ALOHA EVERYONE!!!
BEFORE I START, THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC PICTURES THAT MAY BE UNSUITABLE FOR SOME.
I SAVED THIS TOUR FOR MY LAST BECAUSE I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR ME.
THE "SACHSENHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP"
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| MADE A NEW FRIEND ON THE TRAIN TO "SACHSENHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP" |
AND WE ARE HERE...
WE STARTED AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND THIS IS WHERE THEY SHOW THE SYSTEMS, MAPS, A BRIEF OVERALL HISTORY AND SOME PICTURES
THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO SOAK IN AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
AND NOW WE ARE HEADING OUTSIDE
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| THIS IS THE MAP LAYOUT OF THE CAMP. |
WE ARE FREE TO ROAM AROUND THE ENTIRE AREA AND THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES TO SEE AND LEARN ABOUT ITS ENTIRE HISTORY.
I WENT TO THIS AREA WHERE THEY DISPLAYED ITEMS THAT WERE FOUND WHEN THEY WERE DEMOLISHING AND RENOVATING PARTS OF THE CAMP.
AND I'M OUTSIDE AGAIN AND ALONG THE WALLS THEY HAVE THESE INFORMATION/HISTORY/EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AND TOOK PLACE.
I CAME ACROSS ANOTHER BUILDING WHERE THEY HAD ORIGINAL POSTERS OF PROPAGANDA MESSAGES.
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT ALL THIS TIME I WAS IN THE MAIN OPEN CAMP AND I SAW A GATE AND THEN REALIZED THIS IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED.
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| ARBEIT MACHT FREI |
AS SOON AS I WALKED THROUGH THE GATES, I TURNED AROUND AND LOOKED TO SEE A TOWER. THAT IS THE MAIN GATE OR ALSO KNOWN AS GUARD TOWER "A" WHERE IT HOUSED A MOUNTED 8MM MAXIM MACHINE GUN.
AND WHERE I WAS STANDING IS WHERE TENS OF THOUSANDS PRISONERS STOOD FOR ROLL CALL FOR MORNINGS AND EVENINGS.
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| A VIEW FROM THE GUARD TOWER "A" DURING ROLL CALL. |
AND IN FRONT OF ME IS THAT "SOVIET LIBERATION MEMORIAL", BUT MORE ON THAT LATER.
I CONTINUED TO WALK ALONG THE WALLS FROM THE MAIN GATE.
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| ANYTHING PASSED THOSE SHORT PEGS BEHIND THE SIGN IS CALLED THE "NEUTRAL ZONES" WHERE IF ANYONE IS CAUGHT IN THAT ZONE WILL IMMEDIATELY BE EXECUTED. |
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| THOSE STAKES WERE FROM THE ORIGINAL TREES FROM THE PIC BEFORE AND THEY WERE RETRIMMED AND PLACED BACK IN AFTERWARDS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MEMORIAL. |
I CONTINUED ALONG AND HEADED TOWARD NORTH.
THE "SOVIET LIBERATION MEMORIAL" WAS BUILT IN MEMORY OF THE MANY LIVES THAT WAS LOST.
NOT FAR AWAY FROM THE MEMORIAL IS THE "EXECUTION TRENCH". THIS WAS THE HARDEST FOR ME TO TAKE IN.
AND RIGHT NEXT TO THE TRENCH IS THE CREMATORIUM.
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| EXECUTION TRENCH MEMORIAL |
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| CREMATORIUM MEMORIAL |
THIS WAS ALL I COULD TAKE FOR THE DAY, I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF THAT I WILL RETURN AND VISIT THE SACHSENHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP AT ANOTHER TIME DURING THE SUMMER WHEN THE SUN IS OUT LONGER AND THE WEATHER IS WARMER SO I CAN SEE MORE OF THIS PLACE THAN NOW.
I CANNOT AND WILL NOT BLOG ABOUT MY EMOTIONS BUT I WILL SHARE WHAT I READ EARLIER THAT WAS SAID BY ONE OF THE FORTUNATE SURVIVOR.
"WE HAVE NOT WON, BUT WE HAVE TAUGHT OUR GRANDCHILDREN IN A WAY THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED"
AND MY FINAL TOUR IN BERLIN HAS ENDED.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT AND LEARN ABOUT THE DEEP HISTORY OF "SACHSENHAUSEN", AND I LEARN ONE THING ABOUT MYSELF DURING THIS VISIT, IN THE BEGINNING I CAUGHT MYSELF BEING UPSET AND ANGRY AND I NEEDED TO STOP MYSELF FROM TAKING IT PERSONAL BECAUSE THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. IT IS ABOUT "WHAT REALLY HAPPENED" AND THIS IS THEIR STORIES AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO THEY CAN BE HEARD AND THAT THEIR DEATHS DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED AND UNKNOWN.
AFTER HEADING BACK TO OUR HOTEL, WE ALL NEEDED TO GET OUR EMOTIONS IN CHECK AND ADD SOME POSITIVITY AND THAT'S WHERE FOOD COMES IN.
AND WE HEADED BACK TO THAT AWESOME GREEK RESTAURANT, "JA NIKO JA"
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| I DEFINITELY NEEDED A DRINK!!! |
ANOTHER AMAZING MEAL WITH FREE SHOTS OF OUZO WITH THE WAITERS, THIS WAS A PERFECT WAY TO END THE EVENING ALONG WITH THE AMAZING DAY EARLIER.
AWWWRITE!!!
WAIPA
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