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| "Works makes you free" |
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| Wall and barbed wire |
After breakfast, we returned to the room to change clothes. Since the Sachenhausen concentration camp is a somber place, we felt that it would be inappropriate to go in shorts and t-shirts. We took a short subway trip to Friedrichstraße then changed to a train going to Oranienburg for 45 minutes. After leaving the Oranienburg station, we caught a bus for a short ride to the concentration camp. This camp housed prisoners who were Jewish, dissenters, work-shy, gypsies, disabled persons, homosexuals, and others considered undesirable by the Nazi government. The museum had chairs with straps where prisoners were beaten, sometimes to death, for infractions of the camp rules. There was a gallows where prisoners were hung while other prisoners were forced to watch as a lesson for conformity to the rules. Most of the barracks are no longer standing since materials for the structures were scavenged after the war. However, the infirmary, kitchen and laundry barracks remain standing. There was a wall surrounding the camp with guard towers spaced along the wall. Inside the wall were several layers of barbed wire.
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| Restored infirmary barracks |
The medical care received by prisoners was less about preserving lives than allowing young German doctors to practice on the prisoners. Surgeries were sometimes unnecessarily performed so doctors could get experience. Inmates who died or were killed had their bodies dissected in the mortuary area for the education of the staff. Medical supplies were constantly in shortage for the needs of the prisoners.
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| Shoe test track surrounding the role call area |
Near the area for the twice daily roll call, there was a shoe testing area. Prisoners would be required to wear shoes that we being developed for the German military. These shoes were seldom the correct size for the prisoners. They would be forced to walk many miles around the camp in the shoes so the leaders could assess the quality of the shoes and the durability of the shoes to hold up to a variety of terrain.
Although Sachenhausen wasn’t a death camp on the order of Auschwitz and some of the others, many prisoners were murdered here. Some were beaten to death, others hung and there was an execution trench just outside the barracks. Sometimes prisoners were shackled and shot, other times they would be placed in a device to measure height and a guard would be behind to shoot the prisoner at the base of the skull. There were mass burial areas adjacent to the execution trench for the bodies of those killed. The visit to the camp was a very sobering experience but we were glad that we could expose Peter to the history of the war.
When we left the camp around noon, we saw that the next bus to the Oranienburg station would be at the camp in a little over an hour so we got lunch at a nearby café. Peter had a hot dog that was over a foot long on a large roll. Mary and I had Apfelschorle which is a blend of apple juice and sparkling water. Peter was very pleased with his meal. We have been very happy that he has been adventurous enough to try a variety of German food and has enjoyed many more than we expected.
As we waited for the bus, a group from an Italian tour group arrived. They were very loud and mostly rude. Many of them were smoking so we tried to stay upwind from them. Back at the train station in Oranienburg we quickly boarded the train for Fredrichstraße which took less than an hour. While we were on the train an older couple boarded and saw that all of the seats were taken. I gave my seat to the lady. When a man boarded using two canes, Peter offered the man his seat. The gentleman was appreciative but refused the seat. I was very proud of Peter for his concern.
At Fredrichstraße we went up to street level where we found an Aldi market on the lower level of one of the street buildings. Since we were leaving for home early tomorrow, we knew that the Adina Hotel breakfast would be unavailable, so we bought rolls, cold cuts, cheese, hummus and pretzels for breakfast. We also bought several packages of Haribo items including gummy bears. Peter wanted to take them back as gifts. I got a large bottle of Apfelschole to sip this evening before bed as well as in the morning.
After taking a short subway back to Invalidenpark, we went to a small market and got Peter an ice cream to have up in the room before bed. We finished packing, showered and prepared for an early bedtime. Our flight to JFK boarded at 8:50 am and we knew that we would have multiple layers of security to navigate before we get to the gate.
While packing we had to screen Peter’s packing. He had originally packed several drink bottles that we had from prior meals, He had also picked up a pair of Knipex channel lock type pliers someplace. Those items were not permitted in his luggage. We decided to check all of our bags except our backpacks since we would have 5 hours in JFK and there was nothing in the larger bags that was important or valuable.
We decided to take the night tour on the Hop-on, Hop-off bus so we took a streetcar to the meeting point near Potsdamer Platz. Since we had a little time, we looked for someplace to get a small meal. We decided on a KFC, Korean Fried Chicken. We found the chicken to have a lot of fat and gristle, probably wing meat and not especially tasty. None of us finished the meal.
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| Execution trench |
Although Sachenhausen wasn’t a death camp on the order of Auschwitz and some of the others, many prisoners were murdered here. Some were beaten to death, others hung and there was an execution trench just outside the barracks. Sometimes prisoners were shackled and shot, other times they would be placed in a device to measure height and a guard would be behind to shoot the prisoner at the base of the skull. There were mass burial areas adjacent to the execution trench for the bodies of those killed. The visit to the camp was a very sobering experience but we were glad that we could expose Peter to the history of the war.
When we left the camp around noon, we saw that the next bus to the Oranienburg station would be at the camp in a little over an hour so we got lunch at a nearby café. Peter had a hot dog that was over a foot long on a large roll. Mary and I had Apfelschorle which is a blend of apple juice and sparkling water. Peter was very pleased with his meal. We have been very happy that he has been adventurous enough to try a variety of German food and has enjoyed many more than we expected.
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| Poppy blooming outside the Sachenhausen gate |
As we waited for the bus, a group from an Italian tour group arrived. They were very loud and mostly rude. Many of them were smoking so we tried to stay upwind from them. Back at the train station in Oranienburg we quickly boarded the train for Fredrichstraße which took less than an hour. While we were on the train an older couple boarded and saw that all of the seats were taken. I gave my seat to the lady. When a man boarded using two canes, Peter offered the man his seat. The gentleman was appreciative but refused the seat. I was very proud of Peter for his concern.
At Fredrichstraße we went up to street level where we found an Aldi market on the lower level of one of the street buildings. Since we were leaving for home early tomorrow, we knew that the Adina Hotel breakfast would be unavailable, so we bought rolls, cold cuts, cheese, hummus and pretzels for breakfast. We also bought several packages of Haribo items including gummy bears. Peter wanted to take them back as gifts. I got a large bottle of Apfelschole to sip this evening before bed as well as in the morning.
After taking a short subway back to Invalidenpark, we went to a small market and got Peter an ice cream to have up in the room before bed. We finished packing, showered and prepared for an early bedtime. Our flight to JFK boarded at 8:50 am and we knew that we would have multiple layers of security to navigate before we get to the gate.
While packing we had to screen Peter’s packing. He had originally packed several drink bottles that we had from prior meals, He had also picked up a pair of Knipex channel lock type pliers someplace. Those items were not permitted in his luggage. We decided to check all of our bags except our backpacks since we would have 5 hours in JFK and there was nothing in the larger bags that was important or valuable.
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| Reichstag Building |
We decided to take the night tour on the Hop-on, Hop-off bus so we took a streetcar to the meeting point near Potsdamer Platz. Since we had a little time, we looked for someplace to get a small meal. We decided on a KFC, Korean Fried Chicken. We found the chicken to have a lot of fat and gristle, probably wing meat and not especially tasty. None of us finished the meal.
Not surprisingly. knowing German precision, the bus left promptly at 6 pm. Using the earbuds provided, we heard a narrative about each area of Berlin and many of the major buildings and historic locations. We were back at the meeting spot by 7 pm then caught the streetcar back to Invalidenpark near the Adina Hotel.
After our baths, we went to sleep quickly and slept well.
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