The Jewish community in Germany is irate over plans by the management of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp site to start charging fees for entry and guided tours. According to a report in Der Spiegel, the move has drawn criticism from politicians and tour organizers as well.
Jewish community leader Dieter Graumann said the memorial site should remain free of charge and unrestricted to visitors. "Charging admission fees for a visit to a former concentration camp undermines today's prevailing general consensus in Germany that no restrictions should be imposed on the public in studying the history and significance of German persecution."
To avoid friction and uncomfortable situations, the management decided to collect only from tour guides, rather than collecting the fees from the tourists themselves.
According to the foundation that operates the site, the fee will be charged only to those who take part in guided tours. The fee for groups organized by private companies is one Euro per visitor.
Site Director Gunter Morsch defended the move, saying the decision was reached unanimously by the site's executive committees, whose members include representatives of Holocaust victims, the federal and local government and the Central Council of European Jews. He noted that admission remains free for individual visitors, survivors, their relatives and school groups.
