledge. Damien B. Sept. '23

This was one of many Tours and experiences ...

This was one of many Tours and experiences my family and me had when visiting Berlin from Puerto Rico . But by far the best. Our tour guide was Daniel W. and he was amazing. He had full knowledge of everything related to the tour and could answer anything (we thought he was a history professor) and aside from that he was nice, funny, very respectful, and open to creating conversations with the group. Miguel B. Aug. '23

I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Berlin and wanting to know more of the history of WWII. Since this is a tour that can’t be rushed, I’m glad I booked it with Insider Tour. T. Hughes July '23

Highly recommend this tour.

Highly recommend this tour. Our guide Jamie was second to none - knowledgeable, engaging and easy to understand. He struck just the right tone given the subject matter. Karen G. July '23

Guide was marvellous....

Guide was marvellous..... He's very knowledgable and happy to take questions! Will book insider tour again! S.W.L. June '23

Our guide was absolutely wonderful.

Our guide Cian was absolutely wonderful. His knowledge and the wealth of information he was able to tell us really made this trip. It was a sombre day with some hard hitting sights and information to take in but my son and I are so pleased we did the trip. Jane B. May '23

Moving experience.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and really brought this experience to life. I think that going without a guide would be a mistake. As you would miss so much of the history of this place. The day with her historical knowledge and relevant and interesting anecdotes. The logistics of the day were flawless. Thanks Insider Brenda B. May '23

I learnt a lot about German history.

Our guide was very knowledgeable about Sachsenhausen and thus the trip was very informative. She took the time to answer all of our questions. I would highly recommend this trip to learn more about Germany history. Tommy PK May '23

Our tour guide answered every question we had, and was very knowledgeable, respectful & passionate about the subject. He used visuals, personal stories, & historical events to give us a clear picture of the camp’s history. Mary M. April '23

A must-see in Berlin!

Jamie was an incredible guide and gave us a very educated and powerful overview of German history, particularly within the WW2 era. He worded things perfectly, was professional and very friendly. I can’t think of a better person to have given us the overview of the camp and the history that led to its construction, as well as how Germany continues to combat anti-semitism today. We learned a ton. Sophia S. April '23

BOOK ONLINE

The theory & practice of hell.

The SACHSENHAUSEN CAMP Tour

hour private van tour – max 6 person group

includes 19% VAT, guide fee, booking fee, admin fee, transportation and driver costs, and tourism insurances

Our Sachsenhausen Camp Tour can start wherever is best for you – at your accommodation or elsewhere

Visit the  Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial & Museum  and learn about life and death in a  Nazi ‘Protective Custody Camp’ ; the  architecture of total control,  and what  inhumanity,   humanity is capable of  in its darkest moments.

An opportunity to assess Sachsenhausen’s role as the  nucleus of the entire Nazi concentration camp industry;  a  prison to many notable figures ; but also a  proving ground  for the  methods and practices that would lead to the horror of industrial mass murder across Europe.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

…the  Tower A  entrance &  ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’  lettering, the  Appelplatz  roll call area, the  Jewish barracks , the  special SS/Gestapo prison , the post-war  KGB/NKVD camp , the ruins of  Station Z  and much more…

TOUR GUIDES

We also offer private walking tour variations of all our famous private transportation tours

Get in touch for bigger groups tours – we also offer bus tours for companies and schools

English language tours with native English speakers – in other languages on request

Book directly with a local company – 18 years experience offering guided tours of Berlin

Pay online with any major credit card – VISA/Mastercard/Amex or direct bank transfer

Despite the passage of time, the Tower A entrance to the  Sachsenhausen Camp Memorial  – emblazoned with its infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” lettering – still stands as a threshold to another domain.

Missing are the sights, sounds, and smells of casual brutality. Instead of the cramped suffocating  architecture of totalitarianism , a vast open field graced with rows of stone markers – where barracks houses once stood – exists in its place.

Constructed by the Nazis , inherited by the Soviet authorities , and transformed into a memorial by the East German government –Sachsenhausen is a startling example of how different regimes chose to use the same land for  purposes of punishment and propaganda .

Most people, when asked about Nazi camps,  would point East  – to the  extermination camps that gained notoriety through the Holocaust : to  Auschwitz ,  Treblinka ,  Majdanek etc.

The truth is, however, that  these camps came relatively late in the history of the Third Reich .  Their predecessors – the concentration camps – such as Sachsenhausen , were constructed  within Nazi Germany in the 1930s .

Devised as a  so-called ‘protective custody camp’ to house political prisoners, Sachsenhausen grew to become not only the nucleus of the entire Nazi concentration camp industry ;  but also a proving ground for the methods and practices that would lead to the ultimate horror of industrial mass murder and genocide.

Writer Hannah Arendt referred to the concentration camp as the ‘true central institution of totalitarian organisational power’  – designed for the  systematised dehumanisation and destruction of human personality . The ‘theory and practice of hell’ materialised.

A thought-provoking and often uncomfortable journey –the former Nazi concentration camp of Sachsenhausen stands as a warning from the past  and a recommended excursion from Berlin to all interested in learning more about the conditions where  gratuitous cruelty flourished and experiments to cultivate inhumanity succeeded.

Sachsenhausen now is a place to pay respects , to reflect, and to bear witness . To observe the preservation of memory as a vital tool against the tyranny of forgetting what humanity is capable of in its darkest moments .

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

The Tower A Entrance

The New Museum (constructed by the East German government)

The ‘Green Monster’ canteen building used by the SS

The infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate

The Appelplatz roll call area

The Jewish barracks

The site of Operation Bernhard

The special SS/Gestapo prison

The isolation barracks

The former kitchen barrack

The execution yard

The industrial yard/foundations of Station Z execution facility

The site of the Sachsenhausen gas chamber

The crematorium site

The remains of the Soviet-era NKVD/KGB camp

The pathology building

The hospital building

The site of the camp brothel

The international memorials & graves

The T Building – The Concentration Camps Inspectorate

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

We will not only examine what remains of the Sachsenhausen camp in its current form as a memorial and museum site but also deal with the important issues associated with this hugely significant location and its tragic history.

What was special about the design of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp?

Were the Nazi concentration camps inspired by the British?

Was Sachsenhausen a ‘Holocaust camp’?

Was it possible to be released from a Nazi concentration camp?

How did the Nazi methodology of industrial killing develop?

Was the Nazi party democractically elected?

How close did the Nazis come to developing an atomic bomb?

Were the Nazi medical experiments useful?

What inspired the racial theories of Nazi Germany?

Did Hugo Boss design the Nazi uniforms?

Was Joseph Stalin’s son killed by the Nazis?

Did the Nazis manage to counterfeit the US dollar during WWII?

How many times did Hitler survive assassination?

How was the history of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp presented in East Germany?

What were the difference between the Nazi protective custody camps and the camps of the Soviet GULAG?

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Visit The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial

Tour testimonials, photo credits.

• Sachsenhausen prisoner at roll call on Appellplatz/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0003 CC-BY-SA 3.0
• Sachsenhausen prisoners at the Tower A entrance/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0002 / Unknown author / CC-BY-SA 3.0
• Sachsenhausen prisoners at roll call/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0008 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
• SS Unterfuhrer at the Appellplatz/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0010 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
• Sachsenhausen visit by Wilhelm Frick and Heinrich Himmler/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-41630-0001 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
• Sachsenhausen prisoners move a transport wagon/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0011 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen

On 21 March 1933 the local SA regiment set up the first concentration camp in Prussia in a vacant factory building in the centre of Oranienburg. In the months following the assumption of power by the National Socialists, Oranienburg took on a key role in the persecution of the opposition, especially in the “Reich” capital, Berlin. learn more

Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built in the summer of 1936 as a model and training camp. Tens of thousands of the more than 200,000 prisoners interned here died as a result of hunger, disease, forced labour and mistreatment or were victims of systematic extermination operations by the SS. learn more

In August 1945, a good three months after the end of the war and the liberation of Europe from National Socialist domination, the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, moved its Special Camp No. 7 to the centre of the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Of the 60,000 prisoners interned there, 12,000 died of hunger and disease. learn more

After the site had been used for many years by the Soviet army, the Barracked People’s Police (KVP) and the National People’s Army (NVA) of the German Democratic Republic, planning began in 1956 for the Sachsenhausen National Memorial, which was inaugurated on 23 April 1961. learn more

In the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum there are thirteen smaller permanent exhibitions illuminating various aspects of the history of the place. The Memorial is a place of mourning and commemoration while at the same time fulfilling its mission as a modern museum of contemporary history. learn more

• 1933-1934 Oranienburg Concentration Camp
• 1936-1945 Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
• 1945-1950 Soviet Special Camp
• 1961-1990 Sachsenhausen National Memorial
• seit 1993 Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum

"What voice do we have?" - Invitation to an international exchange for descendants of former concentration camp prisoners

15. May 2024

As part of the "What voice do we have?" project, the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum is inviting Sachsenhausen invites descendants of former prisoners of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp to a networking meeting from 13 to 16 September 2024. more

Note: Train cancellations for the anniversary weekend

11. April 2024

Due to an accident and the line closure near Birkenwerder, all trains between Berlin and Oranienburg are temporarily cancelled. The RE5, RB20 and RB32 lines are affected. more

Overview tour "Football in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp"

30. June 2024 – 11:00 Uhr

To mark the European Men's Football Championship, the Sachsenhausen Memorial is offering guided tours on the subject of "Football in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp" more

07. July 2024 – 11:00 Uhr

To mark the European Men's Football Championship, the Sachsenhausen Memorial is offering guided tours on the subject of "Football in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp". more

• Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum

Straße der Nationen 22 D-16515 Oranienburg Tel. +49 - (0) 3301 - 200-200

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Highlighted object, a gift for the anniversary of the liberation.

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• Ravensbrück Memorial Museum
• Death March Memorial in Below Forest
• Leistikowstrasse Potsdam Memorial
• Memorial to the Victims of Euthanasia Murders
• Brandenburg-Görden Prison Memorial
• Memorial and Museum Lieberose in Jamlitz

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Planning a Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour – What You Need to Know

by Original Berlin Tours | Mar 7, 2024 | Concentration Camp

Visiting historical sites such as the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is an important way to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and learn from the past. If you’re planning a tour to Sachsenhausen, one of the most accessible and well-preserved former concentration camps near Berlin, this guide will provide you with all the information you need.

1. Understanding Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was established in 1936 and served as a model for other Nazi camps. Located in Oranienburg, around 35 kilometers north of Berlin, it was primarily a labor camp but also housed political prisoners, Soviet prisoners of war, and other persecuted groups. Over 200,000 people were imprisoned at Sachsenhausen, and tens of thousands lost their lives.

2. Getting There

The easiest way to reach Sachsenhausen from Berlin is by taking a train to Oranienburg, followed by a short bus ride to the camp. Trains run frequently between Berlin and Oranienburg, and the journey takes around 45 minutes. Once you arrive in Oranienburg, catch bus line 804 to reach the camp entrance.

3. Entrance and Guided Tours

Upon arrival at Sachsenhausen, you’ll find a visitor center where you can purchase your entrance ticket. Guided tours are highly recommended as they provide valuable insights and a more comprehensive understanding of the camp’s history. The guides are knowledgeable and passionate, sharing stories and facts that bring the past to life. Audio guides are also available if you prefer to explore at your own pace.

4. Must-See Attractions

While the entire camp is significant, there are a few key attractions you shouldn’t miss:

The Appellplatz

This was the roll call square where prisoners would assemble multiple times a day. It is an essential site for understanding the daily routines and hardships endured by inmates.

The Tower A

Located at the entrance, Tower A was the main gatehouse and controlled access to the camp. The watchtowers, barbed wires, and the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign (meaning “Work Sets You Free”) serve as powerful reminders of the camp’s purpose.

The Barracks

Several barracks have been preserved and now serve as museums, displaying exhibitions on various aspects of camp life, the persecution of different groups, and the horrors of the Holocaust.

The Crematorium

A visit to the crematorium is solemn but necessary to understand the scale of the atrocities committed at the camp. The gas chamber and the ovens are somber reminders of the millions of lives lost during this dark period of history.

5. Etiquette and Respect

While visiting Sachsenhausen, it’s essential to maintain a respectful demeanor. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Dress appropriately, as it is a place of remembrance.
• Avoid making excessive noise or engaging in inappropriate behavior.
• Photography is allowed, but be mindful and avoid taking selfies or smiling pictures in sensitive areas.
• Do not remove any objects or disturb the site in any way.

6. Additional Tips

Here are a few additional tips to help you make the most of your visit:

• Wear comfortable walking shoes as you’ll be covering a lot of ground.
• Bring water and snacks, as there are limited facilities inside the camp.
• Plan your visit carefully to allow enough time for exploration and reflection.
• Consider visiting during weekdays to avoid larger crowds.

A visit to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is a poignant and eye-opening experience. It serves as a reminder of the human capacity for both great evil and resilience. By understanding the past, we can help ensure that such atrocities are never repeated. Take the time to plan your visit and approach it with the respect and reverence it deserves.

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Mar 7, 2024

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Gedenkstätte Sachsenhausen

Memorial centre and museum

The memorial centre at Sachsenhausen tells the story of one of the biggest concentration camps on German territory from 1936 to 1945.

On 21 March 1933, right in the centre of the town of Oranienburg near Berlin, an empty factory building became the first concentration camp in Prussia. Today, the memorial centre at Sachsenhausen tells the story of the concentration camp at the sites where it took place.

The concentration camp

The site of what is now the Sachsenhausen memorial centre was one of the biggest concentration camps on German territory from 1936 to 1945. The T Building housed the central administration office for all the concentration camps. The part of the camp known as the “Zone of Interest”, along with many auxiliary camps, housed around 200,000 inmates who were enslaved and exploited as forced labour by local industry. Several tens of thousands of prisoners died as a result the inhumane working and living conditions and the brutal treatment, or were gassed, shot or subjected to medical experiments.

In April 1945, with the Red Army already approaching, the SS began evacuating the camp and sent the inmates on “death marches” , in which thousands were shot or died of exhaustion. Today, a branch of the memorial centre commemorates the death march with an exhibition in Belower Wald.

On 22 and 23 April 1945, Soviet and Polish troops reached the camp, where even after liberation, hundreds died as a result of their imprisonment.

After the Second World War

From 1945 to 1950 the site was used as a special camp by the NKVD, the Soviet secret service. It was what was known as a silent camp, and around 60,000 internees lived there under the most miserable conditions. Around 12,000 of them died due to conditions in the camp, hunger and disease.

Sachsenhausen memorial centre and museum

In 1961 the site was declared a national place of memorial and remembrance in the GDR. Since 1993, the memorial centre and museum at Sachsenhausen have belonged to the Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten, the foundation which maintains memorials in Brandenburg. In the 1990s, work began on preserving the original locations as memorials, 13 new permanent exhibitions were opened and the architect HG Merz redesigned the central place of remembrance, Station Z.

The memorial centre is an open place of learning. Rather than everything being in one place, you can walk around the original locations, the huts, the cells and the administrative centre, and find out about the concentration camp. At the visitor information centre, you are given a general suggestion of where to go, and an overview of the exhibitions. A visitor guide system provides further information and takes you to the various sites.

Information for schools

Admission to the Sachsenhausen memorial centre and the exhibitions is free. We advise school groups to take a guided tour of the camp and the museums. As well as general guides, tours on specific topics are available. For groups of up to 15, a guided tour costs 15 euros, and 25 euros for groups of up to 30. Tours must be booked in advance. A museum box is available for schools to prepare for the visit (suitable for pupils of 15 or older). A guided tour and film are available if booked in advance. The museums and films are not suitable for children under 10.

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Straße der Nationen 22 16515   Oranienburg

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour

Memorial to the holocaust and stark reminder of the consequences of human hatred 6 hr Private Tour

ABOUT THE SACHSENHAUSEN MEMORIAL TOUR

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp north of Berlin existed from July 12, 1936 until the end of World War II. Initially created to imprison political opponents, Sachsenhausen Camp was later used as a training ground for the Holocaust. As guides licensed by the Concentration Camp Memorial of Sachsenhausen, we will guide you through the historical buildings and the informative exhibition. We will provide important details about the tragic history of courageous men and women, and provide an insight into life within the interment site. Your excursion to the concentration camp near Berlin will take you through the Jewish Barracks, the Appelplatz roll call area, the prison, the pathology and hospital buildings as well as Station Z. Visiting a former Nazi Concentration Camp is one of the most important things to do during your trip to Berlin. Sachsenhausen’s accessibility and importance as a centre for education and reconciliation makes it a day that is impossible to forget for a very long time.

Negative Corona test for guides provided upon request

Sachsenhausen Memorial Private Guided Tour

Guided tour covering the history of the camp and an in depth overview of the concentration camp system.

Sachsenhausen was a concentration camp near Berlin in operation during the years or The Third Reich. Accompanied by your professional tour guide, you will be guided through this site of horror. During your tour the structure and processes of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp as well as the system of concentration camps will be discussed. The Sachsenhausen concentration camp played a special role among the camps of the Holocaust and was built according to a “geometry of total terror”. The concentration camp was built in the form of an isosceles triangle, grouped around the main Tower A. Today it is a German memorial of national and international importance. The private Sachsenhausen tour provides many background facts relating to the Holocaust and the methodical and deadly cruelty used in the Sachsenhausen camp. During your private tour you will be given the opportunity to contemplate this particularly dark chapter of German history, learn individual stories and visit the barracks, the roll call area, the prison and the hospital as well as station Z, the exit which none of the detainees left alive. The private Sachsenhausen tour is available to all individual groups and families. The tour conveys valuable information and provides moments of personal examination of the particularly tragic history of this historical place of horror. Listen to heroic survival stories of prisoners and anecdotes from insidious SS officers. The Sachsenhausen concentration camp was an important command center for the entire system of the concentration camps and is probably the most intense of the Berlin sights regarding the events of Holocaust and history of the Third Reich. In 1936, the year of the Nazi Summer Games, Sachsenhausen became the concentration camp model, and formed the basis for the designs of subsequent camps. It stands as a physical manifestation of Nazi and SS ideology and a record of the crimes of the era. Around 200,000 inmates passed through the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign at the entrance, and tens of thousands were killed in conditions of extreme brutality. Your visit to the Sachsenhausen camp includes time in the Jewish barracks, the kitchens and laudatic block, the Appelplatz-Rennfeld, the camp prison, the pathology and hospital buildings as well as the train station Z - the training area and killing center. Although less well known than Auschwitz and Dachau, The camp became a training ground for the SS and the site of the headquarters of the whole concentration camp system.. Understanding the conditions of the camp and the experiences of the inmates is fundamental to understanding the realities of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime. Sachsenhausen was also used as a 7/1 Soviet special camp in 1945, and another 60,000 prisoners were housed here in the following five years, with 12,000 threatened with hunger, illness and ill-treatment. Opened as a memorial by the East German authorities in 1961, Sachsenhausen is a prime example of a single location used by multiple regimes for purposes of punishment and propaganda. For this and many other reasons, we believe that a guided tour of the camp monument is a necessity.  

Sachsenhausen Private Tour Itinerary

• Why the Nazis established Sachsenhausen and the concentration camp system
• How the SS used the execution complex at Sachsenhausen to perpetrate acts of mass murder, including the killing of 10,000 Soviet POWs in 1941. (Visit the foundations of the mass execution facility, Station Z)
• Learn how some Jewish prisoners survived by working in the forgery workshop, counterfeiting millions of pounds sterling
• See the oldest intact concentration camp barracks at the infirmary as well as the pathology lab where prisoners were subject to horrifying medical experiments
• Hear stories about attempted escapes from the camp
• How the conditions in the camp worsened in 1939 and visit the barracks where many of the thousands of Jewish prisoners were sent after the so-called “Kristallnacht”
• The “death marches” at the end of the war and the liberation of the camp by the Soviet Red Army
• How the Soviets turned Sachsenhausen into a Special Camp for their own enemies after the war, who they imprisoned, and the fate of these prisoners

Sachsenhausen Memorial Tour Considerations

What to bring.

Please remember to bring water with you, some food and wear comfortable shoes. Please also consider the weather; you can check a weather forecast by opening  this link .

As the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial site is a cemetery and place of unimaginable suffering, we of course ask you to be respectful by not smoking, drinking, eating, or being loud during your visit. 

Transportation

An ABC Transit card is required - €10 per person, €26.50 for groups of up to five persons, your guide will help you buy the correct pass on the day

Practical information

There is a café onsite serving light snacks located in the New Museum. It is also possible to consume your own food and drink on the premises of the café. As well as the café, a bistro is located in front of the Visitor Information Centre.

The contents and pictures presented in the exhibitions and on the Memorial site are not suitable for children under 12 years of age. The educational content of the Memorial site is directed at pupils from 14 years of age.

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Stay Away from the crowds an a private tour of Sachsenhausen Memorial. Explore the site with a knowledgeable, experienced guide!

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