A very humbling day

Today was a very humbling day as we started out going to the Stasi Museum and learned how the East Germans spied on almost every one of their citizens in hopes of “protecting” them. After our tour we headed back to the train station and parted with the Chemnitz group, had lunch, and then headed toward Oranienburg to visit KZ Sachsenhausen. Once we arrived we had about a twenty minute walk from the train station to the camp. It was so eerie thinking that there were so many neighborhoods and people living around such deplorable actions by the Nazis.

Not until recently did I discover that the Soviets used this camp as a camp of their own after WWII with Special Camp No. 7 which was found behind eastern walls of the concentration camp, with its own museum as well.

One of the most interesting parts of the camp that we found was the medical unit in which SS doctors conducted medical experiments on the living and dissections on the dead. The sterile white tile that the rooms had gave out such an eerie feeling. The basement of that building was also very cold and stark, which is where they would store the bodies.

After spending about two and a half hours walking the perimeter of the camp and visiting all buildings on the camp grounds, the sun set and our group of twelve headed back toward the train station, with a pit stop at the nearest Netto for some Kinder Egg snacks.

We then continued to Freiderichstraße station where we got off and looked for something to eat. We were walking down the road looking at restaurants, and all of a sudden, a man come trotting toward us dressed as a cook and singing some Italian tune. He then lured us into the restaurant. It was called Da Vinci Ristorante. It was excellent!! Group members got different kinds of pizza and pasta dishes for dinner. Our waiter also received a Kinder Egg from our previous Netto visit. After dinner, some of the group went home, and the rest of us continued on to see the Brandenburg Gate by night. We just had to pose for an O-H-I-O.

We then continued to the Reichstag and then to Hauptbahnhof to catch the train home. All in all, a very humbling, yet fun experience today.

Text and Images by Emily B.