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THE THEORY & PRACTICE OF HELL

The SACHSENHAUSEN
CAMP Tour

5

hour
private van tour
– max 6 person group

950€

per group

includes 19% VAT, guide fee, booking fee, admin fee, transportation and driver costs, and tourism insurances

Our Sachsenhausen Camp Tour can start wherever is best for you – at your accommodation or elsewhere

Home » Full Day Experiences » The Sachsenhausen Camp Tour – The Sachsenhausen Memorial

Visit the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial & Museum and learn about life and death in a Nazi ‘Protective Custody Camp’; the architecture of total control, and what inhumanity, humanity is capable of in its darkest moments.

An opportunity to assess Sachsenhausen’s role as the nucleus of the entire Nazi concentration camp industry; a prison to many notable figures; but also a proving ground for the methods and practices that would lead to the horror of industrial mass murder across Europe.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

…the Tower A entrance & ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ lettering, the Appelplatz roll call area, the Jewish barracks, the special SS/Gestapo prison, the post-war KGB/NKVD camp, the ruins of Station Z and much more…

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jörg

Ioana

Forrest

Nick

We also offer private walking tour variations of all our famous private transportation tours

Get in touch for bigger groups tours – we also offer bus tours for companies and schools

English language tours with native English speakers – in other languages on request

Book directly with a local company – 18 years experience offering guided tours of Berlin

Pay online with any major credit card – VISA/Mastercard/Amex or direct bank transfer

Despite the passage of time, the Tower A entrance to the Sachsenhausen Camp Memorial – emblazoned with its infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” lettering – still stands as a threshold to another domain.

Missing are the sights, sounds, and smells of casual brutality. Instead of the cramped suffocating architecture of totalitarianism, a vast open field graced with rows of stone markers – where barracks houses once stood – exists in its place.

Constructed by the Nazis, inherited by the Soviet authorities, and transformed into a memorial by the East German government –Sachsenhausen is a startling example of how different regimes chose to use the same land for purposes of punishment and propaganda.

Most people, when asked about Nazi camps, would point East – to the extermination camps that gained notoriety through the Holocaust: to Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek etc.

The truth is, however, that these camps came relatively late in the history of the Third Reich. Their predecessors – the concentration camps – such as Sachsenhausen, were constructed within Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Devised as a so-called ‘protective custody camp’ to house political prisoners, Sachsenhausen grew to become not only the nucleus of the entire Nazi concentration camp industry; but also a proving ground for the methods and practices that would lead to the ultimate horror of industrial mass murder and genocide.

Writer Hannah Arendt referred to the concentration camp as the ‘true central institution of totalitarian organisational power’ – designed for the systematised dehumanisation and destruction of human personality. The ‘theory and practice of hell’ materialised.

A thought-provoking and often uncomfortable journey –the former Nazi concentration camp of Sachsenhausen stands as a warning from the past and a recommended excursion from Berlin to all interested in learning more about the conditions where gratuitous cruelty flourished and experiments to cultivate inhumanity succeeded.

Sachsenhausen now is a place to pay respects, to reflect, and to bear witness. To observe the preservation of memory as a vital tool against the tyranny of forgetting what humanity is capable of in its darkest moments.

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

The Tower A Entrance

The New Museum (constructed by the East German government)

The ‘Green Monster’ canteen building used by the SS

The infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate

The Appelplatz roll call area

The Jewish barracks

The site of Operation Bernhard

The special SS/Gestapo prison

The isolation barracks

The former kitchen barrack

The execution yard

The industrial yard/foundations of Station Z execution facility

The site of the Sachsenhausen gas chamber

The crematorium site

The remains of the Soviet-era NKVD/KGB camp

The pathology building

The hospital building

The site of the camp brothel

The international memorials & graves

The T Building – The Concentration Camps Inspectorate

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

We will not only examine what remains of the Sachsenhausen camp in its current form as a memorial and museum site but also deal with the important issues associated with this hugely significant location and its tragic history:

What was special about the design of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp?

Were the Nazi concentration camps inspired by the British?

Was Sachsenhausen a ‘Holocaust camp’?

Who were the last Nazis on trial?

Was it possible to be released from a Nazi concentration camp?

How did the Nazi methodology of industrial killing develop?

Was the Nazi party democractically elected?

Did the Nazis develop nuclear weapons?

Were the Nazi medical experiments useful?

What inspired the racial theories of Nazi Germany?

Did Hugo Boss design the Nazi uniforms?

Was Joseph Stalin’s son killed by the Nazis?

Did the Nazis manage to counterfeit the US dollar during WWII?

How many times did Hitler survive assassination?

Was Henry Ford a Nazi?

What are the origins of the Nazi salute?

How was the history of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp presented in East Germany?

How did the Nazi concentration camps differ from the Soviet GULAG?

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Visit The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial

OUR RELATED PRIVATE TOURS

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

"Matthew was an excellent guide for our family of four. He was very affable and caring, and extremely knowledgable. We couldn't have engaged a better guide to show us Berlin's sights and history. His previous career as a journalist shows through during the tour as he gave in depth illustrations and narrations of Berlin's role in WWII and the unification of Germany. His partnership with Markus as the driver added an extra special touch to the day. Will highly recommend Matthew as a guide for Berlin!"

"Matthew was a very informed, professional, and yet personable and energetic guide for our day in Berlin! He is a truly amazing guide, with a breadth of understanding of Berlin, its past, relevancy for the present, and potential to impact the future. He also explained both macro and micro moments in history with amazing clarity. We would very highly recommend him for small group or even family travel. If there were 6 stars, that's how we would rank him and Markus his driver."

"Matt is undoubtedly the top guide we have ever had. Matt guided us for three days in Berlin and Potsdam and every moment was great. His depth of knowledge is impressive on its own. However, Matt has a unique ability to tell stories and use language and historic photos to create experiences that made us 'feel' like we were a part of the history in the moment. Matt was also very flexible and tailored our experience to our needs."

"Matt Robinson is, simply put, a fantastic tour guide. His knowledge of World War II & the Cold War is exceptional & he is a great storyteller. Matt has the wonderful ability to put political, cultural, social & military history into context as he guides you through the streets of Berlin. Matt made the history of Berlin come alive."

"Matthew provided an excellent five hour tour of the highlights of Berlin. His use of a tablet with photos, maps & videos added another level of understanding to the sites. Our group would definitely contract with Matthew on any future visits."

"Matthew was prompt, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Berlin and historical facts contributing to why it is the city it is today. We were a group of nine friends and he started the tour at the hotel where most of us were staying. Very accommodating! I would highly recommend Matthew, especially if you are first-timers to Berlin as we were."

"Matthew was a great guide, very thorough on historical knowledge. We let him suggest a restaurant for lunch, and he made a great choice. His driver Markus was also great at getting us up close to the venues before we walked. Markus had his own fascinating story to tell about his escape from East Berlin. Matthew made sure we had plenty of time at each stop. We are only in Berlin 3 days, so his City Tour was awesome for hitting many high points. We definitely recommend Matthew and Markus !!"

"What a wonderfully informative and enjoyable day! Matthew was a brilliant guide, providing all the historic background to this intriguing city. Best of all was his story telling - the human side of Berlin, with a combination of tragic and positive stories, brought it all alive. We also enjoyed the little hidden coffee and local food gems! And the combination of driving, then walking for periods, was perfect. Well worth a price premium for this level of personalised tour. Thanks, Matthew!"

"Spent a really special day with Matt and our Driver Markus during a recent 5 day visit to Berlin. It's possible we could have taken a tour, even two, a lot less costly for just 2 people, but we were in a very comfortable van and Matt took us to locations I doubt we'd have seen on a typical tour. They made it effortless for us, a nice day of just relying on Matt and Markus. It was amazing that Markus actually escaped East Berlin during the Cold War! Thanks to both of them for a lovely day."

"It was a wonderful day trip with a lot of exciting facts, incredible sightseeing and several handy points for our further staying in Berlin. Mattew combined all our wishes - a walking tour, a bicycle ride, a panorama overview - in a solid and fascinating journey through old times, recent history, and nowadays Berlin. Our high recommendations!"

"What an incredible introduction to Berlin! Matthew led us on a 6-hour tour (assisted by a van with driver) of Cold War history and sights, World War II landmarks, the German capitol center, and neighborhoods in the center. He story-told history in a super engaging way and with a book of visual aids - maps, photos, articles. He introduced us to the Turkish contribution to German lunch (the Doner kabob) and dropped us off at his favorite Biergarten a lovely 20-minute walk back to our hotel. A great day!"

"We booked Matt online for a walking tour of the Third Reich and Cold War sights of Berlin. We were not disappointed. Matt is friendly, extremely knowledgable, super attentive to his clients’ needs and flexible. We spent a fascinating 3 hours with him and packed in a lot. There ywas no question to which he didn’t have the answer. I would highly recommend Matt if you want to get under the surface of Berlin with a guide who has a deep understanding of the history of this fascinating city."

"My wife Rhonda and I spent 2 days with Matt Robinson covering various highlights of Berlin including The Third Reich, The Cold War and Contemporary Berlin. Matt's knowledge of history is outstanding, and his story telling is fascinating and unique. From the booking procedure, to then meeting Matt at our hotel, the tour organisation was effortless, professional and nothing was too much trouble. Matt was also extremely helpful & considerate of my limited mobility and offered to organise a driver to accompany our tour."

"Our Tour Guide Matt was Absolutley AMAZING, he gave very good insight in and around Berlin as well as other historic events, He was kind enough to show us some of the most amazing things as well as good places to eat in the Area, He is very knowledgeable and was a great catch, I highly recommed him as a tour guide for a one of a kind experience!"

"I am sure there is no one better to experience all the history and fun facts about Berlin than Matt. It was 1st class service since the 1st email, he was so helpful and made it the best ever tour. He makes learning fun. 100 % worth having a private tour. Thanks for everything Matt, the Canadians loved both tours, and thanks to your driver, also the best."

"Our tour was lead by Matt. He is English speaking, having grown up in England and then relocated to Germany. This man is a wealth of knowledge that far exceeds what you would expect on a standard tour. Matt was never at a loss for information when our group of 10 threw questions at him. It is hard to quantify how much he knows, but we were unable to stump him on anything we asked about. Matt is passionate about the history, but not one of those who is forcing his opinions or views down your throat. He would give us his take on it and actually encourage we formed our own thoughts. Truly a class act. I highly recommend the Berlin Experience."

"My family spent two days touring with a Matt and the two of us did another long bike ride along the Berlin Wall trail. It is a misnomer to call Matt a tour guide. It was a long conversation with an experienced journalist who will give you a highly nuanced look at the city. We used a car and driver who picked us up between stops. It was a good investment in the blistering heat. Matt also arranged our airport transfers and even found a friend ho accompanying me to inline skate at Flaeming Skate south of the city. He has a range of ideas for every interest. Native English speaker but long time resident of Berlin who is fluent in German."

"Matt Robinson was an excellent guide. Not only did we efficiently experience many top sites but the historic background information provided by Matt made our visit very meaningful. His language skills are excellent and he is humorous with quick responses. I would love to do another tour with him again."

"We recently had a financial conference in Berlin and I was tasked with arranging a tour for our clients. Matt was incredibly professional and helpful, and tailored the tour for our exact requirements. In the lead up to the tour, Matt was fast at responding to mails, he helped plan the route, he advised on drinks (saving us money) and literally thought of everything! On the day, he was an absolute hit with our guests. Matt you a dream to work with, thank you for all of your help and making our event go so smoothly. Best of luck with your company and we will definitely be sending recommendations your way!"

"My son (20yr old History student) and I spent several days in Berlin this week, part of our tour of Germany and Austria this week. On a day of sleet and even snow in April Matt was great and informative company, the Passport office was an authentic touch, and tip for dinner at Reichstag most useful, all this and some of the key spots via foot train and bus for a meaningful and insightful local experience - the view of the Wal and its area to cross, the denouement of a car park for The 3rd Reichs final rites really interesting If you want to get a First class experience tailored to your needs with people who are smart, passionate about Berlin and great company then sign up you won’t regret it"

"We did a private tour with a car of Berlin with Matt. It was a 5 hour tour which is basically highlights of Berlin tour. He is well versed with the WW-II history and beyond. Our time hours with him went way to quick. He did take us to a special cafe that has a roof top terrace where you could get the best views of Berlin which include the iconic TV tower in the back drop. I would recommend you look no further for a private guide and book him. Ps: He is booked out probably 2-3 months out."

"Had the great pleasure of spending the day with Matt on our tour of Berlin. My son is a fanatic on military history, so this tour was one he was particularly excited about. I also had my wife, mother-in-law and daughter (studying film in Bonn). The day was nothing short of spectacular! Matt did a fabulous job explaining the history of the city. We also enjoyed a nice mix of humor: Matt shared a great story about the granite bowl at the museum (why it's not indoors and extracurricular uses by the locals), certain visitors "recognition" for Hitler's bunker and the night job for the "sentries" at Checkpoint Charlie.”

"I contacted Matt Robinson at Berlin Experience having read a favourable review in Conde Nast Traveller. I was promptly send a choice of interesting themed tours but with his help I selected from them the things that I most wanted to see. Matt then provided a Mercedes with driver and was our Guide. Andreas, the driver, was helpful and Matt was charming and answered all of our questions so we had a most instructive and enjoyable afternoon which provided a perfect foundation for the rest of our week in Berlin."

"My friends and I had an incredible day touring the city of Berlin with our tour guide Matt. An English ex-pat who has called Berlin home for over a decade he knew the city inside and out. What we really appreciated was that he didn't regurgitate a script but that he tailored it by putting an emphasis on our fascination of Cold War Berlin. He gave us a lot of tips about what we could do for the rest of our time as well as great restaurant recommendations. I miss Berlin already!"

"My tour was with Matt, who I think is actually the founder of the company - I was so impressed by the depth of knowledge he had about the political history of the country, and of Berlin itself... historical knowledge, but also recent history, bits of weird trivia, which museums to go to, day trips out of the city, where to eat, cool areas to visit, etc...literally a wealth of knowledge. I was lucky to get to chat to him a bit on the tour, it was such a brilliant orientation / insight into the city - and it's such a an amazing city - I would recommend it to anyone."

"We booked a private tour with Berlin Experiences without any expectations and we were more than pleasantly surprised! The knowledge of our guide Matthew was beyond what your usual tour guide could offer. Not only was he able to provide extensive knowledge of the city and its different layers of history but his synthesis of different points of view gave us a different outlook of Berlin, which made us feel like we were let in on a secret a few people have a chance to know about or even experience."

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book a private guided tour of Berlin?

Booking a tour via our website is simply a matter of navigating to the tour page and choosing the date you would like to tour and starting time via the calendar panel on the page.

You will then be taken to a booking form, where you enter your personal details and can then choose your payment option.

Once you complete your tour booking it will then enter our system as pending until confirmed on our side (this usually takes less than an hour depending when we see the booking request).

Then within the next 24 hours we will contact your directly via the email you supply during the booking process to say hello and confirm the booking.

If you have any special requests or requirements, please add them to your booking during the checkout process and we can finalise these details via email.

How do I pay for a tour?

Through our booking platform (Rezdy), we accept all major credit cards – VISA, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, and Diners Club card.

If you would prefer to pay via bank transfer or Paypal, we can also arrange this.

Contact us via email (info@berlinexperiences.com) with any payment questions you might have.

When do the tours start?

We find that as many of our clients are holidaying in Berlin that starting slowly in the morning for our Full Day Experiences is both recommended and most rewarding.

A relaxing 10am start for our five/six hour tours also means that we can integrate a short coffee/snack break or lunch around 12:30pm.

For the Half Day Experiences, we would also recommend the same – although along with the One Hour Experiences there is more flexibility due to the reduced length of the tours.

When booking your tour, you will find the options for starting times in the booking window.

If you don’t find the time you are looking for – get in touch (info@berlinexperiences.com) and we can work something out!

Where do the tours start?

For all of our Full Day Experiences, it is possible start and finish the tour at your hotel/accomodation. Depending on the location in the city and its distance from the areas we will be exploring, it may be more advisable to start at a centrally located landmark (within the Mitte district) such as the Brandenburg Gate or Museum Island.

Our One Hour Experiences are designed with specific starting point and end points in mind – for each of these tours there is a train station nearby which is easy to reach for travellers wishing to arrive by public transportation. Check the description on the tour pages for these One Hour Experiences to see exactly where the meeting points are.

For the Half Day Experiences, it may be possible in some cases (such as the Bitesize Berlin 3 Hour Private Van Tour) to start at your accomodation also. The other tours listed have specific starting points – be they the Berlin Brandenburg Airport for the Airport Transfer Tour or the Brandenburg Gate for the Berlin Explorer Tour.

Do you customise your tours?

While each of our tours have been designed to approach a certain historical theme or aspect of the city, we can always tailor your time in the city further. Berlin is not laid out chronologically, so when exploring it is only natural that we will pass landmarks and locations that are from different periods or are worth mentioning for certain events that have taken place there.

If there is any aspect of Berlin’s history or theme that you would like to explore further we can always work on integrating relevant parts of the city into a tour you book – or suggest another tour that might be more relevant.

Don’t hestitate to get in touch if there is something you would like to explore that you don’t see as part of our catalogue of tours. Send an email to info@berlinexperiences.com and we can discuss how to best make the most of your time in our extraordinary city.

What is your cancellation policy?

As referenced in the Terms & Conditions page, we do not offer refunds on bookings made closer than one month of the tour date.

For example: if you book a tour on January 1st for July 1st, the same booking cancelled after June 1st is by that point non-refundable.

Bookings cancelled up to one month before the tour date will be refunded at 75% of the cost (100% of the booking cost minus a 25% administration fee).

If you would prefer to amend the tour date for another date this can be done at no additional cost.

As we accepted bookings through credit card payment, any cancellations made last minute due to cancelled/delayed flights or emergencies may be covered by your credit card company.

We do advise our clients to consider travel insurance to cover for unforseen circumstances. Our issued invoices can be then used to receive a refund from your insurance company or banking institution.

Cancellations can be made via email to info@berlinexperiences.com.

Can I book multiple tours?

Absolutely.

You can do this either by booking tours individually through the booking platform we used or by adding tours to the shopping card system and booking multiple tours together.

Do you accept last minute bookings?

Due to the high number of tours we have booked during the high season (April-December), we have a one week limit on our booking platform.

This means that you cannot automatically book any tour that would take place within the next 7 days through the platform.

If you would like to book a last minute tour – just because we do not list availability on our booking platform does not mean that one of our guides is not available – do get in touch via email (info@berlinexperiences.com) and we will see what we can do!

Does Matt personally lead all of the Berlin Experiences tours?

I (Matt) endeavour to lead all the tours I offer, but depending on availability may already be booked with other clients. In which case, I have a team of the best professional guides in Berlin, all with years of experience and dedication to their work, that I work with. All are members of the Berlin Guides Association, an organisation known throughout the world for its guiding excellence.

When you book you will receive a confirmation email within 24hrs to follow up on your booking and present which guides might be available and best suited for your tour/s.

Are all the suggested sights listed in your tours covered on every tour?

The sights listed in the itinerary sections of our tours are a general guide to what may be covered when booking those particular tours and not necessarily what we may be able to cover during that day.

Particular factors such as official state visits, political demonstrations, reconstruction – and even the odd bomb disposal of Second World War ordnance – can shape & reshape our path through the city.

We appreciate that every guest is different and approaches the city with different expectations and interests – and we tailor our tours accordingly. If you find something in particular that interests you then please do refer to this when contacting us so we can arrange your day accordingly.

Can you arrange an airport transfer for my day of arrival/departure?

Our professional drivers are also available for airport transfers – provided with either Mercedes Benz V-class or Volkswagen Caravelle vans.

This service is for up to 4 people – including a moderate amount of baggage (one large bag and one small bag per person).

You can book directly via the private BER airport transfer item in our booking platform.

If you are looking for a private airport transfer and require a larger vehicle for a bigger group – get in touch via email (info@berlinexperiences.com).

I am having issues with the booking process/my card was rejected.

If you are having issues booking through our booking platform – please get in touch via email ASAP (info@berlinexperiences.com) so we can see what we can do to fix the problem.

If you receive a particular error message that might be due to our booking system please do take screenshots (photos of your screen with the error) if possible.

We also accept alternative forms of payment through bank transfer/Paypal or cash on the day for clients who would prefer these methods.

Do you charge VAT on your tours?

As we are based in Germany, we charge the official 19% VAT (sales tax) – already calculated as part of the cost of our tours and the price that you see when you pay.

Additionally, we include the booking fee, guide fee, admin fee, driver and transportation costs (where applicable), and the mandatory German tourism insurances as part of the costs we present.

We aim to be 100% transparent with our services – offering a fair price for a fantastic day’s exploration!

CONTACT FORM

Get in touch and book a tour

If you have any questions about our tours – or Berlin in general – we are here to help.

You can either use the contact form provided or send an email (info@berlinexperiences.com) directly.

For last minute booking and priority requests, we are also available on Whatsapp (+4917624162526).

PHOTO CREDITS

Sachsenhausen prisoner at roll call on Appellplatz/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0003 CC-BY-SA 3.0
Sachsenhausen prisoners at the Tower A entrance/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0002 / Unknown author / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Sachsenhausen prisoners at roll call/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0008 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
SS Unterfuhrer at the Appellplatz/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0010 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Sachsenhausen visit by Wilhelm Frick and Heinrich Himmler/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-41630-0001 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Sachsenhausen prisoners move a transport wagon/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-78612-0011 / CC-BY-SA 3.0