The Soviet special camp No.7 / No. 1 1945 - 1950

A break in the silence

In 1950, the camp's closure was celebrated as a propaganda victory in the press, but the GDR was not to be reminded of it again. After the end of the cold war, the camp was also quickly forgotten in West Germany.

It was only with political changes in the GDR in 1990, which lead to the discovery of three mass graves from the special camp, that once again the history of "Stalin's camp in Germany" was to come to the attention of the public.

Ex-prisoners published their stories in the press and in 1990 a memorial stone was inaugurated on the north-eastern part of the camp's wall, where a gateway from zone I to zone II was still visible.

In 2001, the Sachsenhausen memorial and museum opened a permanent exhibition portraying the history of the special camp and replacing a previous temporary exhibition which first opened in 1992.
 

More informations:

The Soviet special camp No.7 / No. 1 1945 - 1950
Introduction to the history of the Soviet special camp No. 7 and No. 1
Construction of special camp No.7 / No.1
The camp's many uses
The prisoners are released: the camp is closed
The internees and the convicted
Life and death in the camp
A break in the silence
The museum 'Soviet special camp'