In the 1938, the Nazis converted an old brick factory 25km southeast of Hamburg into a concentration camp. Over the next seven years, countless numbers of people were imprisoned here. At least 42,900 were killed, either murdered directly, or indirectly due to the horrible living conditions.
Exhibits recount the Holocaust, both locally and nationally. Only a few historic buildings remain, but the general layout of the huge camp is shown. Take the S-Bahn to Bergedorf, then bus 227 or 327 (about one hour, €8.10).
Much less known than other camps such as Sachsenhausen near Berlin, Neuengamme was only fully opened as a memorial in 2005, after prisons on the site had been closed. Its setting amidst vast expanses of flat farmland adds a mundane horror.
You can spend a couple of hours wandering the site, reading the plaques that explain what happened where and going inside surviving buildings for the many exhibits. Combine your time here with a visit to Bullenhuser Damm Schule in Hamburg for a gruelling window into the horrors of 75 years ago.
