Visiting Sachsenhausen was an eye opening experience. I’d always learned about the holocaust in school, but shear extent of the organization and planning required never really hit home. Despite having general knowledge about concentration camps, after visiting Sachsenhausen the infrastructure in place was downright shocking. From the roads to the walls to the buildings themselves- everything was designed for mass production and efficiency.
It was an entirely new experience to see the facility in person, and read the stories of those who came there, either to work in the camp, or for the camp. Some excerpts from a letter from a guard at the camp said something along the lines of ‘Its so nice here- I don’t even want to go home’. It was crazy to see how someone involved in something so horrible could be treated so well by the administration and organization so as to not want to leave, while destroying the live of so many others.