We are delighted that you would like to visit the Sachsenhausen Memorial with your group (ages 14 and up)! There are many expectations associated with visits to memorial sites – adequate preparation and follow-up are necessary for a lasting engagement with the challenging and complex history of the place.
Practical Information for Planning Your Visit
- Book educational programs such as a 2-hour guided tour or a workshop lasting several hours several months in advance. Our educational programs are only conducted by guides who are licensed by the memorial‘s education department.
- The Sachsenhausen Memorial is a popular destination. If you are visiting the memorial without a guided tour, we ask that you plan your visit for midday/afternoon. Please note: The group size should not exceed 30 people per teacher.
- Allow enough time. The memorial site is large, and a visit of less than two hours is generally not worthwhile.
- The visit should be voluntary. Involve your students in the decision to visit.
- The memorial is a place of remembrance and a cemetery, but it is also a place of learning. Plan at least one preparatory discussion about the nature and purpose of a memorial and your own expectations for the visit. Also discuss with your group in advance what behavior seems appropriate in such a place.
- Organize the visit without pressure to perform or get good grades. We do not consider on-site presentations and worksheets aimed at gathering historical information to be effective. Expectations regarding the emotionality of young people should also not be imposed.
- Provide the group with practical information about the visit: e.g., sturdy shoes, rain gear, sunscreen, water bottle, food before the visit. Most of the programs take place outdoors.
- Basic historical knowledge or existing knowledge is the foundation for being able to classify information and impressions during and after the visit and to develop your own questions about history. The topic of National Socialism should therefore already have been covered.
- Be careful when using feature films to prepare for a visit to the Sachsenhausen Memorial. Many feature films on the subject of Nazism and the Holocaust refer to Auschwitz extermination camp – however, the historical situation in Sachsenhausen concentration camp was different.
- Visits by people with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatized individuals are only recommended to a limited extent or when accompanied by another person.
YouTube Videos About the History of the Site
In the 15-part YouTube miniseries “Perspectives on the History of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp”, tour guides introduce sites and objects at the Memorial and in the town of Oranienburg.
The German-language videos are about two to five minutes long. They are provided with English and Spanish YouTube subtitles.
There is also a short introductory video on the history of the Soviet Special Camp in Sachsenhausen:
The Soviet Special Camp No.7/ No.1 in Sachsenhausen
(4:50 min. with German, English and Russian subtitles)
After the Visit
After the visit to the memorial site, a discussion in the class or group can help to process and classify personal impressions. When thoughts and feelings can be expressed without assessment or pressure to perform, there is room for further questions that can be explored in class. To reflect on the visit, you will find a methodological suggestion below.
The exercise “My impressions” focuses on the students’ open exchange about their impressions after a visit. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for this. To prepare, place photos of the sites that were visited together with the students on the smartboard or as a printout on a wall/floor. The pictures serve as visual aids for the exercise. Additionally, you can use your own photos taken during the visit to start the conversation.
Students are asked to answer the following question from their perspective:
“What do I remember most about the tour?”
In their answers, the students can make direct reference to the places visited, but they do not have to. The answers are written down on cards. In a final round, each student presents the card. To relieve the pressure of having to say something in front of the whole group, the results can alternatively be exchanged in conversations with rotating partners, discussed in pairs, or compiled by individual requests to speak.
Download the exercise “My impressions” incl. photos (approx. 33 MB)
