Visiting a concentration camp is one of the most important things someone can do. Be you black, white, Jewish or Irish, doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if your people were the ones afflicting or the afflicted. 8 years ago, I walked down the train tracks and into Auschwitz and it did something. Not immediately, but it did something. What it was, I couldn’t tell you – but it was there. Be it a deeper understanding of how far some have went, or simply piecing together the scenes in Schindler’s List…
Should you ever be in the area of West Poland, visit it. Or Dachau. Or, as I did last summer, S-21. Something, anything – no, it’s not a fun day and the conversation that follows seems to be either futile small-talk, or ill-conceived attempts at lightening the mood. But make it a stop.
Unbeknownst to me, there was one right out of Berlin proper – Sachsenhausen. Small in comparison to the aforementioned, but powerful nonetheless.
It’s a 20-minute train ride on the S-1 S-Bahn to Oranienburg (final stop) and from that station follow the sign. Free entry, but splurge on an audio guide.
The chilling entrance – complete with the familiar phrase ‘arbeit macht frei’, a few remaining prisoners quarters, solitary holes, execution trenches, gas chambers, et al.
Worth a visit – even if you hate every minute of it.
I’m proud you went. I know how I felt during and after S21 in Phnom Penh. I have yet to visit a former concentration camp – must be at least as chilling as S21 and even probably worse but one should not compare. Horrible deeds are horrible deeds no matter how many were affected.
If you don’t have the possibility to go visit in person, I recommend reading the books ‘If This is a Man’ and ‘The Truce’ by Primo Levi. It’s not fun but as Aric said, it does something to you.
wow again! can only imagine the sobering effects that a visit to one of these could have on you. you bring through the message once again in a beautiful way kind sir, you make your experiences all of ours!