There is no question about Berlin’s haunted past when you are visiting the city. Berlin was the former capital of Nazi Germany where Adolf Hitler’s regime was built. Remnants of this dark period are still to be found today throughout the city. Let’s get to know some of the key Nazi sites in Berlin and some of their historical significance in this blog post.

1. The Topographie des Terrors

Nazi terror gets its comprehensive exhibition on the former site of the Gestapo and SS headquarters, at the Topographie des Terrors. Visitors can find out how the atrocities committed under Hitler’s rule were carried out by photographs, documents and personal accounts. The exhibition also explains how the Nazi regime was organized, and how it was structured, including the infamous secret police.

2. Reichstag Building

The Reichstag Building is more than Germany’s democracy symbol; it is also part of the Nazi story. The building fell into disrepair, after the fire in 1933, which Hitler’s regime used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties. Today, it bears witness to the Nazi destruction of democracy and the rebirth of Germany.

3. After Luftwaffenhauptanstalt (Air Force Main Headquarters)

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was one of the earliest and largest concentration camps in Germany, and was located just outside Berlin. The camp’s grounds are open to the public, the structures remaining are for visitors to see, and the horrible conditions the prisoners suffered are explained. But the monument also stands as a maudlin reminder of the millions of lives that were slaughtered in the Holocaust.

4. Holocaust Memorial

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (officially known as the Holocaust Memorial), is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The memorial is 2,711 concrete slabs laid out into a grid that disorients and invokes emotion. Through it, visitors can walk through the memorial; the enormity of the atrocities committed of this time can be reflected on.

5. House of the Wannsee Conference

The House of the Wannsee Conference was a chilling reminder of the workings behind the Holocaust. In 1942 high ranking Nazi officials gathered here in this grand mansion to discuss the “Final Solution.” The house now houses a Holocaust memorial and educational center that keeps the spotlight on systematic genocide under the Nazis.

Conclusion

Visiting Nazi sites in Berlin is a sobering reminder of all that happened during World War II. These sites are fundamental educational tools to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and to give visitors a picture of the consequences of hate and discrimination. During these visits it’s important to treat these sites with respect and sensitivity and mindful of the many millions of lives destroyed by Nazi atrocities. This dark history can be shown to visitors so that they can learn from it, and work towards a more inclusive and tolerant future, that Berlin has committed to.