Wannsee and Sachsenhausen
Last weekend was our penultimate one in Berlin, and I spent both days going out making the most of the time we have left here!
I spent Saturday afternoon at Wannsee, one of Berlin's beautiful lakes just West of the city, a short train ride away! The weather was warm and it was a short walk from the s bahn station to the lake itself.
The lake was beautiful, and so big it looked more like a sea! Entrance fee was cheap, as I used my student discount, but I noticed that family tickets weren't expensive either. Its one of the few man made beaches in Berlin, but ia big attraction to both tourists and locals in Berlin,and I could see why!
Wannsee beach isn't huge but the beach was long, and had great views of the lake, and the blue sky was clear once the clouds had cleared! They had several little seats dotted around the beach, which looked like they would cover you from the wind, cwtch up with a good book,and just enjoy the peace and quiet! I visited on a quiet day, as I dont think the Summer season has kicked off quite yet, but I can imagine with the yachts, pedalos, and small boast that it would be great for a day out with friends or family!
Wannsee Lake
On Sunday, a few of us took the S1 North to Sachsenhausen, an old Nazi concentration camp, just outside Berlin. The journey took over half an hour, as we took the s bahn from Gesundbrunnen (on the ring) right up to Orianenberg (the last stop on the S1).
Sachsenhausen
It started raining as soon as we arrived, and it being a Sunday, the buses only ran every couple of hours, so we braved the weather and decided to walk. The camp was clearly sign posted so we had no trouble finding the place. Despite it being out of Berlin, there were family houses on both side of the streets right up to the camp's entrance, which I found odd, for some reason I imagined it would be a little further from houses or the town of Orianenberg.
The information centre was a small building, but the staff were friendly and we purchased audio guides for only €3 each. We made our way outside where small models of the camp had been created, and listened to the audio guide explain what each building used to be, and its relevance to the camp.
Information boards were everywhere, showing pictures, quotations and interesting information on the time the camp was used during Hitler's reign.
"Arbeit macht frei" was written on the gate, at the entrance of the camp itself, which translates to "Work makes you free". The camp was triangular shaped and was big in size, however I had pictured it bigger for some reason. The surrounding walls were tall with barbed wire, and watch towers at each point. The old building were still in place, where the medical center, kitchens, and infirmaries stood. They have preserved the camp as much as they can to keep it as it was from the 1930's.
Many tourist groups were there when we visited, and despite it being a large area, it was still eerily quiet as you walked around, and everyone seemed a little on edge, as we read and learned more about how the Jewish people were treated here. As we walked around the camp we saw the shooting or death trenches that were lined with flowers in memorial. The weather was so cold, and the atmosphere was so quiet and I felt a little strange walking along the same path that so many innocent people did, so many years ago.
Each building had been renovated a little of course, but were filled with shocking and upsetting information on everyday lives of the prisoners. In one of the buildings, there were television monitors playing video clips of survivors telling their experiences and stories on the camp. I listened to quite a few, as each clip was short but what the survivors were saying was so shocking, it really hit home that these men had survived such punishment that happened in the very camp we were visiting.
I am glad I have been, as I felt that I have learnt a lot about the camp and the poor inhumane treatment, and would tell people that if they are interested to go and see for themselves. I will not go back to Sachsenhausen, and am not interested in going to see another concentration camp as I cannot imagine it will be completely different to my experience here. I did not like how the place appeared as a tourist attraction and that so many visitors were taking pictures of themselves with friends or smiling at the camera. I don't see why you would feel the need to take such pictures, as it was and still is remembered as a place where so many people were murdered in cold blood, I understand why people are interested but it's hardly one for the photo album.
If you are interested in learning, or just seeing the place for yourself, you should definitely go. Im glad I saw it and I do feel like I understand the history and the place a lot better now.
