Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Historical Site Former Nazi concentration camp and Holocaust memorial site
At Oranienburg, Sachsenhausen preserves a WWII concentration camp complex with barracks foundations, an exhibition, and a memorial area. Visitors come for guided tours, historical documentation and educational programming on Nazi‑era atrocities.
Sachsenhausen concentration camp is a former Nazi concentration camp located in Oranienburg, Brandenburg, roughly 35 km north of Berlin. It was established in 1936 and later preserved as a memorial and museum.
The site’s most visible feature is its long central parade and roll-call area, the Appellplatz, surrounded by rows of reconstructed wooden barracks and watchtowers. Exhibits explain the camp’s administration, prisoner life, forced labor systems and the use of the site by different authorities. The outdoor memorials and preserved structures, including the crematorium and prison blocks, form the main focus of public visits.
The camp was built by the SS and opened in 1936; it functioned as a concentration camp until 1945 and served as a Soviet special camp in the immediate postwar years. After German reunification the site was thoroughly documented and developed into an official memorial and museum to commemorate the victims.
The memorial lies on the outskirts of Oranienburg, set in a relatively flat landscape with direct rail and road links to Berlin. It is adjacent to other wartime and postwar cemeteries and memorials in the area.
- Access: The site is in Oranienburg, about 35 km north of central Berlin and is served by regional trains to Oranienburg station.
- Visit length: Allow at least two to three hours to walk the main routes, visit the museum and read the displays; much of the site is outdoors and exposed to weather.
What to See #
- Appellplatz and barracks: Large rectangular camp complex arranged around a central parade ground known as the Appellplatz, with surrounding watchtowers and sections of restored wooden barracks dating to the 1936-1945 period.
- Crematorium and execution site: Site of the camp crematorium and execution area where many killings took place; parts are preserved and interpreted in the memorial museum.
- Memorial and museum: On-site museum and outdoor exhibitions presenting original documents, prisoner records and photographs, plus the Sachsenhausen Memorial with monuments to victims and graves from later Soviet use.
How to Get to Sachsenhausen concentration camp #
Sachsenhausen Memorial is just outside Oranienburg, north of Berlin. By public transit take the Berlin S‑Bahn S1 to Oranienburg station, then change to a local bus that serves the memorial (for example buses from the station to the Gedenkstätte) or walk about 20-30 minutes from Oranienburg station. By road it’s about 35 km north of central Berlin via the B96 and local roads - roughly a 30-40 minute drive depending on traffic.
Tips for Visiting Sachsenhausen concentration camp #
- Take the S‑Bahn (S1) from Berlin to Oranienburg and follow the clear signs or short local bus connection to the memorial-this is the most straightforward public-transport route from the city.
- Begin at the memorial's visitor centre/exhibition to get orientation materials, audio-guide options and information about guided walks; many areas are explained only in those exhibitions and guided tours, so start there to make the visit coherent.
- Visit early on a weekday morning to avoid large coach groups and give yourself 2-3 hours to see the exhibitions, the preserved camp structures and the outdoor memorials without being rushed.
Best Time to Visit Sachsenhausen concentration camp #
Plan a spring or autumn weekday visit for milder weather and smaller crowds when touring Sachsenhausen memorial and museum.
Weather & Climate near Sachsenhausen concentration camp #
Sachsenhausen concentration camp's climate is classified as Oceanic - Oceanic climate with mild summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -2°C to 23°C. Moderate rainfall (556 mm/year).
January
January is the coolest month with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Moderate rainfall (42 mm).
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February
February is cold with highs of 4°C and lows of -2°C. Moderate rainfall (32 mm).
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March
March is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 0°C. Moderate rainfall (40 mm).
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April
April is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 4°C. Moderate rainfall (35 mm).
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May
May is cool with highs of 19°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (53 mm).
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June
June is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 12°C. The wettest month with 63 mm of rain.
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July
July is the warmest month with highs of 23°C and lows of 14°C. Moderate rainfall (58 mm).
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August
August is mild with highs of 23°C and lows of 13°C. Moderate rainfall (56 mm).
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September
September is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (44 mm).
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October
October is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 6°C. Moderate rainfall (38 mm).
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November
November is cold with highs of 7°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (43 mm).
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December
December is cold with highs of 4°C and lows of -1°C. Moderate rainfall (52 mm).
