Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tickets

The Roll Call Square

The Roll Call Square occupies a large semicircular space directly in front of Tower A. SS commanders used this central assembly ground to conduct daily headcount roll calls of the prisoner population. Inmates stood in formation for extended hours during morning and evening inspections regardless of weather conditions. The square also contained the shoe-testing track, where designated prisoners walked long distances over varied road surfaces to test military footwear for German manufacturers.

Today, the open field retains its original geometry, bounded by gravel pathways and marker posts. Informational displays around the perimeter outline the physical punishment methods and public disciplinary actions executed on this ground during active camp operation.

The Prisoner Barracks

Barracks 38 and 39 represent the preserved living quarters inside the Jewish section of the camp. These wooden structures exhibit the overcrowded dormitories where prisoners lived under severe conditions. Inside, visitors view reconstructed triple-tiered wooden bunks, basic washing facilities, and communal dining tables. 

Informational panels explain daily routines, extreme space constraints, sanitation challenges, and the strict rules enforced by guards. The buildings also document the arson attack occurring in nineteen ninety-two that damaged original structural sections. Exploring these restored dormitories offers visitors direct insight into the physical reality of daily life inside the compound.

Prisoner uniforms and personal artifacts

Inside the preserved museum spaces and barracks exhibitions, glass display cases preserve original artifacts recovered from the camp grounds. A central display showcases the striped prisoner uniform jacket, complete with identification numbers and color-coded triangular badges sewn onto the fabric. The red triangle marked political prisoners, establishing the categorization system enforced by the SS administration.

Nearby display cabinets contain personal items including letters, shoes, dining utensils, and handmade objects created by inmates during captivity. These preserved physical remnants document the systematic dehumanization process while recording individual identities within the historical record. Visitors examine these historical artifacts to understand the daily living conditions and administrative procedures imposed on prisoners.

The Camp Kitchen and central buildings

The former camp kitchen stands near the central area, identifiable by its prominent brick chimney. This facility prepared food rations for thousands of inmates daily under strict rationing regulations. Today, the basement contains preserved historical drawings and wall paintings executed by prisoners during camp operations.

Adjacent to the kitchen, the former laundry building and administrative structures host museum exhibitions detailing the political history of the camp. Visitors explore these central structures to understand both the daily logistical management of the camp and its post-war commemorative transformation.

Perimeter wall and guard towers

The perimeter security system enclosed the entire triangular layout of the concentration camp to prevent escape attempt actions. A high concrete wall topped with electrified barbed wire formed the outer barrier, anchored by nine two-story guard towers equipped with machine guns and searchlights. Between the wall and the inner grounds lay the lethal strip, a gravel path where guards shot any prisoner who entered without warning.

Visitors view the preserved wooden entry gates, concrete posts, and restored watchtowers that defined the strict physical boundaries of the facility. The remaining physical structures clearly demonstrate the militarized security measures enforced across the grounds by the guards.

Station Z and Execution Grounds

Station Z stands at the outer perimeter of the camp complex as the dedicated execution area. Constructed in 1942, the site contained crematorium furnaces, a neck-shooting facility, and a gas chamber designed for systematic killings. The area features a sunken shooting trench accessed via a stone-paved ramp between reinforced earth embankments. At the base of the trench, wooden retaining walls absorb bullet impacts where guards executed prisoners by firing squad.

The pathway leads toward subterranean mortuary spaces and execution installations. Although SS troops attempted to destroy the facilities before fleeing in 1945, the structural foundations remain visible today under a modern protective canopy, serving as a memorial site.

Photo: "Station Z in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp" by Paalso Paal Sørensen 2008.

Closing days and special dates

The memorial grounds and the outdoor exhibitions remain accessible to the public on most days of the year, including weekends and public holidays. The administration rarely implements complete closures of the site.

However, specific facilities within the complex experience occasional schedule adjustments due to operational requirements. Visitors planning to access the library or the archive must schedule an appointment in advance, as these specific research areas do not accept walk in guests on weekends or Mondays.

How to get there

The memorial occupies a position in Oranienburg, situated 35 kilometers north of central Berlin. Travelers utilize public transit services to access the location.

Commuter train line S1 runs directly from Berlin Friedrichstraße to Oranienburg station in 45 minutes. Regional train line RE5 offers a faster transit, departing from Berlin Hauptbahnhof and reaching Oranienburg in 25 minutes. Passengers must alight at Oranienburg station rather than the separate Sachsenhausen train stop.

From Oranienburg station, visitors reach the entrance via a 20-minute walk or by boarding local bus line 804 or 821 to the Gedenkstätte stop. Drivers take highways A111 and A10 to Birkenwerder, then follow route B96 to Oranienburg.

Entrance

The entrance to the memorial complex is located at Straße der Nationen 22, 16515 Oranienburg, Germany. Visitors approach the site across a paved cobblestone plaza facing modern concrete wall panels bearing the inscription Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen (Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum). This entry point leads directly toward the main Visitor Information Center building.

Inside the reception facility, visitors access storage lockers for medium-sized bags, as safety regulations prohibit oversized luggage. Due to preserved cobblestone ground surfaces and unpaved pathways, barrier-free access remains limited, prompting management to advise visitors with physical mobility impairments to travel with an accompanying companion.

Photo: “The German concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg” by MOs810.