We decided go to the Saschenhausen Concentration Camp on Day 2. But it only starts at 11.00am. So, in the morning we decided to go to Tiergarten to visit the flea market. See the stalls behind me. That's me with my hot tea and the ring I bought at the flea market. It wasn't that cheap but I really liked it. :) The flea markets are so interesting. Well something like pasar malam except most of the things there are antique. Haha. Not like the pasar malam where everything is pirated.


Ok. So we went on another tour to this concentration camp. It's spelt Saschenhausen camp I think. This was the MODEL concentration camp where the rest of the concentration camps were supposed to follow. Anyway, skip this part if you can't bear the description and sorts.

Well, this is the courtyard where the prisoners were first taken. Apparently based on the type of prisoner you were, like political/Jew/criminal/Christians you were identified based on an upside down triangle of a certain colour. The Jews had the Star of David. Political prisoners had an upside down red triangle. So this is the courtyard where to break the prisoners down psychologically, they would take in prisoners who the S guards identified on the train that were most outspoken or leaders, into the 2 small rooms there and torture them.So, their screams and cries could be heard clearly in the courtyard where the rest of the prisoners were. The rest of the prisoners then had to shave their heads and stripped off their belongings and clothes. They would stand naked in the courtyard.


Here is the gate into the concentration camp. The words on the gate means: "Work will free you". Yea. In terms of death or in terms of saving your sanity and in some rare cases, initially when the camp was first opened, the political prisoners were actually set free. See that "Neutrale Zone" (NZ) on the right. There used to be electrified barbed wires at the pit where the sand sort of changes colour. And if you touch it, you'll be burnt black immediately. If any prisoner stepped in the NZ, the guards had the right to kill. But if let's say you blatantly wanted to commit suicide, they would not let you die, but instead shoot you in the foot. And if you can't work, you're useless and if you can't get well, you'll die a slow painful death in the bunks. But if you didn't want to die, but like the guards let 's say threw your hat in the NZ and said "Pick it up." You had a choice of disobeying the order or step in there and get killed, and if you did step into the NZ, the guards will just shoot and kill you. But if you disobeyed them, you'll get tortured for disobeying a command. So psychologically toying with their minds. They would also change the rules and not tell the prisoners, so if you broke a rule, you'll get punished. Either way, you're dead duck.


Here's the layout of the camp. It's in a triangle. It's sort of a layout where you didn't require so many guards to guard the walls given the number of prisoners. Each bunk you see there, the long houses in the triangle, is suppose to house 150 prisoners, but at most times, they were housed with 400 prisoners. See the little house in the middle where all the bunks seem to be pointing to, that is where the entrance to the camp is. And there is only one entrance and that is also the only exit.


This is where they will line the prisoners up and SHOOT them. If they were sick/too much trouble/ or there were too many people there. Lined against the wooden wall, and the firing squad will just fire.


This is even more cruel. Because the method above of murdering the prisoners wasn't effective. In the sense, there was a waiting area in a house in front of this pit. So, when the first round of shootings take place, the prisoners inside knew they were going to die, and they would panic and create trouble for the guards. Plus, the guards when lining up these prisoners, the prisoners will talk to them... "I can't die, i have 2 kids and my youngest is... look at his picture". And the human element in the guards will kick in, and it made it very difficult to shoot the person. So, they devised this other cruel way. They would pretend to bring the prisoners for a check up. Then one-by-one lead them into a room with a guard pretending to be a doctor and he would assure them that  this is a check up, we want to make sure you're ok. Checks their mouth - in actual fact, checking to see if they had any metal or gold fillings. Pretend to tell them that oh we need to take your height first and leads them into THIS room. They stand up against this height measuring thing and when the metal bar goes down on their head, there is a slot behind the height measuring thing, they open that slot and just shoot the prisoner in his head. No screams, just drops to the ground. And you can see in that picture that the walls are double, to make it sound proof. The guards don't need to look at the prisoners. Clears the body, sprays saw dust to cover the blood. Next person.

Really grim and eery. To know that you're standing in a place that once tortured people and killed like thousands of innocent people. I teared at few parts of this memorial camp. It's just so cruel and irrational on how something like this can happen. I mean Jews are people as well with families, they are human too... but just they have different personal beliefs. WHY CAN'T PEOPLE ACCEPT and TOLERATE DIFFERENCES as long as it brings no harm to them? And just because one person believes in something, and it's NOT THE SAME as yours, doesn't mean he is wrong or you are wrong or he has to convert to your beliefs. COME ON. Next time if someone preaches to me, he/she will get a good lecture from me. Let others believe what they want. GOODNESS. You have your beliefs and they have theirs. FULL STOP. I just feel very strongly about this.

And just because you believe in like a religion, it doesn't automatically make you a good person, if you're actions are not like aligned with the teachings. It's no use calling yourself like God's child or something like that just because you call yourself like a Christian/Buddhist/Hindu/Jew/Protestant, if you don't behave and act like one. The only thing you are is a HYPOCRITE.

We went to the National Jewish Museum after this. And man, I seriously think Jews are like the most misunderstood people. At every turn of the century, they are prosecuted for NO REASON. Like the Black Plague and this WW2. It's IRRATIONAL. Well,there are other gruesome stories as well. But it's too long to tell.


Oh well, on to happier things. This is me waiting for the train back to Berlin. Cuz we had to take a 45 min train out to that concentration camp. Woo. The sun is HOT.


So, after the Jewish Museum, we went to the Reichtag - the Parliament. This is outside the Dome and inside the Dome. it's really pretty cuz you can see the night line of berlin when you walk around the dome. It's about 4 or 5 storeys high. Can't remember. And it was here during the time of before Hitler. But Hitler, amazingly did not use this dome - as I mentioned the dome symbolises democracy. So it's not like modern architecture or anything. AMAZING.


Look I'm standing on West and East Berlin. The brick line I was referring to earlier on.


Day 3. We only had like 1/2 a day cuz our bus was at 1.30pm. We visited this church 1st. See the top. It was bombed off during WW2. So, they decided to keep it that way to commerate and remind the people of the horrible happenings of WW2.


Oh we saw this toilet for MEN only on the side of the road. It's really a proper urinal and best of all, it's FREE. Don't need to pay. Well, Berlin has all these automated toilets, you put coins in and use it for like a few mins, don't know how long. Cuz it's just freaky! What if the time is up and it opens! Or there's a technical fault! It'll be so embarrassing! Oh yea. You have to pay 0.30 Euros to use the toilet each time in Berlin. VERY DIFFICULT to find free toilets.


We went to the Deutsche Historical Museum after that. Seriously worth spending at least half a day in here. It's so interesting. We only had like 1 hour.  So sad. If I have a chance, I'll go back there. Oh yea. If you're going Berlin, pls don't need to buy the 2-3 day pass with museum discounts. It's called the Welcome Berlin Card. Don't. It's a waste of money. As long as you have your ISIC card, it's fine. You'll qualify for the discounts at museums. Just buy the one day transport pass that's like 6.30 Euros. Good enough for trains/metro/buses.


Our bus took us to Rostock in Germany and then from there it took the ferry and after that continued to Copenhagen. This is on the ferry. Had dinner there. So cool. It was then that I decided I'll go on the cruise to Oslo. Since it's so FUN. Ok. That is it about Berlin. Don't think I'll have the time to do such a detailed one of Spain and Portugal when I am back cuz I need to study for exams. Maybe if I'm in Spain and have the time, I'll do quick short posts.