Published on May, 2024
I was on the fence about visiting Sachsenhausen but in the end I was really glad that I made the trip and used with this outfit. To be clear, this is not a dense, academic, scripted tour but still one that thoroughly explains Sachsenhausen's uniquely grim history as, first, the Nazi's "model" concentration camp, later a Soviet "special" camp and finally a pro-communist, anti-fascist propaganda tool. What I liked about and believe differentiates this tour, is that our guide Siobhán's knowledgable commentary was filtered through a progressive, feminist lens, connecting the past with the present. (It is not heavy handed, but if this is not your political slant, this might not be the tour for you.) Siobhán was very sensitive to the extraordinary brutality, suffering, and loss of life that took place at Sachsenhausen as well as the feelings of those who visit the site, and she imparted this deference to the group. That said, while she rightfully set a respectful tone, she also managed to insert an appropriate level of levity (if that is the right word?) at certain points, so that while the tour was certainly very sad and at times absolutely sickening, I left feeling educated-- better, not broken. I will also add that a few participants (including me) had travel snags, and the outfitter was very helpful, patient and communicative. All in all, it was a very positive experience that I would recommend to friends.