Traces of the Cold War in Western Poland

March 14, 2021 CarloRLeave a comment

The western part of Poland, today on the border with Germany, used to be largely part of the German Reich before WWI. Following the defeat of the central empires in 1918, the borders of Poland were partly redrawn, but with respect to today’s political map of Europe a large territory of what is today western Poland was still German. Most notably, the Baltic town of Gdansk (or Danzig, in German) was the port town of Poland in the interwar period, linked through a narrow corridor to the main inland region of that country. The severing of this link and the attack on Gdansk by Hitler’s forces in late summer 1939 was the first act of WWII.

With this map in mind, it is no surprise that most towns in the Polish region on the Baltic shoreline, and south to the border with today’s Czechia, are pointed with former Luftwaffe airbases, German made concrete bunkers and coastal guns similar to the Atlantic Wall (see this post for an idea). As a matter of fact, also the remarkable border forts of Czechia were put in place in the 1930s to counter warlike Hitler’s Third Reich on the other side of the border, not Poland, today bordering Czechia to the north (see this post).

Western Poland was swept by Stalin’s Red Army in the closing season of WWII in winter and spring of 1945. Soon after WWII, Poland had its borders this time totally redrawn. A new big communist state was created in central Europe, which to the uttermost delusion of the fierce local population, was basically a feud of the USSR – actually, the largest and most populated of the countries in the Eastern Bloc.

Just like any other country in Moscow’s suffocating embrace, Poland was strongly militarized. The armed forces of Poland were among the most developed branches of the Polish state, but this was just a part of the overall picture. As soon as the former Allied forces of WWII split, and the USSR became an undeclared enemy of Western democracies in the late 1940s, a strategic Soviet force was installed in Poland, taking over many formerly German military assets in the western region. The Northern Group of Forces was the name of the branch of Soviet military deployed to Poland.

As the strategy for a war in Europe envisaged by the Soviets was based on a kind of nuclear-assisted blitzkrieg-style westward push from the border between the Eastern and Western Blocs, the westernmost regions of the Soviet satellite countries on the border with the west were the most heavily reinforced. These included all the territory of the strongly Soviet-presided German Democratic Republic (see for instance this and this post, but there are really many on this topic on this website, and a dedicated book as well!), western Poland, western Czechoslovakia (i.e. Czechia), and to a lesser extent also Hungary (see for instance here) and Bulgaria.

Traces of the Cold War are very abundant in Poland, where they have received a generally greater attention in later times than in other former communist dictatorships, with some good examples of preservation, besides an array of inevitably abandoned and rotting facilities. These traces include both Polish and Soviet relics.

Some conspicuous Cold War leftovers in Poland have been described in this post, a brilliant example of preservation of a nuclear bunker, and also here. In this one, some more are shown, either preserved or abandoned, Soviet or Polish. They include the abandoned Soviet command bunker in Legnica, the partly abandoned Soviet airbases of Chojna and Kolbrzeg, the Museum of the Polish Artillery in Torun, the Polish command bunker on the island of Wolin (‘Vineta Battery’) and the one-of-a-kind nuclear fallout control bunker in Kalisz. The war cemetery in the fortress of Poznan is also portrayed as a special feature – a unique testimony of the dramatic history of Poland in the 20th century.

Photographs are from a trip to the area in 2020.

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Soviet Northern Group of Forces Command Bunker, Legnica
Chojna Abandoned Soviet Airbase
Kolobrzeg Abandoned Soviet Airbase
Museum of Artillery, Torun
Nuclear Fallout Control Bunker, Kalisz
Vineta Battery – Polish Army Command Bunker
Poznan War Cemetery & Soviet Memorial

Sights

Soviet Northern Group of Forces Command Bunker, Legnica

The role of the town of Legnica in Poland during the years of Soviet occupation was comparable to that of Wünsdorf in the German Democratic Republic (see this post). It was here that the Northern Group of Forces, i.e. the branch of the Red Army stationed in Poland, had its headquarters. Just like Wünsdorf, operations in Legnica could count on dedicated high-security facilities.

A complex of underground halls, connected by a network of tunnels, formed a nuclear-proof command and control center, capable of fully operating for more than a week without resupply from the outside world. Different from Wünsdorf, this extended network was prepared in the trees at a certain distance from the stately ‘official’ buildings of downtown Legnica, precisely west of the small village of Wilkocin.

The secret bunker in Wilkocin is actually formed by two separate items, once in the middle of an extensive fenced and strongly defended area, totally impenetrable and guarded by watchmen and watchdogs.

The western item, isolated in the sand dunes typical of this area, yet actually not far from the village of Wilkocin, was partly visible from the surface. The codename of this installation was ‘Syrius’, and it was a reserve command post for the western war theater, i.e. the war in central Europe, to be fought along the border with NATO forces, in case the Cold War should have turned ‘hot’.

A group of apparently normal buildings form the visible part of this complex. The latter might have been more numerous, and perhaps demolition works have stricken in the recent past – the site is basically abandoned since the early 1990s when the Soviets quit. Traces of colored floor tiles, electric wires with voltage indications in Russian – many items recall more or less explicitly the Soviet tenancy of this place.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

A small water tank/pool and some service buildings can be found in the area at the base of the low-rise mound where the biggest building of the complex is.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Traces of the original camouflage can be seen still today on the walls. Also the building date – 1983, a relatively recent date – is clearly reported on a sidewall.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

The invisible, underground part of this complex can be accessed from small hatches, surfacing all around the main building, and even inside it – albeit the latter have been obstructed for safety, since the building is really rotting.

The underground part of the complex is basically made of a long straight corridor, giving access to an array of halls placed at a 90 degrees angle with respect to it. These halls vary in size. Some of them are really small, and were possibly intended for storing supplies, for sleeping stationing troops, or as technical rooms.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Traces of direction signs in Russian can be seen on the walls.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Some of these smaller halls are also interconnected, creating a kind of labyrinth. Tight doors were likely installed between adjoining rooms. They are gone now, but the passages between the rooms in the bunker are very small and make moving around difficult.

Not all of the halls were on the same level, so stairs can be found here and there.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

To the far end of the main corridor, a much larger hall greatly resembles the military air control center in Wünsdorf, perhaps its intended purpose in the days of operations.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Behind this larger hall, technical rooms might have been designed for gear to support control and monitoring operations – computers, projectors, etc. A long tunnel takes you outside directly from this area.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Back inside, the main corridor ends in a descending flight of stairs, giving access to another roomy hall. There used to be (likely) a massive tight door here, as suggested by traces in the walls.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

This final hall is rather peculiar, having a kind of smaller control cabin in it.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

From the outside, the cusp profile of the latter hall surfaces from the side of a hill, taking the shape of a hangar with two entrances – possibly a garage for radars or antennas, linked and providing data to the adjoining hall, likely a control room.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

A walk of about 1 mile to the southeast of the first item takes you to the second bunker in the secluded area of Wilkocin. Codenamed ‘Tuman’ (meaning ‘fog’ in Russian) in Soviet times, this was the central communication node of the Northern Group of Forces. Differently to the ‘Syrius’ item, this second facility was built totally underground.

The only surfacing components are an array of bulky but relatively small concrete constructions, possibly the base for electric/electronic gear like aerials, capacitors, or something alike.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Concrete hatches give access to very steep, narrow and long staircases, taking you down into the core of the hill.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

The ‘Tuman’ item is basically articulated along two long parallel corridors, with halls between them.

The function of the halls is today hard to guess. Some unusual features, maybe associated to the original role of the corresponding rooms, are the different, often bright colors of the walls and ceiling, ranging from orange, to lurid green, to sooth black.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

In some spots, the pavement is covered with ‘elaborated’ tiles, unexpected in an underground military facility.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Traces of hardware are relatively few, and include a few lamps, metal pipes emerging from the walls, and some cabinets with writing in Russian.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

The numerous interconnections between the halls, tunnels and passages in this bunker result in a very complicated labyrinth!

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

The majority of the halls are similar in structure. A couple are roomier and feature a significantly taller ceiling.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

The sand of the dunes outside has somehow managed to come in one of the halls!

The secluded location of these mysterious and silent bunkers, isolated deep in the trees and far from any populated settlement, makes for a very thought-provoking walk.

Legnica Poland Soviet Command Post Underground Bunker North Group of Forces

Getting there and moving around

This site is an interesting example of ‘semi-wild’ conservation. It is advertised by means of dedicated explanatory panels in the village of Wilkocin, and can be reached leaving your car there and taking well-maintained trails to the two items. Actually, both bunkers are also sanctuaries for bats. Once there, you can explore the underground networks without restrictions, and modern emergency exit routes are also visible on the walls. However, the tunnels and halls are completely dark, and there is no map. Visiting is at your own risk. So a torchlight and a good sense of direction are required if you are visiting alone. Yet given the limited size of these bunkers and the many exits, you are not likely to run into any trouble. In my view, this is a good compromise for interested people to visit these historically relevant installations, which are not being demolished, but left to interested people without spending a cent of public money to preserve them.

Due to the size of the area and the walk required to reach the points of interest from the parking in Wilkocin, you might easily spend 4 hours exploring this site thoroughly. Due to the location, pretty far from everything, it is likely you will not meet a single person for the whole duration of your stay – this may add much to the ghost aura of the place. Cell phone coverage is so-so, and obviously null inside the bunkers. You might better go with some offline maps (Google maps of the area are fine, as you are not required to move out of technical roads, clearly visible from satellite pictures).

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Airbase

The western districts of Poland hosted basically all Soviet airbases to be found on the territory of this country. This was clearly connected with the strategy of the USSR in case of a war in Europe. Having most offensive forces ready for action along the border with the West meant a significant time advantage in the quick invasion of core Europe and the rush to the North sea, which were in the plans of the top-ranking military in Moscow in case of an outbreak of hostilities.

Actually, the Soviets did not have trouble in finding suitable locations for growing modern airbases in this area – the Luftwaffe had in this district an outstanding number of airfields. Chojna, known as Königsberg before 1945, was one of them.

The Soviets took control of this airport in February 1945, and since them it became one of the most developed in Poland. Today, the airport is basically closed except for minor ultralight operations. However, its original size and prominence can be appreciated moving around its premises – today possible, as the former taxiways and service roads have been turned into car traffic roads, albeit not much used except by the local companies who have taken over some of the original hangars.

Among the many interesting sights of this former airbase, the runway is – as of 2020 – basically intact! This makes for a very unusual and impressive sight – the length of the runway is remarkable, since the airbase was potentiated over the years, and in the closing stage of the Cold War, the Soviets operated from here with massive Sukhoi Su-27 fighters (late 1980s).

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

Differently from western standards, the Soviets always preferred runway surfaces made of relatively small adjoining concrete slabs.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

In connection with the operation of larger fighters, in the form of Su-27, Chojna was one of a handful airbases in the Soviet empire to receive the AU-19 type shelter, the biggest in the inventory of the Soviet air forces.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

Only a few of these hangars were built, and today some of them in Chojna have been sadly demolished.

Along the main taxiway running parallel to the runway, smaller AU-11 shelters can be found – their size being compatible with MiG-15 or MiG-21, both types operating from Chojna over the years – converted for storage by local companies or private owners.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

A larger maintenance hangar has been taken over by a major engineering company.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

Another remarkable feature of Chojna is a well preserved ‘Granit’-type bunker. This type of bunker was the lightest and cheapest in the Soviet inventory. It could serve different functions, from theater missile storage, tactical nuclear ordnance storage, reinforced command bunker, etc.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

The actual function of the bunker in Chojna is shrouded into mystery, but similar bunkers can be found in association with tactical nuclear deterrent in Poland (see this post). This might suggest the presence of air-dropped nuclear weapons in this airbase, at some point in history.

Chojna Abandoned Soviet Air Base Poland

Despite too populated and lively to evoke a thick Soviet ghost aura (unlike several bases in the GDR, see for instance this post), Chojna is definitely worth a quick visit for the many unique spots it still offers, as well as for the ease of touring it moving around by car.

Getting there and moving around

Chojna is pretty close to the German border, some 30 miles south of Szczecin. The airbase is located south of the town, with now public roads providing access from the former Soviet village originally for the troops, today normally inhabited by the local population. A visit of less than one hour may cover most of the spots. The ‘Granit’-type bunker can be found in the south-western corner area of the base, with access just south of the western extremity of the runway.

Kolobrzeg Abandoned Soviet Airbase

The airport of Kolbrzeg is actually not really abandoned. Originally a Third Reich’s Luftwaffe installation, the Soviets took over this airfield, located right on the Baltic shoreline, potentiating it through a much longer runway, and turning the original German one into a taxiway and apron.

Today, the long Soviet runway is still used for general aviation operations, with private Cessna and Cirrus aircraft flying to this touristic location.

Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland

However, the airport was too big for the traffic it needs to support today. Hence large parts of the former area have been opened to public car traffic, and abandoned shelters from Soviet tenancy can be found scattered around.

The area of the apron, with large concrete slabs making the pavement, can be freely walked and allows to appreciate the big size of this air base.

Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland

Part of the original technical hangars, likely dating back to Hitler’s era, have been re-used by local companies.

Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland

Similar to Chojna (see above), Kolobrzeg once had a ‘Granit’-type bunker built on its premises. Unfortunately, this was selected for demolition, and nothing remains of it today.

Kolobrzeg Soviet Airbase Poland

Getting there and moving around

The airport of Kolobrzeg can be found about 3 miles east of the village, along the Baltic shoreline. The former German-then-Soviet village is today a tourist destination (name Podczele), thanks to the proximity with the beach. You may have a quick visit by car to the airport area, moving along the old Soviet taxiways, before parking on the former apron and going to the beach.

Museum of Artillery, Torun

Just east of remarkable UNESCO-town Torun, the small collection of the Museum of Artillery makes for an interesting detour from the touristic path. This museums occupies the westernmost building of the School of Artillery of the Polish Army, still active today.

The collection is clearly centered mainly on artillery, documenting the history and potential of this branch of the military with an interesting collection of shells, fuzes, warheads, cannons, howitzers and firearms mostly from the 20th century and up to our days.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

Being a Soviet satellite for the whole duration of the Cold War, Poland received war material made in the USSR in large lots. Among the artifacts on display, didactic cutouts of Soviet warheads from theater missiles are extremely interesting.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

Computational range-finding gear of Soviet make is also on display.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

The diversity of shells and fuzes is always striking – some of the fuzes look like high-precision clock mechanisms.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

To the outside, you are allowed a view of the courtyard of the school of artillery (inaccessible at the time of my visit), with a collection of heavier weapons. It appears however that the collection is loosing some of the items on display in the Cold War years, maybe for restoration, or for displaying them in other collections.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

In a small depot on the side of the museum building it is possible to find a restoration shop, where they are actively working on the refurbishment of some heavier pieces of artillery.

Museum of Artillery Torun Poland

Getting there and moving around

The museum can be accessed at this coordinates: 53.019260130760934, 18.623310804318898. It is a about .5 miles northeast of the central touristic district of Torun. You will find a rather unapparent pedestrian gate with a doorbell. You will be immediately admitted upon ringing the doorbell. Parking is not easy in the area. Visiting may take about 30-40 minutes for an interested subject. Unfortunately, explanations are in Polish only, but the museum staff is welcoming and they will try their best to let you get the most out of your visit. Website here.

Nuclear Fallout Control Bunker, Kalisz

Really a one-of-a-kind witness of the Cold War on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, the perfectly restored and preserved bunker in Kalisz can be found in the basement of a standard residential home.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

The secret bunker unveils today a complex and careful administration of the Polish territory, in view of a possible nuclear war to be fought in this country. This installation, run by the Polish government since the 1960s, besides serving as a crisis reporting point, was a central node for the administrative district having its capital city in Kalisz. The main standard function of the bunker was that of collecting and elaborating meteorological information from several sub-nodes of the reporting network, thus elaborating a map of the winds which was regularly updated.

The scope of this very precise meteorological forecast was that of estimating the likely evolution of a potential nuclear fallout, in case of a nuclear attack. Based on this information, the national Army could be sent in a direction or another, avoiding contaminated hot spots, evacuation operations of the local population could be carried out with a good knowledge of the actual risk, and so on.

The bunker could also trigger a nuclear attack alarm for the population of Kalisz, and it could host the local government representatives to ensure the survival of the chain of command.

The bunker is about 5.000 square feet, on a single underground level. It is articulated along a single corridor, with several rooms accessible on the sides. A unique feature – most of the original hardware is still there!

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

Designed to be autonomous in a nuclear fallout scenario, the bunker could be accessed via an airlock closed by tight doors, and had its own power generator.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

Another room hosts battery packs, again for power supply.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

The bunker was constantly guarded, and linked with the communication network of the Polish government. A communication room, today still featuring its original telephone console, served this scope. The shift spending the night there could make use of a basic bedroom.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

The core of the bunker can be found to the end of the corridor.

Here a set of telephone booths were used by the personnel of the bunker to collect information from peripheral reporting points, dislocated on the territory controlled by the Kalisz bunker.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

The information were gathered and reported on a paper map on a pivoting table on the wall. This table was then turned by 180 degrees, the info was received by the commanding staff in an adjoining room – so that decisions were not heard by the low-level operators of the telephone booths.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

A highlight of this already impressive show is the still powered reporting & control console, which allowed to issue orders to other nodes of the network. A custom-built map of the district controlled by the central bunker in Kalisz, with multicolored lamps indicating the status of each peripheral node, can be still operated (even though the outgoing links are now severed), providing a very lively evocation of how the bunker control room looked like in the days of operation.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

The command room nearby, where people in charge could elaborate their tactics, still resembles its original appearance, with example maps of the meteorology report on a large table.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

Another interesting room is the air-filtering room, another essential element in assuring the survival of the bunker staff in case of an attack.

Kalisz Fallout Shelter Poland Schron Przeciwatomowy

All in all, this is really a unique top-level relic of the Cold War, also witnessing the almost paranoid effort devoted to the detailed preparation of a nuclear war, which luckily never materialized.

Getting there and moving around

The address of the bunker museum is Graniczna 20, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland. There is no sign to reach it, and it is rather mimetic – it was built for deception, and it is still hard to spot it these days! The official page is not clearly defined, but you can find some information here and here, or by searching the web for the Polish name of this site, ‘Schron Atomowy Kalisz’. Actually, the house is today used by a charitable foundation for mentally impaired people, who contributed to the restoration process.

Visiting is only possible on a guided tour, which is offered by the staff of the charitable foundation – very knowledgeable and friendly. To visit during the hours of operation, just drop in the house and find a person from the staff. I was offered a shining personalized visit by a brilliant guy speaking a perfect English.

Visiting will take about 45 minutes. Parking is possible on the street around the house, located in a nice residential borough. Highly recommended for everybody with an interest in the Cold War period!

Vineta Battery – Polish Army Command Bunker

The stronghold of Swinoujscie on the coast of the Baltic Sea, today right on the border between Poland and Germany, was formed at a time when the region was still part of the German Empire, and later of Hitler’s Third Reich. At that time, the name of the town was Swinemünde. Military facilities built in the years of the Kaiser included a massive fortress overlooking the seaport. In the years of Nazi dictatorship, right before the beginning of WWII, a larger area on Wolin island was put under military control to the east of the town, and a powerful battery with four coastal guns was put in place. A prototype of the numerous batteries soon to be built along the Atlantic Wall (for instance in France and Denmark), in Swinemünde the guns were protected by sturdy concrete bunkers open to the sides. These firing positions were complemented by a dedicated command command bunker, with range finders and aiming gear, communication gear, receiving data from a ‘Würzburg Riese’ radar in the vicinity. Also ammo storage bunkers, and half-interred concrete barracks for all the troops stationed on site were part of this fort.

Two batteries were actually built in close vicinity to one another, Goeben and Vineta, complemented with different types of guns.

Due to the evolution of the front line during WWII, these batteries saw little action. They were involved in the final attempt to repel the invading Red Army from the innermost German territory, in the closing stages of the war in 1945. Captured by the Soviets and stripped of any valuable hardware, these batteries were ceded back to the newly re-formed communist Polish government.

Under the dark clouds of the Cold War, the configuration of the new borders between the opposite blocs put the Baltic coast again on the front line. Vineta battery was heavily militarized again, and the Polish army created here a forward command post, reinforced to sustain a nuclear attack in the event of an armed conflict against NATO forces. The four firing stations of Vineta were partly interred and converted to serve as nodes in the command post, and in the 1960s finally linked by a long underground tunnel. The aiming station became the control room for the theater of war coordinated from Vineta.

The fort was one of the few high-level command posts in Poland, a top-secret location, visited since the 1960s to the 1980s by the top-ranking military staff in Poland including Wojciech Jaruzelski (at the time minister of defense, later secretary general of the communist party of Poland in the 1980s), during frequent war drills.

Left by the government after the end of communism, today the Vineta facility has been restored and opened to the public.

The original fence is still in place, and the entrance gate has been surrounded by a few original military vehicles, as well as a tactical missile!

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

From this fence a walk in the trees drives you through an inner guard line. Further on, you meet the sequence of former gun batteries, today barely visible after the Polish redesign of the Cold War years, when the bunkers where more thoroughly interred for a more effective protection.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

You get access to the Cold War bunker from the far end of the complex, corresponding to the former easternmost gun position. Here also a major entry checkpoint from the Cold War era can be found, with a double gate and turret.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

A long tunnel connects all posts in the battery, and was put in place by the Polish army in the 1960s.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

One of the four firing stations was turned into a communication center during the Cold War. Much original communication gear is still in place, and the sight is made more vivid by leaving much of the electric cabinets with lights on, as in the days of operation!

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

Original instructions and notice boards complete the scene.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

A second former gun station was converted into a medical facility, with nuclear decontamination gear, as well as field emergency and medical rooms.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

Interestingly, some rooms in the naval gun bunkers have been restored to their original Third Reich appearance, when they were used to store gun shells, or as sleeping rooms for the troops, and for food storage.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

Possibly the pinnacle of the visit is the command center, to be found in the former range finding and aiming station of the battery. The former German bunker was turned by the Polish army into a military reporting and command center for the Baltic theater of war.

Access from the tunnel link is via a blast-proof tight door.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

A short corridor interrupted by lighter tight doors gives access to a communication room and another technical room to one side.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

To the far end of the corridor, you finally reach the main control room. The dome once used for the aiming gear was removed and closed, creating a roomy vault. This makes the bunker less oppressive than similar places elsewhere (see for instance here). However, the almost triangular plan of the room is a bit unusual.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

Computers and communication gear are all aligned along the side walls, where also large transparent panels with maps and instructions can be found. All gear is original, and make the sight very evocative!

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

In a bay to the side of the room, further communication gear can be found, likely for receiving reports and issuing cryptographed orders.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

A very interesting original map created in the 1970s by a renowned strategist of the Polish army, colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, is one of the very interesting items on display. It portraits the likely tactics of a NATO attack to the Eastern Bloc as imagined by the communist side, and the corresponding war plan for the front in the central regions of Europe. Targets to be attacked with nuclear warfare are clearly evidenced on both sides. It is noteworthy that most of the targets for the Warsaw Pact forces are close to the coast of the North Sea, in Belgium and the Netherlands. This is in accordance with the general Soviet plans in the event of an escalation of the Cold War in Europe – pushing through central and northern Germany, to the coast of the North Sea.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

Conversely, a major direction of attack for NATO forces is from Denmark towards the Baltic coast in Poland. Also, nuclear targets for NATO include locations in the easternmost districts of the GDR, as well as in western Poland, in order to slow down the push of communist troops towards the west. Interestingly, in the GDR, two target areas for a nuclear attack include that of the airbases of Wittstock and Lärz, as well as the area of Templin, Vögelsang, Fürstenberg and Lychen.

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

The display is completed by two further rooms, a top-secret map room for the council of war, and an adjoining ‘residential’ room for the convenience of the commander of the war theater. A lay-figure of minister Jaruzelski can be found today!

Vineta Battery Polish Cold War Command Bunker Underground Citadel Poland

With the help of a dim lighting recreating the atmosphere, the location is very evocative of the years of military tension of the Cold War. Really a must see for everybody interested in that era!

Getting there and moving around

Despite being a top-ranking touristic destination, access is a bit deceptive. As of 2020, you need to park here (53.897569360523896, 14.333278841237572), go by foot past a working railway yard, and reach the original entrance some 0.3 miles north, with a walk along a very easy unpaved road.

The place can be toured on guided tours only, with a closed number of guests, entering on a first come, first served scheme. The friendly guide gave most speeches in Polish only, but after knowing I could not understand, he also provided info just for me in very good English. No credit cards accepted at the entrance booth. The tour takes about 1 hour, and is totally recommended for anybody with an interest in history, as well as of course for Cold War-minded people. Website with information here.

Poznan War Cemetery & Soviet Memorial

One of the largest cities in Poland, beautifully restored Poznan offers a remarkable list of points of artistic and historical interest. Comprehensibly in the list of overlooked spots in this vibrant town, a witness of the troubled 20th century history of Poland can be found in the war cemetery of Poznan, located in the peaceful park of the fortress.

Pushed from the sides by the central empires and by czarist Russia, Poland obtained an official status following WWI, only to find itself entangled in a defensive border war against the Russian Bolsheviks immediately after. The latter were fighting fiercely at that time, to impose their rule everywhere in the former territory of the Russian Empire, as well as the adjoining provinces historically under Russian influence.

Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland

World War Two, of course, is the responsible for most of the graves in the cemetery, which albeit in different sectors, is the resting place for soldiers of all Nations involved in the fight.

These include British troops. The corresponding sector has taken the typical official style of British war cemeteries (see this post).

Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland

German troops are present, and of course Soviet troops as well. Some of the Soviet soldiers were decorated with the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ order, duly recalled in their gravestones.

Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland

The end of WWII in Poland is celebrated as a victory of the Red Army, helped at that time by the Polish Army – the history of the latter in WWII is particularly complicated, since the Polish State was basically forcibly dissolved in the initial stages of WWII, by agreement of then-non-belligerent Stalin and Hitler, thus leaving the national army more or less without a chain of command and a definite territory to defend. A monument to this cooperation can be found not far from the war cemetery.

Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland

Much more noticeable, a focal point in the fortress park is a tall obelisk, a monument to the Red Army. This was built soon after WWII, in the years of Stalin’s apotheosis. As a result, similar to other likewise monuments in Europe (like in Berlin, see here), quotes of Stalin can be found close to the base, next to an interesting Soviet-style bas-relief.

Poznan Citadel War Cemetery and Soviet Memorial Poland

Getting there and moving around

The citadel is a huge park north of the city center. Very popular among the locals, it offers plenty of parking opportunities around. The war cemetery is located next to the Soviet monumental obelisk, which can be spotted from a distance. A walk in the war cemetery may take around 15 minutes, a possible part of a longer walk in the park.

Forst Zinna – A Soviet Ghost Base in Germany

December 28, 2019February 19, 2021 CarloR1 Comment

The area of Jüterbog, about one hour driving south of downtown Berlin, boasts a long military tradition since well before the Cold War. Yet the most astonishing density of military installations in this region was reached in the years of the Third Reich, and later in the decades of Soviet occupation, lasting until the early 1990s.

Many chapters of this website are devoted to the subject of Soviet occupation in the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR), with portraits of many military bases over its former territory (see for instance this chapter, and links therein). These either belonged to the NVA, the armed forces of the GDR, or the Red Army of the Soviet Union, which retained a significant military presence in the GDR all along the Cold War, despite this country being formally independent.

This chapter deals with one of such military bases, Forst Zinna. This base stands out in the East German panoram, due to the intriguing history of the place on one side, but also thanks to the plenty of interesting sights you may find there (as of mid-2019) – whereas many other similar abandoned installations have been wiped out by local governments, sometimes to be converted into something else.

The large military base at Forst Zinna was founded at the dawn of the Third Reich in the mid-1930s, and named after the führer, Adolf Hitler. The core was constituted by a set of solid multi-storey buildings, aligned along at least four parallel rows about a third of a mile in length, built in a typical old-German style. These hosted barracks and training rooms, used by an artillery and transportation school. There were also many service buildings, like canteens, sport and administration facilities. The base was operated by the Wehrmacht until the end of WWII, when the region was conquered by the Red Army. Thanks to its design, featuring large halls and common spaces, it was selected immediately after WWII to host an academy for future German functionaries of the yet-to-be-founded GDR (or DDR, the German acronym for the GDR).

The place was decorated and refurbished reflecting the style of the new communist owners and the cultural paradigms enforced by Stalin. Just before the latter’s death, in February 1953 the academy was transferred, and Forst Zinna was handed over to the Soviet army. They further enlarged the base, adding storage areas, small farms for food production, technical buildings, plus over the years some new housing.

The end of the story is similar to many military areas in the GDR. The Soviets finally left, the bases were too many for reunified Germany in a post-Cold War scenario, so most of them were either demolished, converted or forgotten. Forst Zinna has been largely demolished, but some of the buildings, built before the end of WWII, are reportedly registered as landmarks. The whole area is sitting in the wild vegetation and is not really looked after, but much is still there and makes for a mysterious memento of past vicissitudes Germany managed to survive. To the war historian and urbex fanatic as well, Forst Zinna has really much in store.

Photographs in this post were collected during two long visits in July and August 2019.

Sights

The base occupies a roughly square area, with a side about .8 miles long. For making the description easier, its premises can be divided into four ideal sectors.

The barracks area to the southwest, where you also find an easy access to the base, is populated with the oldest buildings, erected well before WWII. These comprise living quarters, school-like buildings, canteens, administration buildings, at least one gym, a theater, an open-air movie theater, a prison, and more. There are also a couple of clearly distinguishable Soviet-built apartment buildings, much more recent and taller than their neighbors.

To the north of the base you can find a sizable area which likely hosted a huge deposit for vehicles, as well as other technical facilities. Here demolition works have stricken hard, and today only a few buildings are still in place. Yet these include what appears as a centralized power/hot water supply plant, as well as large services for the troops, which make for interesting pictures.

In the third sector to the northeast, a large U-shaped technical building hosts a unique room with Soviet memorabilia. In this area you can find also a swimming pool, a football field with nice Soviet murals, and much dumped military material. Also here demolition works must have been carried out at an early post-Soviet stage, as vegetation has already grown over the debris.

Finally, to the west of the perimeter but next to it, you can find a ghost monument from soviet times.

You can find aerial pictures of the Forst Zinna base in this chapter.

Southwestern Area – Most of the Barracks and Older Buildings

Accessing the base via the southwestern corner, you immediately meet the the first original buildings from the pre-WWII period. They are painted in a nice dark yellow.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

From the pics you can appreciate the length of the blocks in this part of the base. Among other spectral items, former notice-boards for activities in the base, like the movie theater, or for the latest news.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The perimeter is marked by a concrete wall running very close to one of the rows of buildings. The walls appear decorated with didactic explanations of something technical.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Entering the buildings, you may find tons of derelict memorabilia items, including hand-written registers, book covers, etc., all in Russian. Something in no shortage in the base is surely restrooms! There are really many.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The actual function of the buildings needs to be guessed, but some must have been used as schools – or even kindergartens – at least in Soviet times, when modern housing was added to the base also for the families of the troops. This theory maybe supported by the type of decoration you sometimes find in these buildings.

Walking in some of the taller yellow buildings, likely hosting also some living areas in the years of operation, you soon perceive the style is clearly pre-Soviet – too elaborated for USSR standard, and typically German. The age of the buildings can be judged also by the heating system, based on tiled stoves fed with coal. Traces of coal can still be seen in the corridors, where the stoves were loaded!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The stairs are particularly nice in style. You are not encouraged to climb upstairs, especially in those buildings were the roof is leaking. Under the roof you can appreciate the wooden structure supporting the external tiles.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Some rooms of these buildings used to host other services, like for instance a – likely – tailor, or uniform shop, as you can see from the furniture and from the explanatory sign.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Close to the southwestern corner of the base you can find two twin apartment buildings in a typical shabby Soviet style, possibly dating to the 1970s.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The size of the apartments is incredibly small! They are apparently small one-room unities, with an extra-small kitchenette and a microscopical bathroom. On the plus side, all have a balcony on the facade.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Leftovers of the original furniture are abundant here – as you may see, everything is extremely poor quality. In some of the bathrooms you may find some stickers decorating the wall, and even traces of toilet paper holders!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The ‘Soviet ghost’ aura here is extremely intense, as everyday items can be found everywhere, like the troops had just left. In the backyard of these buildings you can find remains of a playground, broken bicycles, and even traces of hanging wires!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Just ahead of these buildings, you can see a mystery one-storey tunnel structure made of a set of progressively smaller sections – making it look like a weird ‘telescopic building’. It is clearly from a relatively late age, maybe one of the last additions to the complex.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

One of the blocks adjoining the taller buildings to the south is a small (likely) elementary school, with a nice indoor gym, as well as a fenced outdoor playground. Soviet playground designers made extensive use of old tires. Here they are even painted in bright colors!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

North of the school, you meet an array of smaller buildings along the perimeter of the base, but their function remains to guess.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The long rows of yellow barracks are interspersed with areas or buildings dedicated to special functions. For instance, at some point you can find a rather large open-air training area, with many types of ladders, balance axes, leapfrogs and more training rigs still in place, albeit completely surrounded by wild vegetation.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Another item is apparently a school building, with a typical academy-style front facade, and classrooms inside. By this building there is also a kind of small firefighting post (not sure), which includes a cylinder bell with a nice sound – really weird, complementing the unreal silence of this place!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There are at least two large canteen buildings. In the first you find very big kitchen rooms, with large ventilation hoods and stoves still in place.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There are also storage rooms, some with wooden trays, maybe for bread, or maybe for putting trays after lunch.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

In the second canteen, even larger, you can find also remains of a Soviet decorated wall, with traces of writings and small paintings.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Other special buildings, close to one of the canteens, include a nice greenhouse.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There is also a relatively large open-air movie theater, with a covered stage and uncovered seats for the public. The benches are gone, but their legs remain. The machine room to the back is in a really bad shape.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

To one side of the open-air movie theater you can find one of the strangest items in the base. It is an area severed from the others by a serious barbed-wire fence – still difficult to go through! In this kind of ‘private garden’ you can find two explanatory signs in Cyrillic, and what appear to be gym gear for fight training. There is also as a small monument – or a grave? – composed of a glass obelisk planted on a delimited area on the ground.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Even weirder, the adjoining building features very small windows… an exploration of this building allows to clarify its purpose – it used to be a prison, the small windows being on the sidewalls of the cells! There are four cells at least, with peepholes in the doors. Everything very similar in style to the Soviet prison in Karosta, Latvia, except you can’t experience the thrill of sleeping in ‘safely’ – see this post!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Not far from the fenced courtyard you can find a naive wall painting portraying two tanks transported on railway trolleys. One of the troopers has been stricken by an electric shock, as apparently his rifle touched the high-voltage cables over the railway – oh no!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There are also sport-themed murals on a fence. A building nearby looks like a garage for a small vans or for cars, maybe a mechanics shop or similar. There is also a storage room with nice wooden paneling.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The garden + prison ensemble may be interpreted as a military-police-run part of the base, likely an unwelcoming sector of the installation in its heyday! Not far you can find also an academy building with large halls, including a former gym. The vocation of the place is witnessed by a sport-themed mural.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Another special building close by the mystery quarters probably used to be a club, with a kitschy decorated room, and another gym area, with another interesting sport-themed mural. Some of the less explicitly Soviet murals may date to the years immediately after WWII, when Forst Zinna was a training academy for future key-figures of the ‘political life’ (?) of the GDR.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Another interesting building can be found to the northern end of this sector of the base. Some decorative details look more modern than the age of the base. It looks like there was a kind of glass-covered patio, or a large greenhouse.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

A highlight of the northern part of this sector is the large theater building. Unfortunately, the roof of the theater room has recently collapsed completely, destroying everything below it. Yet the foyer was spared, with one of the most famous Soviet murals in the GDR. Considering the style, it must date from a relatively recent Soviet age, even though the military gear in the portrait is not really recent.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Still in place is the coat hangers area, with some inscription in Russian on the wall nearby. The building – well, what remains of it – is likely from pre-WWII times.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

To the northwestern end of the barracks sector, cross the main former access road to the base, you can find traces of Soviet monuments, with stylized troopers, a huge concrete Red Banner flag and information signs, everything in a rather bad shape, and attacked by the wild vegetation.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Nearby you can find an administration building, nice in style, but again in a very bad shape, and with a partly-collapsed roof. Yet this building hosts something of great interest for pickier explorers and Cold War historians. A couple of rooms likely hosted a logistic or travel service, and here you can find at least three well-preserved maps of the USSR!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The first is a smaller-scale topographic map, and is the worst conserved. The corresponding office was really shabby, with the lowest quality furniture. What appears interesting here is a set of electric power metering rigs or switches, with hand-written labeling in German – maybe from the years of Wehrmacht tenancy?

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The second map is a very big political map of the USSR, with all the Soviet Socialist Republics. You may spend an hour looking at all the particulars! The map is from 1971. You can find places like Voroshilovgrad, Leningrad, Chernobyl, Riga, Poliarnyi, Semipalatinsk, Gorkij, Leninakan, all within the boundaries of the Soviet Union – names strongly bound to real world or fiction plots from the Cold War! Some of these locations have even changed their names!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The third map is an even more unique portrait of the railway lines of the USSR, presented in great detail – the map, from 1981, occupies an entire wall. Here you can also find interesting names and places, like Tashkent, Gori – Stalin’s birthplace in Georgia, see this chapter – or Borjomi, where one of the most famous water springs of the Czarist Empire is still active, producing mineral water you can find everywhere in the former USSR still today.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

To end with this part, between the administration building and the theater, you can find a really mysterious underground bunker-like structure. This faces to the ground in an area fenced with barbed wire and protected by a firing turret with loopholes. Maybe a deposit for rifles or smaller weapons?

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Northern Area – Warehouses and Technical Buildings

This area was likely devoted to the storage of heavy vehicles – trucks, tanks, movable cannons, who knows? As you can see from Google pictures on the web, until at least 2009 there used to be many garage buildings here. As said, this is the area most hit by demolition works, and what you find today is a large flat area, with some buildings surviving close to the perimeter, marked by the original concrete outer wall of the base.

Luckily for explorers, a few surviving buildings make for interesting sights. An item you can easily spot is a tall brick chimney. At the base of this you can find a – likely – power station for the base. The burners are gone, but you can see extensive piping, and boilers for hot water.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The piping from the boilers – made in the GDR in 1973 – are labeled in Russian, and there are also several posters and signs in Cyrillic. Not far from the main rooms, there is a small booth for a technician constantly supervising the plant.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Close by the power station building, large service buildings are shrouded in the wild vegetation. One of them was completely dedicated to bathrooms. The most visible remains are the changing rooms, with some hangers with small mirrors still in place, and the showers, still partly intact!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

North of these buildings, you meet a long concrete pool with slides for vehicles at the two far ends. It used to carry out some industrial function – amphibious vehicle testing?

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Other surviving buildings in this area include a very tall one, possibly a maintenance hangar, as well as some of the – originally many – garages.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Close by the inner fence dividing this sector from the barracks part of the base, you can find a smaller garage with some books scattered around. There is also a fire emergency station with writings in Russian.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Northeastern Area – Sporting Facilities and Mystery U-Shaped Building

In this area, technically not separated from the southwestern one with the barracks, you can find some non-residential buildings of great interest.

Possibly the construction with the largest area in the whole base, a big U-shaped building with what appear to be large workshops or garages can be found close to the northeastern corner of the base, just inside the perimeter concrete wall.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Inside the halls of this building, you can find many interesting Soviet remains – posts, writings, murals,… The function of these many rooms has really to be guessed. Some feature doors so small that entering with a vehicle would be impossible. Others still preserve the smell of Diesel oil.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

An unexpected surprise in this mystery building is a kind of commemoration-information area. The geometry of the rooms is very strange, with a small unlighted corridor leading you in. An incredible Soviet mural with hammer and sickle can be found in this corridor.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

In the two adjoining rooms you can find traces of many interesting panels, arranged in a kind of ‘Soviet temple’ architecture. There are photographs of soldiers during training activities, aircraft, tanks, portraits of some high-ranking staff, and much more.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There are also artistically valuable Soviet-themed comics characters! Some big photographs portray the base of Forst Zinna in the days of operation. Unfortunately, big parts of the pics are missing, but you can recognize the typical German architecture of the buildings. The appearance of the base used to be different, without all the trees you find today!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The next room was possibly centered on the explanation of some Soviet industrial activity. The room is dominated by a scaled model of the USSR, with some locations – including Chernobyl nuclear power-plant, find it between Kiev and Minsk! – pinpointed on the map.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The walls of the quarters where these strange rooms can be found are covered in old newspapers. There are also historical pictures of the Soviet monument in Khatyn and other locations in Belarus (see here).

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Close by the U-shaped building, moving north you can find a strange storage, with cases for – apparently – rifles.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

To the northern end, there is an open-air swimming pool. It lies at the center of a sporting area, close to the outer concrete wall of the base. The pool makes for very good photo opportunities. It is hard to tell whether this was built for the Wehrmacht or later for the Soviets. It is large, and two springboards are more or less still in place.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The service building nearby appears to date from old times. Yet the pool was much used by the Soviets, as shown by the number of panels written in Russian, including regulations, one with a ‘START’ sign, another to show the temperature of water!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

There are also typically Soviet decorations, like an Olympics symbol made of metal gearwheels.

Close to the pool, you can find a ghost football field. You can see a goal and a referee ladder, both imprisoned by the newly grown trees!

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Next to the football field, the wall of the base is decorated with some nice sport-themed Soviet murals.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Leaving the base behind when walking further northeast, you come across former trenches, and a dump of light material, including many Soviet boots, gas masks, spades, bottles, and so on. They are likely what remains of flattened buildings in this area.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Soviet Monument

Back to the perimeter road where the main gate to the base is, to the opposite side of the main access road you can find an interesting monumental ensemble hidden in the trees. This was probably composed of a small square, today barely recognizable due to the overgrown vegetation, bordered to the far end by a set of concrete slabs adorned with typical soviet themes and by a tall concrete spine.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The latter part is still there, almost untouched. The spine used to be colored, as testified by the scant remnants of red paint over the surface. Also a painted emblem can be found to the back of the cube suspended halfway along the spine.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

The slabs feature a head of Lenin, seen from the side, together with the ship Aurora. Others feature a dam, the monument to the Russian motherland in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), and the monument to the soviet cosmonauts in Moscow, among other items.

Forst Zinna Abandoned Soviet & Nazi Military Base East Germany (near Jüterbog) DDR Berlin Mural Urbex

Getting there & Moving around

Reaching the premises of Forst Zinna is not difficult. The site is five minutes northeast of Jüterbog, about 1 hour driving south of Berlin, and is recognized by normal GPS navs. Jüterbog has also a railway station, so you may come by train+MTB.

The official status of the site is uncertain. There are a few prohibition signs ahead of the official gate, but much less than in other similar locations in Germany, and some of the buildings are reportedly listed, albeit not really looked after. The real threat for a visit is in the condition of the base. Most buildings are in a really bad shape, and entering is at your own risk. As said, some of the most visited parts have finally collapsed – luckily, nobody was in at the wrong time, but be sure you know what you are doing and take all precautions.

Forst Zinna is rather popular among German explorers, plus the area is a natural preserve now, so you will likely meet somebody during the exploration of the site, especially during the week-end. If you go on working days instead, you are likely to be alone all of the time, which may add to the atmosphere.

The size of the base is very large. These photographs were taken over three visits, for a total of about 10 hours, and at least on third of the buildings have been totally overlooked or not explored thoroughly.

The Atlantic Wall in Denmark

December 1, 2019 CarloRLeave a comment

A pleasant country in northern Europe, Denmark is geographically surrounded by the North and Baltic seas, and shares its only land border with Germany. In the late 1930s, this meant having a very dangerous dictatorship as the only neighbor, and no possible direct help coming by land from other allies. Without natural defenses against and attack from the south, the Kingdom of Denmark was militarily occupied basically in one day, on April 9th, 1940. This happened through a joint operation carried out by the land, air and naval forces of Nazi Germany.

A quick historical overview

The interest of Germany in controlling Danish territory was mainly strategic. It served as a springboard to attack Norway further north. The latter was in itself more interesting to the economy of the Third Reich, as it was rich of natural resources, including raw materials not available in Germany. These were so needed by the Führer, who was dreaming of making Germany independent from international supply trade.

Furthermore, controlling both Denmark and Norway meant control over the eastern coast of the North Sea, and a chance to control the only access to the Baltic Sea. The USSR was not a declared enemy before 1941, but withdrawing from the mutual cooperation pact with Stalin – signed in a hurry just days before the invasion of Poland in September 1939 – at some point, and openly attacking Russia, had been in the mind of the Führer since he first put on paper his worrying geopolitical thoughts. By controlling the Baltic, Hitler could control sea trade to non-freezing ports of the USSR, which in 1940 had already taken over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in agreement with Germany.

As a matter of fact, the conquer of Norway was not without significant losses for Germany. This was also the result of Britain starting to militarily oppose Germany. The two countries had been already at war since September 1939, but without any serious confrontation having taken place for months.

Since then, the British – and later also the American – threat from the west had to be faced through the fortification of the western coast of the Third Reich, which by the end of the summer of 1940 extended roughly from the Pyrenees in southern France to Kirkenes in northern Norway. This highly visionary task was taken up very seriously by the German military-economic machine, and produced the ‘Atlantikwall’ – which translates pretty obviously into the ‘Atlantic Wall’. This long defensive line had to be built all along the coast, and was mainly based on a catalog of standardized reinforced concrete constructions, to be reproduced in great numbers. Construction was coordinated by the main contractor, the German ‘Organization Todt’, which made extensive use of subcontracted local companies in the various occupied states where construction had to take place.

Despite the majority of the elements in the line were reinforced barracks for troops watching the coastline, ammo and supply storages, command and communication bunkers, canteens, and other service buildings, there were of course also a number of heavier constructions. These included coastal gun batteries, to counter attacking ships, lighter gun batteries, to stop troops attempting a beach landing, aiming stations, to adjust the line of fire of gun batteries, anti-aircraft guns to defend the line from air attacks, and some technical buildings serving as bases for advanced radar systems. The latter were among the most useful and widespread items along the line, as German technology developed fast during the war, to produce powerful detection systems against air and sea menaces.

Needless to remember, similar to many pharaonic works conceived by the Führer and his entourage, the Atlantic Wall was never completed, and it failed to spare the Third Reich from total annihilation. The once-modern military installations along the western coast of Europe soon became obsolete, as war changed face at a quick pace following WWII, with new weapons and techniques. Furthermore, the front line of the new Cold War shifted geographically to the middle of Europe. A tangible sign of enemy occupation, the massive bunkers of the Atlantic Wall met different destinies depending on the country. However, albeit only rarely preserved, thanks to their bulkiness and sturdy make, they are in most cases still visible.

About this post

Being the first land along the western coast to fall under German control, work on the Atlantic Wall started in Denmark earlier than anywhere else. Today extensive traces of the line are still pointing the shores of the North Sea.

A few focal points are preserved as first-class museums. These include the strongholds of Hirtsthals and the huge battery at Hanstholm, in Northern Jutland. The latter had been designed around a cluster of four monster coastal guns, to the aim of controlling the passage through the Skagerrak channel, providing access to the Baltic Sea. A twin battery – Vara – was built to the north of the strait in Norway.

Closer to the German border, the area of Blavand – featuring also the famous ‘Tirpitz battery’ in its arsenal – is another example of a partly preserved portion of the line. Bangsbo fort in Frederikshaven has been partly refurbished and opened as a museum, after being used by the Danish military for a while. There you can find one of the few remaining examples of an Atlantic Wall installation with its original guns still in place.

Smaller strongholds, opened as smaller scale museums or left to more adventurous explorers, often feature unique special constructions, which justify a detour at least for more committed war historians. These include the Skagen battery, the disguised bunkers in Thyboron, and the complicated Stauning battery, built on two opposite coasts of a closed firth.

All these sites – and a few more – are covered in this post, which is based on photographs taken in August 2019. Denmark is officially protecting the installations of the Atlantic Wall as historical buildings – unlike France, for instance – so visiting even abandoned sites maybe rewarding, especially if they are out of the mainstream touristic routes. Unfortunately, many bunkers now closer to crowded touristic areas have been damaged by vandals.

Sights

Map

The sites covered in this post are listed on the following map. Sites opened as museums are pinpointed in red, wild sites are marked in blue.

The sites are listed in the post following the coastline of Jutland from its southwestern end.

Blavand – Shore Battery & Military Area

Located about 50 miles north of the German border along the coast of the North Sea, the small town of Blavand sits on a promontory protruding towards the sea, and protecting the access to the port town of Esbjerg – still today a major commercial port of Denmark.

The area of Blavand saw the construction of an incredible number of Atlantic Wall elements, which grew up in more instances during the war years.

Close by the parking ahead of the lighthouse on the very tip of the promontory, you can find trailheads leading to the southern and western shores of the promontory.

The southern shore makes for a typical North Sea landscape – an endless sand beach. What makes it different from others is the number of light bunkers placed along the shoreline. Despite little imposing, this model – type ‘F’ – was purpose built for the wide shores of Denmark in 1944, in view of a potential enemy beach landing. These firing positions were armed with machine guns, and placed at pre-determined intervals – about 1’500 ft – matching their accuracy range.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Many bunkers are slowly sinking in the sand, and only small parts of them can be seen emerging from the ground.

Others have been turned into strange sculptures, adding a horse head and tail.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Under favorable tide conditions, you may enter some of the bunkers. There you can appreciate their simple structure, with a defensive embrasure by the entrance (looking towards the coast) and loopholes to the sides of the firing chamber.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

On the beach close to the lighthouse you can find a very big bunker with a wide hollow cave on the inland side, which used to support a searchlight.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Along the western shore you can find more massive bunkers. These include four former coastal gun batteries. These heavier constructions have assumed strange attitudes, after sinking in the sand somewhat irregularly over the years.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Looking towards the inland from the beach, you can spot an aiming/fire control positions, with a distinctive bulbous roof and a long curved slot on the facade.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Your walk along the northern shore may be interrupted by safety warnings concerning mine threat. As a complement to the defensive potential of the Atlantic Wall, extensive minefields were set up on most of the Danish beaches. This turned into a big issue soon after WWII, when an extensive demining action had to be carried out.

Furthermore, part of the Blavand promontory is occupied by a military firing range. When training exercises are taking place, special warning lights are lit and flags are raised, to delimit the territory where you should not venture.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In the dunes slightly inland from the shoreline, it is possible to find another big number of bunkers. They are not always visible from the distance, and entrance is in most cases from one side only – the only side emerging from the sand.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A very distinctive item is the colossal platform for a ‘Mammut’ type long-range anti-aircraft radar. This used to be operated by the Luftwaffe, whereas other bunkers in Blavand – like elsewhere along the Atlantic Wall – used to be run by other branches of the Germany military.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The base for the radar is in itself a rather complex bunker, with several cavities and extensive piping, once needed for power cables feeding the antenna, as well as other wiring.

Close by, a smaller radar base bunker used to be operated by the German Navy. Also here, holes and passages for cables can be found in the walls and roof.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

It is noteworthy how many bunkers feature traces of original decorations, like painted walls, fake wallpaper, frescoes and small frieze lines. This is typical to many other installations of the Atlantic Wall.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Metal hardware can be found in the form of a bulky aiming turret emerging from a bunker.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In another instance, a mortar mouth pops out from the ground.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The underground bunker underneath the latter can be explored with some difficulty – there are also quite annoying bats inside -, but it reveals an aiming wheel with original markings in a reinforced concrete dome!

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

An interesting sight nearby the lighthouse is the tower once supporting a ‘See Riese’ radar. The protruding arms once sustained a wooden platform for military operators.

Atlantic Wall Stronghold Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The area of Blavand is rather extensive and rich of diverse installations, so notwithstanding the general bad shape of most of the bunkers, visiting may easily take 3-4 hours for a committed tourist, getting inside most of the items. A good starting point is the free parking by the lighthouse, provided you come early especially in summer, cause it tends to get more and more crowded along the day.

Blavand – ‘Tirpitz’ Coastal Guns

Despite at least some of the bunkers on the shores of Blavand being in a relatively good shape, there is a part of the Atlantic Wall which is officially preserved as a museum. This is one of the two unfinished bunkers intended to support a set of massive 38 cm coastal guns.

These guns – four, two for each bunker – were originally intended to be put on board battleship Gneisenau. The latter got damaged in port, and the guns were diverted to coastal use. The decision to build the Tirpitz battery to protect the port of Esbjerg came relatively late during the war, in 1944. As a result, construction of the battery supporting structures was not completed when the war ended, and the four never installed guns were scrapped – except one, which can be admired in Hanstholm (see below).

The name ‘Tirpitz’ attributed to this battery is of uncertain origin, and sometimes this installation is also referred to as ‘Vogelnest’.

The museum has been built only in the southernmost bunker. The installation is very modern (and crowded), and it has been designed as a thematic museum in five sections. Two of the most interesting are about the Atlantic Wall and its impact on local life, and on the extensive mining and demining operations on the shores of Denmark.

Atlantic Wall Tirpitz Battery Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Other sections are related to amber trade and local seamen activities.

Finally, you can get access to the base of the gun turret. Photographs are bad here, due to very poor lighting and limitations on camera use.

You can see a central round dome, surrounded by an external corridor. Traces of a post-war explosion can be noticed looking at the metal part of the construction.

Atlantic Wall Tirpitz Battery Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Outside of the museum you can find a cannon cut in pieces, plus rigs used for construction. The bulky concrete arms protruding from the roof were meant to support the crane for mounting the cannons.

Atlantic Wall Tirpitz Battery Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

With a five minutes walk from this bunker, you can get to the northern battery. This is not preserved, and the entrances have been bricked up. Yet you may better appreciate the size of the bunker from this exemplar than from the one turned into a museum.

Atlantic Wall Tirpitz Battery Blaavand (Blåvand) Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The museum is located east of Oksby along Tane Hedevey, a local road connecting Blavand to Esbjerg. There are signs along the road, and a large parking ahead of the entrance. The museum is very modern, and may turn very crowded in summer. Website with full information here. You can visit on your own with an audio-guide. The visit to the military-related sections may take about 1 hour.

Adding a walk to the northern battery will take further 20 minutes at most, as there is no chance to step in.

Stauning Battery

Construction of this battery started in the second half of 1944, and consequently it was only partially completed before the end of the war. The geography of the Stauning battery is rather peculiar. The intended design was based on four coastal guns to be placed on the inland side of the Ringkobing firth – basically a lake with a channel-like small mouth connecting it to the sea. On the other coast of the firth, i.e. very close to the North Sea in Hvide Sande, the aiming station for the battery was finally built.

In the event, only one of the reinforced concrete gun positions reached completion, whereas the other three cannons were kept on basic, not reinforced aprons. The gun bunker is the only exemplar of this model built along the Atlantic Wall, and was designed around a 19,4 cm gun manufactured in France.

Located far from the shore in a secluded area of the countryside, this battery is in a relatively good shape, and thanks to the hard soil its position has not drifted since it was installed. You can even walk on top.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

More elements are scattered in the bushes and over the private pasture nearby. Among them, a firing position presumably for anti-aircraft or light field guns, and corresponding ammo storages.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There is also a reinforced concrete barrack or command post. This can be toured inside, revealing some metal piping still in place.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Traces of gun concrete platforms – likely gun firing positions – blown up after the war can be seen, similar to many smaller cubic buildings of uncertain purpose.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A couple of unattractive half-interred ‘living bunker’ can be found too, another design present only in Denmark – the type was named ‘Falkenhorst III’. Inside, traces of original wall paintings can be easily spotted.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There is actually a fire direction post of some sort in this part of the battery too. This is a square-based concrete booth, with an adjoining living bunker.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The aiming position in Hvide Sande is rather easy to find, on top of a mound close to the city center. There are actually two concrete accesses on the eastern side of the hill. The one closer to the top gives access to the metal dome you can spot on top of the mound.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Hvide Sande Point Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Climbing up to the dome is possible along a rusty ladder, going through a narrow vertical passage. Once there you can see the mounting of a telescope for measurements. There are side slots looking outside, and an original marked wheel to provide measurements. You can also spot small foldable wooden tables (or perhaps jump-seats).

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Hvide Sande Point Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Downstairs, there are a few panels explaining the history of the battery.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Hvide Sande Point Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The second concrete entrance gives access to a ‘living bunker’ for the troops, with explanatory panels on the history of the place.

Atlantic Wall Stauning Battery Hvide Sande Point Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The inland part of the Stauning battery with the gun station is located close to Stauningvej 55. You may park your car not far north from this address, on a wide lot close to the entrance of a local residential area. Most notably, this battery is about .5 miles from the beautiful Danish Museum of Flight (see this post). Exploring the battery may take 1-1.5 hours, as the place is totally wild and inconvenient to visit.

The Hvide Sande point is on the northern rim of the channel linking the firth to the North Sea. You can see the mound close by a major round about, where road 181 meets Troldbjergsvej. There are several parking options nearby. The place is technically not abandoned, but there was no ticket/staff, and it was totally dark when I visited. You would better take a small torch with you.

Sondervig

Just as an example of how extensive the construction of the Atlantic Wall was in Denmark, you may have a look to the beach in Sondervig, where people spending the day by the sea are accustomed to the view of the monstrous German bunkers pointing the shore.

Atlantic Wall Sondervig Beach Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

You may find a parking spot in Sondervig and access this famous touristic beach by foot.

Thyboron

The coastal battery at Thyboron has a unique place in the panorama of Atlantic Wall buildings. Here a sort of sample list of possible deceptive techniques were tested on otherwise normal bunkers. The usual constructions pointing the shore have a strange appearance here, thanks to the imaginative talent of a Danish architect – who turned out to be a spy working for the Allies.

At least two gun batteries bear a special roof, resembling that of a house. Also thanks to erosion, they now have even odder shapes, resembling some Star Wars spaceship.

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

An observation bunker bears a tiled roof. Surprisingly, an apparently original fragment of telegraph wire can be found inside.

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Given the position of the bunkers – lying isolated on a deserted beach – it’s pretty difficult to suppose this kind of deception was ever effective…

There are also some more straightforward constructions around, some of them in a relatively good shape. The cusped lintels above most doors and openings are typical to elements of the Atlantic Wall in northern countries, and are made for protecting the passages against snow and icing rain.

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Just inland from the ‘sample list’, you can find a large underground bunker, somewhat difficult to access – it is sinking in the sand. Conspicuous traces of original wall painting and even writings in German can be found on the walls.

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The message in German is a warning message, telling to stay away of the walls in case of bombardment. This warning sign is rather ubiquitous in Danish bunkers.

Close to the the city center – and actually a part of the Coastal Center, a museum for children dedicated to the life along the western coast of Jutland – it is possible to find another bunker deceived as a wooden house! This deception technique is far more convincing than those on the shore…

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

To visit the bunkers on the shore you can reach a convenient public parking at the southern end of Vesterhavsgade, southern Thyboron. Visiting these bunkers may take about 45 minutes for a committed tourist. To get to the Coastal Center you may follow the signs and park at your convenience ahead of the building. The deceived bunker can be seen from the outside of the museum, so getting the ticket is not needed if you are not interested in the rest of the installation.

Extra feature – Sea War Museum, Thyboron

Thyboron has a prominent place in WWI history, being the Danish village closest to the area of the Battle of Jutland, one of the very few naval battles of that war, and one of the top-ranking in history for the number of vessels and tonnage involved, and for the casualties – almost 9’000 seamen were killed.

The battle was fought between two major formations of the the German Kaiser on one side and the King of England on the other. Started almost by chance, as the two opposing factions appeared on the same sector unaware of each other, the fighting was so intense that cannon fire was heard along the shores of Thyboron for many hours. The battle ended with a tactical defeat on the British side, but the Kriegsmarine of the Kaiser avoided any other serious clashes with the British for the rest of the war – in this sense, this was a British strategic victory.

Today, a monument dedicated to those who perished in the Battle of Jutland occupies a wide area over a promontory in northern Thyboron, close by the Coastal Center (see above).

Sea War Museum Thyboron (Thyborøn) Jutland Battle WWI Denmark

A nice museum dedicated to sea war has been put in place nearby. On the exterior you can find old mines, torpedoes and even parts of relics taken from the bottom of the sea.

Sea War Museum Thyboron (Thyborøn) Jutland Battle WWI Denmark

Inside you can find many unique artifacts, including cannons, insignia, and everyday items from ships taking parts to the Battle of Jutland.

Sea War Museum Thyboron (Thyborøn) Jutland Battle WWI Denmark

Also unique are parts of early submarines dating from WWI, recovered from the sea thanks to novel investigation and capture technologies.

Sea War Museum Thyboron (Thyborøn) Jutland Battle WWI Denmark

The museum is at large dedicated to naval battles and ventures of WWI. A section is dedicated to the most modern sea archaeology techniques.

Sea War Museum Thyboron (Thyborøn) Jutland Battle WWI Denmark

Outside of the museum, you may spot a few Atlantic Wall bunkers as well, likely converted into more modern military installations in a post-WWII period. They are apparently run as museums, but they were closed when I passed by.

Atlantic Wall Thyboron (Thyborøn) Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The Sea War Museum is located very close to the Coastal Center in central Thyboron. Dedicated free parking right ahead of the entrance. Visiting may take about 1.5-2 hours for more committed subjects, despite the small size. The museum is stacked with extremely interesting details, the exhibition is rich and well made. Really an interesting detour for anybody interested in sea war. Website here.

Agger

Agger is located north of the Thyboron Channel, and can be reached with a five minutes ferry ride from nearby Thyboron. The long, windy, wild and distressing beaches south of the village of Agger are not really welcoming, nor easy to visit. Yet here you can find some unique and imposing elements of the Atlantic Wall.

These include a firing control bunker of the Navy. A feature often found also elsewhere, you can see some of the concrete bunkers are made of joined blocks. Light can be seen coming from the thin slots between the blocks in some occasions.

Atlantic Wall Agger Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Another special construction here is the support tower for a ‘Seetakt’ radar. The tall concrete tower is assembled together with a bulkier concrete base.

Atlantic Wall Agger Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The assembly has slipped to the shoreline, and today it can be neared only in favorable tide conditions. Furthermore, it is sitting in a banked attitude, making it looking really derelict.

Atlantic Wall Agger Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Thanks also to a rather bad weather, these elements of the Atlantic Wall looked really eerie when I visited!

Getting there and moving around

The Agger site is wild and not signaled. The area is part of a national preserve, and part of the endless beach is a stage for kites, surfing activities and other beach sports. There is an official parking at the western end of Lange Mole Vej, less than five minutes by car from the ferry terminal to Thyboron. From there you should go to the beach and walk north for about 15 minutes to get to the tower, the highlight of the show.

You may spot it from the distance. I could not get in the tower due to unfavorable tide conditions, but visiting inside may not take much time, for the expected condition is not good, with little left to see.

Hanstholm

The Hanstholm battery is one of the most developed of the entire Atlantic Wall. As pointed out in the introduction, together with the sister site ‘Vara’ in Norway – about 80 miles north – this battery was centered on four massive 38 cm cannons, installed to obstruct surface passage through the Skagerrak, and de facto controlling the access to the Baltic Sea.

An initial battery based on less powerful 17 cm coastal guns was put in place as soon as 1940. The gigantic 38 cm guns arrived only later and were tested, but never used in action. The metal parts of the firing stations, including the turrets and guns, were eventually scrapped in the early 1950s. Over the years, this huge installation, with more than 300 bunkers fell largely into private hands, and today many former storage bunkers are used as warehouses for machinery and goods by local owners.

Nonetheless, battery Nr.3 has been turned into a modern museum, after being largely refurbished to its original splendor. As such, it is a one-of-a-kind museum, with thousands of visitors per year. Two more turrets and a number of bunkers are left to explorers. While they are not actively maintained, they are still in a rather good shape, and responsible exploration is even supported with some indications.

The area of the Hanstholm is almost 4 square miles. In order not to get disoriented, a good starting point is the museum in and around turret Nr.3. There you are greeted by a pretty unique 38 cm cannon! This is actually from the Tirpitz battery (see above), but it is exactly the same item once installed in Hanstholm. The size is really remarkable, especially when compared to more modest and usual 15 cm coastal guns, on display.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The modern museum offers a quick recap of the history of the place, with memorabilia including everyday items, letters, maps and original weapons.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Once you are done with that, you can get access to the underground part, where you first meet the ammo storage rooms, on the side of a long corridor aligned along a narrow gauge railway track. This was used to connect the firing stations – i.e. the four bunkers with the guns – to larger ammo storages scattered around the are of the fort.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There are two major adjoining rooms along the corridor, each dedicated to a different part of the cartridge. The piercing part – the ‘bullet’ – and the exploding fuse were kept separated from each other. This is similar to naval guns, and typical to larger calibers. The complicated railings hanging from the roof were made to allow moving the parts of the cartridge by means of movable cranes.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In action, the bullets and fuses were loaded on a slide, and from there on trolleys which would enter the turret from below. Today, as the turret is not there any more, the trolleys are in an open air corridor, apparently without any sense. It is noteworthy that the inscriptions and frescoes are all original, albeit refurbished.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The structure of the firing station and of the Hanstholm fort can be better appreciated from the drawings and models below.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A second part of the firing station is the bunker for the complement of men needed to operate this complicated cannon. The place was permanently watched, with shifts spending the night in underground quarters. Those pertaining to firing station Nr.3 have been refurbished, and provide a vivid impression of the original appearance. There are sleeping and living quarters, as well as large, military style showers and toilets.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There is also a complete power station, with two Diesel generators, a mechanics shop, water tanks and more.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Out of the Nr.3 firing station you are encouraged to tour at least part of the site along a series of prescribed trails. Among the items you meet on this tour is one of the ammo storages. It is not dissimilar from the ammo storage part of the firing station. The ammo parts were loaded on a railway car passing through, and from there moved towards the gun turret.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There are also many smaller storage and service bunkers, some bearing interesting original inscriptions inside.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The Hanstholm fort was defended by field cannons and anti-aircraft guns. Emplacements for the latter can be spotted around in more instances.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Another suggested part of the visit is firing station Nr.4, which is not really preserved, but is not in a generally bad shape either. You can get in only if you have a torchlight. Visiting may offer something very similar to Nr.3, except everything is more derelict – but for this reason, may be more authentic.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In the living part, you can find inscriptions in German and traces of the original wall paint. With a general knowledge of the plan from the visit to Nr.3, you may easily recognize the corresponding rooms – power station, toilets, living rooms, etc.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

To get to the ammo storage part, you can walk along the round corridor outside. No trolleys left here, differently from Nr.3.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Inside the ammo storage rooms, you notice that the inscriptions have been largely canceled for some reason, but the slides as well as the frescoes above them are still there.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Still part of the suggested itinerary, you can find a control station, in a rather bad shape, and more interestingly a very peculiar building, located on top of a cliff.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

This was a fire direction station. Due to the high-tech nature of the Hanstholm battery, fire direction worked on what can be considered archaic computers! The building has many floors. There is provision for a permanent team of technicians, hosted in living and sleeping quarters downstairs.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The top floors used to host the computing machines, which were fed by measurements from instruments mounted in metal domes, facing on the roof of the building. The room for the computing machines is rather dark, and due to the black walls it is difficult to see anything even with a torch.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The Hanstholm site offers several ancillary bunkers open to the public. Among them, one for a generator, supplying the whole fort in case of a grid failure.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Another bunker is an ammo storage, with a big concrete arch outside, for a moving crane operating above railway cars. Narrow gauge railway tracks can be seen still today in this part.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The pivot in the middle of firing station Nr.2 has been interred after the war, but the living/sleeping quarters for the troops and the ammo storage parts can be visited, albeit they are not connected any more by a direct passage.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A visit to this firing station is very interesting, for writings are in a generally better shape than in Nr.4, even though this too has not been refurbished.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In the ammo storage part, writings are especially abundant. You can see also traces of the original telephone wiring.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The last firing station, Nr.1, is not accessible, even though not interred.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

As said, there are many other bunkers an remains around, which are typically not accessible, especially the farther you go from the museum. They are now largely on private land and used for something else.

Atlantic Wall Hanstholm Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The Hanstholm strongpoint is a must for everyone interested in the Atlantic Wall! The museum is modern, completely accessible, with a convenient parking and all usual facilities. Website here.

The refurbished part is basically only firing station Nr.3, but many other bunkers, like the fire control center, as well as firing stations Nr.2 and 4 are open for explorers, and they have not been spoiled by vandals. You need to go with a torchlight and proper clothing, but the visit may be very rewarding.

Many more bunkers around are closed to the public, as they are now private property and used for other purposes.

Due to the enormous size of the area, visiting may easily turn into a full-day or even multi-days business for an enthusiast. For the general public, a visit to the museum and one of the trails may take a 2-3 hours depending on the level of interest.

Hirtshals

Similar to Hanstholm (see above), the area of Hirtshals was soon selected by the Wehrmacht for a coastal fortification, thanks to its strategic position overlooking the mouth of the Skagerrak strait.

The first four 105 mm field guns were positioned here as soon as summer 1941. They occupied open-air concrete aprons, which still today bear trace of the original camouflage paint and deceptive net.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A peculiarity of this fort is its extensive network of trenches, which connect all the battle stations to the living quarters for the troops and the service buildings, like the canteen-bunker and the hospital-bunker.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

On top of the steep cliff dropping to sea level, you can find the bunkers for the guns. These were moved from the open aprons in 1944, into purpose built reinforced concrete firing positions. A special feature here is the steep flight of stair giving access to the gun area from behind. This construction was made necessary by the particular morphology and rock type of the cliff.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

You can spot significant traces of the original camo paint, and the letters ‘St’ on many walls, meaning ‘Ständig’, i.e. resistant in German. These letters were used to mark those buildings capable of sustaining shelling and bombing raids.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A bulbous roof allows to easily recognize the fire direction station.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A more rare item in Hirtshals is the base for the ‘See Riese’ radar. This is a hexagonal concrete hollow platform. The bunker underneath it would serve to host a Diesel power generator.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Back from the coastline, you may enjoy a long exploration of the trenches and of the many restored bunkers. Many bear original markings and paintings.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

In some rare cases, you can also find original decorative paintings, likely made by the soldiers stationed in the bunkers.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Restored bunkers include a ‘living bunker’, but many other installations are in good conditions, like interred shelters, ammo storages, etc. Traces of cables, armored doors – some of them with glass lights – and telephone wires can be found in many bunkers.

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Furthermore, in Hirtshals you have the chance to get a bird’s eye view of the fort, by climbing on top of the local lighthouse!

Atlantic Wall Hirtshals Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The Hirtshals site is an open-air museum. There are technically opening times, but the area is not fenced, so if you are looking for a visit to the exteriors, you can walk around freely at any time. The museum has a website here, and guided visits are offered in many occasions. Many bunkers were closed when I visited, and they might be visible only with a guide. Some other bunkers are open and lighted, whereas the majority are basically left to explorers – open and not lighted – but rather accessible and very easy to visit, maybe with the help of a small torch. There is not a clear entrance (the area is not fenced), nor permanent staff on the site.

There are explanatory signs for basically all of the bunkers, in double Danish/German language.

The parking is ahead of the lighthouse, which is a different entity and operates with opening times you can find here. The parking is large and free. Climbing on top of the lighthouse is possible at a small fee – apparently only Danish Crowns cash accepted.

Together with a climb on top of the lighthouse, the visit may take from 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on your level of interest.

Skagen

The Skagen area is mostly famous for its location on the very tip of the Jutland peninsula, the natural northern end of continental Europe, and ideally as the geographical point where the North Sea and Baltic Sea join together. The long and quiet shores there and the population of seals contribute to making Skagen a prominent touristic attraction, often crowded with visitors from Denmark and abroad.

What people going there may not expect is the presence of a number of massive firing positions from the years of the German occupation! These are concentrated along the eastern coast, and include firing position for 120 mm coastal guns, overlooking the Skagerrak strait.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There are also a fire control bunker, which has drifted to the shoreline, as well as radar support bunkers.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Unfortunately, these installations have been left to the elements and – most sadly – to vandals. Except for their huge size, there is not much left to appreciate.

But there is more related to the Atlantic Wall in Skagen. A former hospital bunker has been partly refurbished and converted into a very interesting smaller museum on the local battery.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Inside, you can first appreciate the special size of the doors and corridors, made to allow moving stretchers around.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Put on display are several items related to the history of the Skagen fortress. There are uniforms from the time, photos from the years of operations, and everyday items left over by the Wehrmacht.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Some of the rooms have been reconstructed, and provide a vivid impression of the original appearance.

Atlantic Wall Skagen Battery Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Among the exhibits are also some relics from a downed British aircraft.

Getting there and moving around

Visiting the Skagen battery is easier from the small parking Hvide Fyr, Fyrvej, 9990 Skagen. This parking is free. Going on the Baltic shore from the parking means a five minutes walk along a prepared path. A quick walk with a look to the abandoned battery would take about 20 minutes.

You may either walk to the tip from there, or better move your car to shorten the walk, going to the huge dedicated parking area where the road N.40 ends. This parking is not free.

You will find the Skagen Bunker-Museum in the former hospital bunker immediately to the southwestern side of the parking. Website here.

Visiting may take about 30-45 minutes, an interesting small detour from the local natural attractions.

Bangsbo

Comparatively less fortified than the North Sea coast, the eastern cost of Jutland is the place of a primary military and commercial port named Frederikshavn. This is also a starting point for travelers going to Norway from central Europe.

Here the Germans installed one of the few strongpoints on this side of the peninsula. What makes the so-called Bangsbo fort unique among the Atlantic Wall installations is the fact that three of the four original guns in the coastal battery are still in place!

The main area of Bangsbo fort, where the coastal battery is located, can be found to the south of the town, and is somewhat similar to Hirtshals (see above). Both are located on top of a cliff, with a significant area to the back dedicated to command, living and service bunkers.

Today, some of these bunkers have been completely refurbished. These include the command bunker for the local commander of the Kriegsmarine (the German Navy). This is super-interesting, with many artifacts from the time, from military gear to swastika-marked dishware, from maps to photographs of general Rommel – who superintended the construction of the Atlantic Wall – visiting the installation, and much more.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Much interesting is especially the reconstruction of the command/meeting room.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Scattered over the premises of the military area are cannons and several strange items, like a tank turret intended to be placed on top of a defensive Tobruk.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There are a refurbished hospital bunker and reconstructed living quarters.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The firing control post roughly at the center of the area is another highlight, having been completely refurbished, with plenty of Nazi insignia and original material.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

To the back of the bunker are a living and command area, whereas the front part is an observation deck.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The firing positions with guns are numbered from Nr.1 to 3. They are based on 15 cm coastal guns, installed in 1944, replacing older and smaller pieces.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The guns can be walked around. The cartridge supply slides to the back of the firing chamber are still in place.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Guns Nr. 1 and 3 are similar, whereas the central gun was taken from a Danish cruiser cannibalized by the Germans in Kiel during the war. Today, it bears a greenish paint.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

There used to be a fourth cannon with a field of fire of 360 degrees. Trace of a platform can be seen, as well as an anti-aircraft gun.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

The fort shares a border with an active military area, so a part of the original installations cannot be visited. Others are open only for those visiting on guided tours. These include a radar-supporting station. Others can be entered, but are basically empty.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

A minor part of the Bansgbo fort is located north of Frederikshavn. It is a partially preserved anti-aircraft firing station. This was made of four firing places and a central fire direction point. The latter is still visible at least from the outside.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

One of the anti aircraft guns is also in place. The rest of the installation has been filled with land and made inaccessible.

Atlantic Wall Frederikshavn Bansgbo Fort Denmark Nazi Defense Line Atlantikwall

Getting there and moving around

The major part of Bansgbo fort can be found south of Frederikshavn. It can be accessed from Bakkevej, which ends with the parking of the museum. Website here. The area can be walked and accessed with a ticket. There are picnic facilities and a small shop. Guided tours are offered at pre-defined times, see the website. You can get a good impression even by walking around on your own, but some bunkers can be accessed only with a guide. I did not join a guided tour, and all the pictures above are from a self-guided visit.

The site is not huge, but very interesting thanks to preservation efforts. It may easily deserve a 2 hours visit.

The anti-aircraft site is located north of Frederikshaven, and can be reached from Nordre Strandvej. You may park on the large free parking made for the local beach. This smaller installation may be visited in 10-15 minutes without a ticket.

Berlin Airlift 70th Anniversary Celebrations in Schleswig-Jagel

July 14, 2019July 14, 2019 CarloRLeave a comment

The blockade imposed by Stalin on the jointly administrated city of Berlin in the spring of 1948 dissipated any doubts on the post-WWII attitude of the Soviet Union towards their former allies in the west. The ensuing joint effort to support the trapped population of Berlin resulted in one of the major airlift operations in history – the Berlin Airlift, or Luftbrücke in German language. In June 2019, 70 years after the end of the blockade, Germany hosted a great celebration for the anniversary of this vital operation.

History – in Brief

The blockade started slowly, with trains crossing the Soviet occupied territory – soon to become administrated as a new state, the communist German Democratic Republic – between Berlin and western Germany forced to stop and go back, truck routes closed, increased controls at border checkpoints. In early summer, the city was completely isolated from the west.

The Soviets tried to motivate the move with treaty violations by the western forces, but this did not receive much credit by the administration of President Truman in the US, nor in Britain, France, or the occupied territories of western Germany. To mitigate the lack of coal, food, drugs and other goods of primary use for the local population, the joint forces of the United States, Britain, France, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand set up a massive airlift under the coordination of the US military.

Over roughly a year more than 275’000 flights were carried out, mainly between three airfields in the territory of western Germany – Jagel, Fassberg and Wiesbaden – occupied by the western Allies, to Berlin Tempelhof downtown airport (see this post), as well as other land and water bases in the cut-off urban area. These were operated with a variety of transport aircraft, including Douglas C-47 and C-54 twin and four-propeller cargo planes manufactured in the US, as well as several British models, including some Shorts seaplanes.

Stalin opted to avoid an escalation. The blockade was finally lifted by the Soviets on May 12, 1949. The situation was stabilized with the birth of the Federal Republic of Germany in the west, and of the opposing German Democratic Republic in the east, later the same year. The western sectors of Berlin were to remain an enclave of the free world deep in the communist bloc for slightly more than another 40 years, when the GDR – aka DDR in German language – finally ceased to exist, and the re-unification started.

A great museum tracing the history of the presence of the western Allies in Berlin, telling the history of the Airlift in great detail, is the Allied Museum (website here) in the former US sector of Berlin-Zehlendorf.

70th Anniversary Celebrations in Germany

In 2019 the 70th year since the end of the blockade, lifted as a result of the airlift effectively sustaining the population of Berlin for an entire year, was celebrated with the patronage of the German government with a series of unique aircraft-related events. The most prominent were a few formation flights of an incredible group of historical aircraft, between the airfields formerly used as supply bases for the airlift.

One of these, the still-active military airfield of Jagel, in Schleswig-Holstein some 60 miles north of Hamburg, hosted a ‘spotter day’ on June 13th, 2019, when a few hundreds photographers were admitted for the whole day on the premises of the airbase, to assist to the landing, departure and flypast of a fleet of nine Douglas C-47, a major workhorse in the days of the airlift.

This marked possibly the largest grouping of such historic aircraft in Europe since many years. But what made the event even more unique – besides the weather, incredibly mild for the region… – was the origin of the aircraft, which except for one are all based in the US. They crossed the Atlantic once more to parade in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day in Normandy, attended also by President Trump and Charles, Prince of Wales. A few days after, they toured Germany for the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

Besides the commemoration flight, normal flying activity was carried out during the spotter day around the airbase, so this was a good chance to assist to flight operations by Tornados and Typhoons of the German Air Force, as well as other military aircraft.

Historical Flight – Fly-in

A single C-47 arrived earlier than all others, anticipating the massive fly-in of the full wing of Douglas C-47 twin-prop liners. Later on, a flypast all Skytrains to take part in the event started from the east of the field. The aircraft then landed one by one, taxied ahead of the photographers and after a stop of a few hours, took off in a row for another location in Germany.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 C-47

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

US Air Force C-47A/DC-3C ‘Miss Virginia’

The first aircraft to come was ex-USAAF 43-30655, built in 1943 as a military C-47A. The aircraft fell in private hands in the 1970s, after yeast stored in Arizona, when it was converted into an DC-3C, an energized version of the original 1930s design. It spent the 1980s in Colombia, then returned to the US as a utility aircraft. It was finally acquired for restoration and given the nice US Air Mobility Command colors it bears today. It flies with the civilian registration N47E.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47A US Air Force 0-30665

Golden Age Tours C-41A

This incredible aircraft, now in civilian hands since long, is a unique example of an executive version of the original 1935 DC-3. Built in 1938, it entered military service soon after as a private flight for Maj. General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold – an instrumental figure in the reorganization of the US military forces upon the early 1940s. It went on keeping its original executive configuration, and today it is lent out for special flights and for filming purposes from its base near San Francisco, CA. It bears the civilian registration N341A.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 N341A

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 N341A

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 N341A

USAAF C-47A 43-30647 ‘Virginia Ann’

This aircraft was in service with the USAAF since 1943. It took part to the D-Day operations with the name ‘Virginia Ann’, but was put on storage soon after WWII. It later went to private owners and was based in many domestic locations, including being part of the famous Planes of Fame collection in Chino, CA (see this post). Today it is still based on the West Coast, with the registration N62CC.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47A USAAF 330647 N62CC

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47A USAAF 330647 N62CC

Chalair C-47B

This C-47B was built among the latest in May 1945. It was surplus for the USAAF soon after WWII, so it joined the Royal Air Force inventory, and from there it left for Canada, where it enjoyed many years of service as a VIP transport in the Royal Canadian Air Force until the 1970s. It reportedly served as a Royal Flight for the Queen of England during a visit to Canada. After withdrawal from active service and changing hands several times in Canada, it was finally acquired in France and totally restored in the late 2000s. It flies with the registration F-AZOX.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47B ChalAir F-AZOX

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47B ChalAir F-AZOX

Johnson Flying Service, Inc. C-47 ‘Miss Montana’

This incredible aircraft was built soon after the WWII, and as many other surplus C-47, it moved to the civilian market. This aircraft was used in firefighting operations over the Northern Rockies, and was even involved in a tragic accident, crashing in the water causing fatalities. It was drawn back to a second life through the effort of the Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula, Montana, where it is based now, with the registration N24320.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3A NC24320 Johnson Flying Service Inc.

Legend Airways C-47D/DC-3C ‘Liberty’

A true combat veteran of WWII, this aircraft was pressed into service with the USAAF in mid-1943, and took part in operations in Algeria and the Mediterranean, as well as the D-Day in Normandy, where it sustained direct hits from German anti-aircraft guns. Soon after the turbulent war years, after returning to the US it fell into private hands in the south as a corporate transport. It kept the role, undergoing several upgrades, until it was finally acquired for a lavish restoration and cabin refurbishment, which gave it its current appearance. It is based in Colorado, where it is being operated for pleasure flights and filming, with the registration N25641.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3C N25641 Legend Airways

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3C N25641 Legend Airways

Pan American Airways System C-47B/DC-3

This aircraft had an adventurous history between its entry into service in 1944 and the early 1950s. It was originally allocated to the Chinese National Aviation Corporation, which in the war years carried out covert flights over a route known as the ‘hump’. These allowed resupply of Chinese forces from the British Empire in India, through resupply flights over the high peaks of western Tibet. This aircraft flew on that very dangerous route, until the breakdown of the Japanese forces and the end of WWII. As the Chinese National Aviation Corporation reverted back to normal operations, this aircraft was turned into a commuter between Hong-Kong and Canton. In the meanwhile, Mao Tse-Tung communist revolution subjugated China overturning the government. The new dictatorship tried to grab as many aircraft as possible, which in the meanwhile tried to escape from the country, assisted by western powers. This very aircraft, after some years on ground in China, was finally allowed to leave for the US, where it arrived in 1953. Since then it was refurbished as a corporate aircraft, and enjoyed a long career, being finally restored with a VIP internal layout and carefully reconstructed 1953 on-board systems. It is registered as N877MG.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 N877MG Pan American Airways System

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47 DC-3

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas DC-3 N877MG Pan American Airways System

USAAF C-47DL 43-15087

The aircraft you see flying is indeed a WWII veteran, but not with the colors you see today. The number 43-15087 on the tail refers to a C-47 which actually took part to the operations over Normandy on June 6th, 1944. But the airframe you actually see entered service with the USAAF as a personnel transport in North Africa and the Middle East in 1943. It then went to the Armee de l’Air in France, then to civilian operators in France and back in the US after the 1960s. There it was later restored and changed livery several times for special occasions, like the 75th anniversary of the D-Day – the ‘9X-P’ designation you see now. It is based in Texas, with the US registration N150D.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47A USAAF 315087 N150D

USAAF C-47 42-26044 ‘Placid Lassie’

Pressed into service in the summer of 1943, this aircraft is a true combat veteran, having flown on June 6th, 1944 over Normandy, and in September 1944 for several times over Flanders during the ill-fated operation ‘Market Garden’. It then went on as a civilian transport in the continental US. After years spent in disrepair, it was drawn back to life in the 2000s, and is now flown by a foundation dedicated to the crew of ‘1D-N’ during WWII.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 70th Anniversary Berlin Airlift Douglas C-47A USAAF 224064 N74589

German Air Force Aircraft

As the historical flight performed basically a fly-in and fly-out, in the few hours between them the aircraft of the German Air Force – the Luftwaffe – and of the Navy – the Marine – based at Jagel flew for the public. There were also German aircraft taken there in preparation for the day of the Armed Forces – Tag des Bundeswehr – to be celebrated the following week-end with an open day of the base.

Jagel is the home base for the Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 ‘Immelmann’, which currently operates the Panavia Tornado. These massive swing-wing aircraft flew in several time slots during the spotter day.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+49 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+44 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+32 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+49 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+35 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+49 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+44 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+35 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado IDS 43+25 Luftwaffe Immelmann

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR 46+32 Luftwaffe

Small formations demonstrated refueling abilities.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado ECR Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Refuelling Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Luftwaffe

Some passages were performed at high speed, with maximum sweep.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado IDS 43+25 Luftwaffe Immelmann

One of the aircraft has been painted in a flamboyant celebration livery, with the portrait of Max Immelman, a German WWI ace, on the vertical tail.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado IDS 43+25 Luftwaffe Immelmann

Another impressive performance was given by a Eurofighter Typhoon, a massive delta-winged twin-jet with a tail-less, all-moving canard configuration. This compares well in size with the Super Hornet – a pretty massive attack aircraft.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Eurofighter Typhoon Luftwaffe 31+08

This very aircraft is from the Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 ‘Boelcke’, based in Nörvenich.

At some point in the day, there was a flypast of a single Lockheed P-3 Orion, on strength to the German Navy – Marine. On its double passage it was possible to see the large racks for sonobuoys under the belly of this four-propeller aircraft.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Lockheed P3 Orion 60+07 Marine

There were also exhibitions by some rotorcrafts, including a huge Sikorsky CH-53G, an Airbus H145 and a larger NH-90, the most modern of the three. The very dark camo livery made them pretty difficult to photograph, despite a rather wide zoom lens I was using for the task.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 H145 76+02 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Sikorsky CH-53G 84+38 Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 NH90 78+36 Heer

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Sikorsky CH-53G 84+38 Luftwaffe

Finally, a pretty rare aircraft, albeit possibly not so eye-catching, a single Dornier Do-28 military light transport landed in the evening.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Dornier Do-28 59+11 Marine

Visiting Aircraft from Other Countries

Other aircraft landed and departed from the base, some possibly in preparation for the Tag des Bundeswehr to be held a couple of days later. These aircraft were not from Germany.

First, two more Tornadoes of the Italian Air Force landed at some point, and posed for photographers. They belong to the 6° Stormo ‘Diavoli Rossi’, based at Ghedi. A small devil’s face is painted on the vertical tail of these aircraft.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado 6 13 Italian Air Force

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Luftwaffe

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado 6 41 Italian Air Force

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Italian Air Force

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado 6 13 Italian Air Force

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Tornado Luftwaffe

A SAAB JAS-39 Gripen of the Hungarian Air Force, in a twin-seat configuration, landed soon after.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 SAAB JAS-39D Gripen 43 Hungarian Air Force

A single Aero L-159 Alca of the Czech Air Force appeared at some point.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Aero L-159A Alca 6051 Czech Air Force

An Antonov An-26 of the Hungarian Air Force landed and later departed. An iconic Soviet-made transport, this sturdy workhorse is still flying in many Countries, both for the Armed Forces and for civilian operators as well.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Antonov An-26 406 Hungarian Air Force

A single Pilatus PC-9 of the private company Qinetiq made an appearance.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Pilatus PC-9 D-FGMT Qinetiq

Finally, two pretty rare Douglas A4 belonging to the Canadian private training company Jet Aces landed and taxied for the photographers, one of them in a rather eye-catching NATO anniversary commemoration livery.

Jagel Spotterday 2019 Douglas A-4 Top Aces Canada

Final Note

The Marine base of Schleswig-Jagel where this event took place was originally a Luftwaffe airfield, operated by the British military during the Berlin Airlift and until the early Sixties, and later handed over to the Federal Republic of Germany. It is still today an active airbase. There is no public access except on special occasions.

Communist Highlights in Prague and the Czech Republic

January 28, 2019September 22, 2023 CarloRLeave a comment

Czechoslovakia had existed as an independent state since the end of WWI and the dissolution of the Austrian Empire. However, this small yet economically advanced province was soon to be caught right in the middle of a storm which insisted on central Europe until the 1990s, at which time this country finally gained its true independence.

Back in the Thirties, Czechoslovakia was forcibly annexed to the Third Reich as a result of the Munich Agreement in 1938. This event can be seen a major destabilizing step in Hitler’s foreign relations, clearly showing that the situation was deteriorating fast in central Europe.

Following the troublesome years of Nazi rule, this region was captured by Soviet and US troops at the end of the war. A new republic was founded, but the local communist party was very well organized, so Czechoslovakia shared the destiny of many neighbor countries which had been occupied by the Red Army in the final stage of the war. Backed by Stalin, a communist coup d’état in 1948 led to the establishment of a Soviet-style dictatorship, which was to last until 1989, making Czechoslovakia a Soviet satellite country.

Despite the relatively small size on the map, Czechoslovakia played a significant role in the economy of the Eastern Bloc. This country had a well established tradition in the production of weapons, metal hardware and machinery. Its soil is rich in Uranium. Furthermore, the forward position on the border with non-communist Western Germany and Austria further raised its strategic significance. When a secession from Moscow was tried by the local communist government, led by reformer Alexander Dubcek in 1968 – a phase known as the ‘Prague Spring’ -, the USSR reacted with all its military might, staging a full-scale invasion of the country by land and air, overturning the high ranks of the unreliable Czechoslovakian government, and putting this valuable region under a stricter communist leadership.

Clearly, the end of the communist dictatorship is today duly celebrated as a historical achievement both in the Czech Republic and Slovakia – respectively the western and eastern portions of Czechoslovakia, which peacefully split in 1993. The more than 40 years of struggle against Soviet rule constitute the theme of several interesting permanent exhibitions, but these are not the only witnesses of those troubled times. More tangible relics – all open to the public – are former border posts with former West Germany, a one-of-a-kind original communist prison camp for political prisoners, as well as some pieces of architectures and bunkers from the Cold War age.

This post is dedicated to these highlights, all to be found in the region between Prague and the border with Bavaria, in todays Czech Republic. Photographs were collected on a short trip in summer 2018.

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Museum of Communism, Prague
Nuclear Bunker for Civil Defense, Prague
Soviet-Related Buildings and Monuments, Prague
Vojna Prison Camp, Pribram
Iron Curtain Museum, Rozvadov
Museum of the Border Guard, Rozvadov

Sights

Museum of Communism, Prague

Far from a cheesy description of everyday life in the years of the Cold War, or an inaccurate account of the history of the communist plague as a social phenomenon, this permanent exhibition takes you in detail along the history of Czechoslovakia in the years immediately before WWII, when it basically lost its independence to the Germans, and going on to 1989, when with the so-called Velvet Revolution Czechoslovakia abandoned the Soviet sphere of influence and overthrew the communist dictatorship.

The exhibition features an equilibrated mixture of original artifacts – paintings, statues, memorabilia,… -, photographs, models, dioramas and explicative panels.

Museum Of Communism Prague

Interestingly, speaking of the Thirties and the imposed annexation to the Third Reich, you can see models of the border forts along the former German (now Polish) border. These are covered in this dedicated post.

Museum Of Communism Prague

The history of the anti-fascist operations, and of the role of the communist party in them, are thoroughly analyzed, and so are the decisive years immediately following the war. It is recalled how this nation was partly invaded by US troops, hence it was contested as a pure-Soviet conquer. A short-lived free Czechoslovakian republic was founded, which fell under communist control, and in the years of Stalin, with a Soviet military presence in the country, this meant the end of any independence from the USSR.

Museum Of Communism Prague

Similar to East Berlin, Prague ended up to host a huge monument to Stalin. This was built on top of a hill facing the city, on the north bank of the river. It was suddenly blown after the death of the Soviet dictator, leaving an empty esplanade which can be still seen today (see a section below).

Museum Of Communism Prague

The establishment of a communist rule since the start meant the implementation of brutal repressive measures, including prison camps for political opponents, which were largely employed as forced laborers all over the territory of the state, especially for mining activities. Preventive imprisonment, extorted confessions and executions were typical to the years of Stalin. Even the troops who had come in contact with the western Allies during the war were exonerated and imprisoned, to perfectly guarantee the stability of the communist leadership of the army. A detailed account of this little-know, large-scale repressive activity is documented also by means of reconstructed interrogation rooms, as well as spy gear used by the Czechoslovakian communist political police, the StB.

Museum Of Communism Prague

A related interesting chapter is that of the border shared with neighbor western countries. Similar to the German Democratic Republic (see this post), the border with West Germany and Austria was heavily guarded to stop those who wanted to flee the country. A fence of many kilometers was erected and modernized on more instances. A number of citizens were sent to prison or even lost their lives trying to escape to the West. More on this can be found today on the border with Germany (see a section below).

A significant area is devoted to the wannabe-reformer Alexander Dubcek and the 1968 ‘Prague Spring’. The aggressive Soviet reaction to the experiment, backed by the new Brezhnev leadership, provided an example for other Soviet satellite countries seeking for independence. The invasion of Czechoslovakia, called ‘Operation Danube’, was carried out as a surprise attack, paralyzing all urban infrastructures by quickly landing troops and material with a well-organized airlift on the nation’s major civil airports, including Prague and Brno. Simultaneously, land troops of many countries of the Eastern Bloc crossed the border and rapidly occupied all military installations. Guerrilla actions took place especially in Prague, but it was soon clear that an action so massive could not be counteracted by the sole Czechoslovakian forces.

Museum Of Communism Prague

The Soviet aggression cleared any doubt about the attitude of the new leadership of the USSR. It was generally condemned even by the communist parties of the western world, but this was not helpful for Czechoslovakia, which could not overthrow the re-established Soviet-style dictatorship until the almost simultaneous collapse of the communist regimes bound to the USSR in 1989.

Getting there and moving around

This museum is an excellent resource and a starting point for gaining an insight on the history of Czechoslovakia from the late 1930s to the 1990s. A general knowledge of the Cold War history may help to better collocate the facts reported in the exhibition on the world stage, yet even if this is the first museum of the kind you may visit, it can be extremely interesting.

It is located in central Prague, perfectly accessible with a walk in the beautiful central district from the majority of the hotels. Visiting may easily take 2 hours for an interested subject. All panels and captions are in double language, Czech and English. Website with full information here.

Nuclear Bunker for Civil Defense, Prague

Following the escalation of the nuclear stockpiles in the US and USSR, countermeasures to resist a nuclear attack were implemented in many countries. Besides specific training for both troops and civilians, shelters were built for government agencies, and for the population of most crowded areas. While typically far from sufficient to save even a minimal part of the population in case of a nuclear attack, these structures were nonetheless rather extensive and sophisticated. Especially in central Europe, within reach of nuclear missiles from the start of the rocket age (see this post), nuclear bunkers for civil defense were serious structures, today standing as tangible witnesses of the Cold War (see this post).

In Prague, the system for civil defense was implemented in the form of a series of bunkers around the city center, started in the early 1950s. Over the following decades a network was created comprising the underground railway system and several metro stops, which similar to West Berlin, could be turned into nuclear bunkers providing shelter, decontamination gear and supplies for hundreds of people for several weeks.

Of this comprehensive system only a small part can be visited today. The bunker in the Parukarka district, northeast of the city center, can be accessed from a distinctive concrete gate – today covered in ignorant graffiti – in the side of a hill. Right behind the external gate you can find a massive tight door, capable of resisting to a nuclear blast, and providing access to a stair well, leading deep underground.

Prague Soviet Atomic Nuclear Shelter Civil Defense

From the bottom of the stairs, you are led through a network of tunnels, originally intended for storing supplies and as living quarters for refugees.

Prague Soviet Atomic Nuclear Shelter Civil Defense

The toilet is still operative today. An emergency room with original medical tools has been reconstructed.

An interesting exhibition showcases a beautiful collection of gas masks, dosimeters, posters with emergency survival procedures and propaganda items.

Prague Soviet Atomic Nuclear Shelter Civil Defense

A room where the main tunnel splits in multiple branches gives access to a decontamination facility, a security communication post, and an area where a small exhibition on the Cold War has been placed.

Prague Soviet Atomic Nuclear Shelter Civil Defense

The latter includes sample mass-produced goods originally stored in the bunker, maps, and full nuclear and chemical protection suits and masks.

Prague Soviet Atomic Nuclear Shelter Civil Defense

You can also try putting on a mask, and take up a rifle for a weird selfie!

Getting there and moving around

The bunker can be reached a few tram stops from the main railway station. The entrance is located next to the southwestern corner of Parukarka park on Prokopova alley, a block away from Hotel Olsanka. However, the gate is usually closed, and there is no booth or visitor center there. The bunker can be visited by appointment only, or on a regular basis by taking the special-themed communist tour of Prague (see website here). The latter was my option. This tour is offered in English and maybe other languages, and will take you on a walk to a few places usually portrayed in the historical pictures from the days of ‘Operation Danube’ of 1968, and during the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The starting point is close to the Clock Tower, on the central square of historical Prague.

The highlight of the multi-hour tour is the civil defense bunker, which makes the tour appealing. For the rest, except for little information, the tour is not excessively interesting, especially if you have already a good knowledge of the history of the Cold War and of Czechoslovakia at that time. It may the depend on the guide – mine was a relatively young man, who albeit prepared, did not seem to be able to give answers to more detailed or technical questions. Furthermore, the time spent inside the bunker is limited, and very scant explanations are provided about the exhibitions and artifacts on display there. Time is not enough for good photographs. The website of the bunker, for more info or for booking a private visit, is here.

Soviet-Related Buildings and Monuments, Prague

A few buildings in Prague have a historical significance bound to the Cold War, either for the role they had in the years of the communist dictatorship, or for the fact they were erected in Soviet style.

A first example is the headquarter of the StB, the political police of Czechoslovakia, similar to the KGB, Stasi or Securitate of other communist countries. This is located in central Prague, and occupies a building which had been previously built for another purpose.

Secret Communist Police STB Headquarters Prague

To the northwest of the historical district, on the northern bank of the river, you can find a prominent example of Soviet architecture – Hotel International. This was designed in the years of Stalin, and this is reflected in the typical Stalinist tower architecture (see this post). It had been intended as a building of the department of defense, to host high-ranking military staff. It never covered this role, and after the construction years, lasting 1952-1956, it was inaugurated as a luxury hotel, with the same name it bears today.

Hotel International Prague

After the end of communism in Europe, the hotel has been refurbished, returning the exteriors to the original appearance. The star on top the central spire is original too. The frieze features hammers and sickles, as well as other examples of typical communist iconography.

Hotel International Prague

Today a rather unapparent square with a nice view of the old city, the base of the monument to Stalin with the giant staircases leading to it from the water level can be found on the northern bank of the river. This area is today partly degraded, and used for temporary art installations. Only pictures from the time allow to get an idea of the monster size of the sculpture group once standing there, with Stalin and other folks overlooking the city.

Former Stalin’s Monument Prague

The monument was blown after Stalin was condemned by the Communist Party of the USSR, soon after his death.

Among the relatively few statues and prominent buildings dating back to the years of communist dictatorship is a couple of cosmonauts. This can be found in the southern periphery of the city, immediately out of the metro station Haje. The neighborhood is mainly residential, dating from Soviet times. Notwithstanding the general decency of the area, these two astronauts are somewhat forgotten, close to an overgrown hedge.

Prague Soviet Relic Astronaut Statue Gagarin

Getting there and moving around

The mentioned communist architectural highlights in Prague are somewhat scattered.

The StB headquarters are located on the corner between Bartolomějská Ulice and Na Perstyne, at the very center of the historical district. The former Stalin monument can be reached climbing uphill from the northern end of Chechuv Most bridge, a short walk from the historical district. Besides the questionable interest for what remains of the monument, climbing up is advisable at least for the exceptional view you can enjoy from the balcony.

The Hotel International is located further north of the city center, where Koulova alley meets Cinska road. The nice residential area is served by a number of tram and bus stops, but reaching may be easier by car. Clearly, you can also elect to stay at the hotel.

The two cosmonauts can be found in the southern peripheral district Haje, just outside of the homonym metro stop, close to a larger bus stop area. Again, reaching is less time consuming by car.

Vojna Prison Camp, Pribram

A one-of-a-kind memorial in the panorama of former communist-led countries is preserved just south of the small town of Pribram, about 40 miles southwest of Prague. This is a full scale prison camp for forced laborers, instituted by the communist dictatorship in the years of Stalin, back in 1947. The prisoners of this camp were interned only for political reasons. Together with other similar installations, it supplied workforce for the extraction of uranium ore from mines nearby. The number of inmates increased steadily until the early 1960s, reaching the order of 1,500, until a series of amnesties were promulgated and prison camps were closed in Czechoslovakia.

The camp went on to be operated as a military depot, and reopened as a national memorial in the late 1990s.

Close to the entrance, which is via the original gate in the outer fence of the camp, a former industrial building has been substituted by a modern building with roughly the same shape, hosting a conference center and the visitor center. When on a self-guided tour, you are advised to start your visit with an exhibition on the history of the Czechoslovakian prison camps, hosted in the former guard quarters. The exhibition provides models, pictures and quick numbers to get an idea of the proportion of the repression and internment of political prisoners, as well as of the forced labor system set up by the communist leadership.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

A memorial to those who perished as a result of political repression and imprisonment in the area of Pribram concludes this part.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

The partly original and partly reconstructed buildings on display include a complete external perimeter, a prison and a rigor cell.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

Inside an inner guarded perimeter, a few barracks for the inmates have been reconstructed or refurbished, and are used to showcase temporary and permanent exhibitions. One of great interest at the time of my visit described in detail the days of the liberation from the Nazi occupation – US troops briefly took over control of the area, and they met the Soviet army nearby Pribram.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

There are also service buildings for the guards, with a small movie theater and a canteen.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

Another interesting part is the original emergency room and clinic. The face of Stalin in the doctor’s room is particularly disturbing. Besides the generally harsh living conditions, illnesses and injuries typical to mine works were rather common. Inexperience of the forced laborers clearly added to the injury rates.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

In a building to the far end of the camp you can find an exhibition about mining activities in the area and uranium extraction in Czechoslovakia, which represented an asset of this country in the eyes of the USSR.

Vojna Communist Prison Camp Uranium Mine Pribram Czech

Getting there and moving around

The prison camp is opened as a national memorial. It can be reached by car along highway N.4 in 30 minutes from central Prague in the small village of Lesetice, immediately south of Pribram. There are opening times, but you can visit either on a self-guided basis or with a guide. I was not given the option of a guided tour in English though, so I enjoyed a self-guided tour. There is some paneling in English, but not extensively covering all parts of the installation. Access to the rigor cell is only possible with a guide, but you may join a guided tour only for that small part of the exhibition, just to get access.

A complete visit on a self-guided basis may take about 1.5 hours for the interested subject, including time for taking all the pictures.

Please note they accept only cash. Website in English with full information here.

Iron Curtain Museum, Rozvadov

This atypical museum is located right on the border with Germany, between the Czech village of Rozvadov and the German town of Frankenreuth, Bavaria. Back in the years of the Cold War, the highway E50 today crossing the border nearby did not exist, and this border post was a major checkpoint on the line between the Eastern Bloc and the West.

The museum is deceptively located in the basement of the gas station immediately cross the border on the Czech side. The gas station itself used to be the custom and border control station, as you can see from historical pictures inside the museum.

The museum is constituted of a collection of photographs and artifacts. The exhibits cover roughly two themes – communism in Czechoslovakia and the Cold War as a global confrontation.

Iron Curtain Museum Rozvadov Muzeum Zelezne Opony Border Communist Germany Czech

Red banners, small sculptures, photographs and propaganda posters have been collected from various locations in Czechoslovakia. These include official portraits of the communist presidents of Czechoslovakia, and memorabilia belonging to their offices.

Iron Curtain Museum Rozvadov Muzeum Zelezne Opony Border Communist Germany Czech

A good collection of weapons and communication gear belonging to border guards and local troops of both sides of the Iron Curtain is also on display. Communist-themed commemorative medals and dinnerware are part of the collection.

Iron Curtain Museum Rozvadov Muzeum Zelezne Opony Border Communist Germany Czech

The part on the global confrontation is smaller, and include photographs from sister museums in other countries including the US, a small documentation on the history of nuclear tests and the nuclear stockpiles in the Cold War period.

Iron Curtain Museum Rozvadov Muzeum Zelezne Opony Border Communist Germany Czech

On the outside, a few vehicles of the former border guards can be found (no pictures due to heavy rain).

Getting there and moving around

This nice small museum is surely worth visiting for the interested subject, even though it does not concentrate much on the history of the local border post. The website in Czech language can be found here, basic visiting info can be easily found with some Google translation. It can be reached by car on the road connecting Frankenreuth, Bavaria, and Rozvadov, immediately cross the border on the Czech side. Signs to the entrance can be found around the local gas station. Entry is behind the building of the gas station. Visiting on a self-guided basis will not take more than 45 minutes for the interested subject.

Please note that they accept only cash.

Museum of the Border Guard, Rozvadov

This museum is actually a preserved former barrack of the border guards. Not only it looks like the building is still being operated, it actually is, albeit only for reunions of the former guards and local ranger corps, which today keep it open.

Museum of the Border Guard Rozvadov Muzeum Pohraniční stráže Germany Czech Border Iron Curtain

Thanks to this special condition, the place is very vivid and makes for an extremely interesting visit. Besides the sleeping quarters, you can find a series of rooms with rifles and technical material, including radio and communication equipment.

Museum of the Border Guard Rozvadov Muzeum Pohraniční stráže Germany Czech Border Iron Curtain

If you are lucky, the guide will give you a demonstration of how parts of this technical gear work.

Museum of the Border Guard Rozvadov Muzeum Pohraniční stráže Germany Czech Border Iron Curtain

A former class room/meeting room hosts a reconstruction of the fences which used to run all along the border with West Germany and Austria. The level of control was totally similar to the one implemented between the two German Republics (see this post). In the same room there is a small collection of weapons you can touch.

Museum of the Border Guard Rozvadov Muzeum Pohraniční stráže Germany Czech Border Iron Curtain

In a room close by the entrance a sentinel was always keeping the assigned sector of the border under control. The various protective layers prevented anybody from escaping the communist territory. Besides watchtowers along the border line, when touched the innermost fence triggered an alarm in the sentinel’s room. This appeared as a mark on a specially designed detector, which could tell with good approximation where the fugitive was trying to cross the border. This would trigger the other guards, who would scramble out and seek for him. This sophisticated piece of machinery was manufactured in the GDR…

Museum of the Border Guard Rozvadov Muzeum Pohraniční stráže Germany Czech Border Iron Curtain

Getting there and moving around

Reaching the place can be tricky, for there are no signs leading to it. From the road 605 in Rozvadov, follow the indications to Casino Admiral. This is located on a road climbing gently uphill from the 605. Going further on the same road, you will reach a dead-end, and a group of shabby barracks after about .3 miles. These must have been all service buildings and barracks for the border guards. One of the barracks is the museum. The exact GPS coordinates are (49.673994, 12.545367).

Information on the opening times can be found from the website of the town administration (on the right hand side of the web page).

Opening times are extremely limited. You are followed on your visit by one of the guards, some of them can speak a little English, sufficient for making the visit extremely interesting. There is no institutional ticket, but they will ask for a voluntary cash offer. Visiting may take about 30-40 minutes.

A Few Remains of Nazi Grandeur in Germany

December 16, 2018July 30, 2022 CarloRLeave a comment

Architecture is possibly one of the disciplines where the ringleaders of the Nazi dictatorship invested most, for it provided a direct mean to display and impose their ‘new aesthetics’ to the German people and to foreign visitors from abroad.

The victory of the Allies in WWII wiped out the Nazi apparatus, but nowhere as in Germany did the new post-war leadership take the deletion of all traces of the Third Reich so seriously. Even in museums of military history – there is an excellent example in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, perhaps one of the most beautiful museums on the topic in Europe – there are just a handful of Nazi insignia. Swastikas, Nazi uniforms, weapons and memorabilia can be found to an incredibly greater extent elsewhere in Europe, especially in Britain, or in museums in the US. They are really also abundant in the countless exhibitions about the Great Patriotic War – WWII for Russians – in the former USSR, and generally beyond the Iron Curtain.

Concerning architecture, especially in Berlin many buildings of all ages were totally demolished as a result of US/British air raids, and during the last battle for the city opposite the Red Army. Similarly, the town centers of many larger towns were severely damaged. In the reconstruction process, little care was taken in keeping trace of this dark page of the German history, and the reborn downtown districts assumed in many cases a new face, where 1950-styled buildings shared the stage with medieval cathedrals and public schools from Bismarck’s time – pretty much nothing from the 1930s.

Yet of course some creations of Hitler’s architects have come to these days. Despite the evil ideology behind them, some are remarkable works of art, displaying a clear relationship with functionalism, typically found through various interpretations also in many realizations of great architects of the Thirties, in the US as well as all around western Europe. Examples are those buildings connected with infrastructures, like airport terminals or railway stations – much needed in the post-WWII period, and preferably restored instead of being demolished. More items of this kind survive than possibly of any other from Hitler’s era in todays German cities. A majestic example is the terminal of the now closed Berlin-Tempelhof airport.

Most of the surviving buildings hold a public function – like departments of the government or sport arenas. In a very few cases, buildings strongly connected with the devious ideology of the Third Reich have been preserved – albeit not greatly publicized – as museums. A first notable example is the complex around the Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg, with the unfinished huge congress hall for the conventions of the Nazi Party. A second one is the disturbing ‘spiritual center’ of the infamous SS in Wewelsburg.

This chapter collects a few photographs from these three places. Of course, it is far from a complete review of the architectural heritage of the 1930s and 1940s in Germany. It just provides an insight on a relatively unknown group of relics from Hitler’s era in Germany.

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Berlin-Tempelhof Airport Terminal
Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg
Spiritual Headquarter of the SS, Wewelsburg

Sights

Berlin-Tempelhof Airport Terminal

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Possibly the most complete and grandest example of Nazi architecture, the airport terminal of Berlin-Tempelhof is interesting both from an architecture standpoint and for its historical significance. The terminal was designed and built in the late 1930s and completed in 1941, greatly enlarging a preexistent construction.

At that time, nothing comparable existed in the world. The terminal is more than a mile long. It was built with a direct access from the land-side buildings directly to the long side of a narrow hangar on the air-side, which basically ran all along the terminal. Considering the small size of the aircraft of the day, this ‘hangar-terminal’ configuration could be exploited to simultaneously load and unload a high number of flights, with operations taking place directly in, or just outside, of a covered hangar. During WWII, parts of the hangar were used to manufacture military aircraft, exploiting forced laborers from a concentration camp prepared nearby for the purpose.

But the features of the terminal turned also extremely handy during the Berlin blockade of 1948-49, when Stalin tried to force his former western Allies to withdraw from Berlin by cutting off the western sector of the city. The western Allies set up the famous airlift, supplying the western sector with basically everything that was needed for a population in the order of a million, for 15 months! Tempelhof was the major airport in Berlin – the other being the British airbase in Gatow, near Potsdam – and laid in the American zone of the city. Thanks to its peculiar structure, it could manage the immense flow of goods flown in by more than 1’000 flights per day.

In the Cold War years, the airport was operated as a logistic base by the US forces. In the meanwhile, the construction of a larger airport – with a smaller terminal, but longer runways – was started at Tegel, and this was promoted to the main airport of West Berlin for civil air traffic. State flights still were operated in and out of Tempelhof, President Reagan’s Air Force One 27000 notably operating from Tempelhof on a famous state visit in 1982. After the German reunification the airport went on working as a civil airport, but the relatively short runways and noise issues led to its closure in 2008.

Sadly, today this glorious airport has been turned into another city park. It is rather difficult to use it for the scope though, as all the cement and asphalt of the apron, runways and taxiways are still there, there are no trees, and the terminal is an imposing presence on one side. Moreover, it is really a surplus for a city like Berlin, scattered with plenty of beautiful and immense green areas. The terminal building has not yet found a new occupation, and is basically a well-guarded ghost. Plans for reopening it as a convention center are apparently consolidated in 2022, but renovation works are going on still at very low pace.

Most recently, a small but well-designed, mainly pictorial exhibition has been located in the old terminal building, retracing with beautiful historical pictures, technical schemes and essential explanations the history of Tempelhof Airport.

Pictures from the year 2015 – but luckily not much had changed in 2022, the date of my latest visit – show the main building giving access to the terminal on the northwestern corner of the airfield still in a rather good shape. The empty parking ahead of the passenger entrance with nobody around gives a lunar aura to the place.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The neat lines of this part of the building deceive its actual size. From a former visit still in the days of operation – year 2006 – you can notice the roomy check-in hall, right beyond the main entrance.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

Close by one of the glass entry doors you can spot a memorial to General Lucius Clay, the American mind behind the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The grand perspective leading to the entrance is really an architectural masterpiece. Also noteworthy is a series of covered passages leading to lateral courtyards to the sides. These service passages are not visible when approaching the terminal from the distance, preserving the general sense of order without renouncing to the functionality of the construction.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

There are two surviving marble eagles from Hitler’s time, on the front walls of the buildings to the sides of the main perspective.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

The eagle head ahead of the parking is from the eagle sculpture originally standing on top of the main façade in Hitler’s times. That eagle was taken away after the capture of the city and the end of the war. The head went to the Army Academy in West Point, NY as a spoil of war, and was returned after the German reunification.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Moving along the wings of the building you can appreciate the size of the construction, really uncommon for Europe in the Thirties. The quality of all materials is also really striking. Their cost must have been really high.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

To the extreme northeastern tip of the building you can spot some former radio installations, likely connected with air traffic control or military operations. From there you can get access to the former air side of the airport. At the time when the pictures were taken it was possible to walk around freely, but unfortunately not close to the hangar. Most recently, a branch of the Allied Museum in Berlin has taken responsibility for a preservation effort, and is keeping the place off-limits, opening it to the public on rare guided visits in German only – but I could not join in any of them.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

There is also a historical propliner ahead of the iconic ‘Berlin Tempelhof’ sign on top of the hangar. Anyway, walking on the apron and runways produces a ‘history was made here’ feeling, and it is worth trying! Again, a few shots from the days of operation show the hangar from inside the terminal building. Historical pictures from local panels show the use of the hangar for the production of aircraft and technical parts.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

As said, a recent exhibition of special interest for getting an accurate historical perspective, retraces the timeline of the airfield, since its pre-Third Reich era, through the colossal redesign in the shape we see today carried out in Hitler’s time, and down to the Cold War era, when Tempelhof had a crucial role in the Berlin Airlift, and was operated for long as a regular city airport.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Remarkably, in April 1945 the airfield fell in Soviet hands – since the Soviet Army conquered Berlin – and was later ceded to the US, following the Potsdam agreements in July 1945, which split the capital of the Third Reich in four sectors. It is likely Stalin regretted his own ‘fair-play’ concerning Tempelhof at the time of the Airlift, just a few years later…

A picture portraying general Keitel, in custody, arriving at Tempelhof to sign the instrument of surrender in the Soviet headquarters (see here) together with other top-ranking Nazi officers, shows a Lisunov Li-2 in the background. This was the licensed Soviet copy of the Douglas C-47. Also interesting the demolished German fighters found on sight by the conquerors.

The US, having taken control of the field, organized open-days for the general public once per year – reportedly, mostly appreciated by the local population.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Actually, the years corresponding to the sealing of the Inner Border (see here), from the Berlin crisis of 1961 (which saw the construction of the Berlin Wall) until specific accords partially reopening the land borders especially to Westerners in the early 1970s, were those of the most intense activity for Tempelhof – reaching West Berlin was more convenient by flight. But soon after, the better infrastructure of Tegel, with longer runways and less surrounded by high-rise buildings, took over most of the airline connections to Berlin. Tempelhof went on hosting state flights, general aviation flights, and commercial flights to a lower scale. There was also a permanent presence of US Army forces.

Evoking pictures include one with Willy Brandt greeting general Clay, and much later, President Reagan and the First Lady on a state visit in 1987. In another, you see one of the former Third Reich top-ranking staff Albert Speer – who also contributed to the design of Tempelhof – leaving for Western Germany by flight, following release after serving a long sentence in the prison of Spandau. He had been sentenced in Nürnberg.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The closure on grounds of noise issues, as noted, left the infrastructure unused for some years. Plans for re-opening as a convention/exhibition centers have been prepared as of 2022, and partial updating works are being carried out.

Getting there and moving around

The former airport is not far from downtown Berlin, around 3 miles south from the Brandenburg Gate in the former western sector of the city. Access to the terminal is from Tempelhofer Damm. Parking is possible along this major alley, or on the many roads around the airport – parking is rarely a problem in Berlin. Be ready to walk though, as usual when touring an airport.

Access possible also with public means of transportation. The front terminal can be easily reached from the U6 stops ‘Platz der Luftbrucke’ or ‘Bhf Paradestrasse’. Access from the east is easier from the U8 stops ‘Boddinstrasse’ or ‘Leinenstrasse’. There is finally an S-bahn station on the southwestern corner of the airfield – ‘Bahnhof Tempelhof’ – where U6 meets with several S-bahn lines.

My last visit to the place dates back to 2022, and as the area was undergoing renovation with a consolidated plan for changing its role and shape – and some works having started in the southernmost part of the terminal building.

Anyway, at the time of this visit the terminal was closed to the public, with limited chances to visit inside on guided tours. The only chance to access the terminal is for the small – yet totally recommended – photo exhibition. The latter can be reached to the left of the main facade of the terminal building. Website with contacts and timetables here.

Touring the exterior is possible on your own, and there are also a few descriptive panels along the perimeter. There are multiple entrances to the former air side, which is a public park with many people around.

Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg

Nuremberg is an ancient imperial city in the heart of Germany, taken over as the symbolic capital of the ‘new kingdom’ by the theorists of the Nazi doctrine, due to its historical significance in German history. This town became the focal point of Hitler-led Nazi Party (NSDAP is the acronym of the party name in German language) well before the fateful general elections of 1933, when Hitler was elected chancellor of the German Republic. Among the activities of the NSDAP since the Twenties was a yearly rally, where for a few days all sections of the party met in Nuremberg for a series of group activities, including political speeches, commemoration of the fallen soldiers of the German wars, sport, camping, dining, etc.

In the years preceding Hitler’s raise to power, these rallies took place in the Luitpoldhain Park, to the southeast of the town center. The park had at its center the Hall of Honor, a memorial to the soldiers of German Wars, erected at the end of the Twenties. Today, leaving behind some construction works carried out by the NSDAP in the 1930s – including a massive Luitpold Hall and a tribune, today completely demolished – the place has regained its commemorative function, and is still used as a nice and sober city park. Yet historical photographs of Hitler celebrating the fallen German comrades ahead of the very monument you can see today produce a strange feeling.

Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field

In the years of the dictatorship, the rallies turned into a megalomaniac ostentation of power, with hundreds of thousands participating in the reunions. Correspondingly, the area involved in these parades was greatly enlarged, and a plan was made to realize a group of dedicated buildings.

The most famous of them, thanks to the historical movies of the parades recorded at the time, is the Zeppelin Field. This was a parade ground designed from scratch by Nazi architects. The white tribune with the huge swastika on top, in the background of an immense, perfectly ordered and disciplined public, crowding the arena and listening to the voice of the Führer, is one of the permanent symbols of the Third Reich monstrous machine. Actually, the same tribune is the subject of another very famous movie, where the swastika is blown up with dynamite after the capture of the city of Nuremberg by US troops, marking the end of the Nazi rule in Germany.

Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field

The tribune and the constructions along the perimeter of the Zeppelin Field underwent major post-war deconstruction works, as the area came to host a car racing circuit and later a rather minimal sporting ground. What remains of the building is still rather massive, yet the top colonnade is gone, and as of 2016 the place looked little guarded and partly abandoned – eventually making it even grimmer! You can be on the exact podium where Hitler stood in his golden days admiring his evil creation.

Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field

The final and most prominent part of the plan is the congress hall of the NSDAP. Like most of the gigantic construction project for the area, this building was never completed, yet it reached a rather advanced state of completion. It is a U-shaped, three floors building, clearly inspired to the ancient Roman architecture. It should have been the building for the congresses of the NSDAP.

Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field

Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field

Today, this is the only preserved building of the complex, and hosts an extremely interesting museum and documentation center on the history of the Nazi Party and of the rallies. Really an interesting insight in the aesthetics of Hitler’s era and in the strange history of this strange political movement, which has been instrumental in shaping the face of todays Europe – and possibly of the world. Surely worth visiting.

Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field

A somewhat off-topic note, yet fitting in this chapter, concerns the hall of the Nuremberg Trials. These post-war trials were held in Nuremberg soon after the end of the war, mainly because of the significance this city had gained for the NSDAP. The courthouse, used as such also under the Nazi dictatorship, survived the war rather undamaged. Today, it is home to the Memorium, a very interesting museum documenting the trials from an anecdotal perspective, as well as from a more elevated viewpoint, describing its significance for international law – it was the first time an international conflict ended up in a trial.

Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials

Besides the museum, which is mainly centered on panels and photographs, you can see the famous Courtroom 600, where the trials took place. This was a bit altered since the years of the trials, yet some peculiar features, like the artistic doors, are exactly those you can see in the famous video recordings from the time.

Getting there and moving around

The area of the NSDAP rallies can be found about 2.5 miles southeast of the historical district of Nuremberg, Bavaria. It can be conveniently reached by car, or with public transport. Tramway line 8 departs the central railway station and has several stops in the area of interest. The S-bahn station ‘Nurnberg-Dutzenteich’ is 0.3 miles from the congress hall.

Today the area is mainly green, with much room for relaxing with a good walk. There are some explanatory panels with maps outlining the scheme of the Nazi master plan, including the buildings which were actually erected, those which were later demolished, and those which were just planned.

The centerpiece is the museum ‘Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände’, in the unfinished congress hall. Despite the distance from downtown Nuremberg, this is a major attraction for foreign visitors, hence the museum is prepared for large crowds. Visiting is possible with an audio-guide in many languages, and it is really worth the time and price. Website here.

The Memorium Nuremberg Trials, is hosted in a still active section of the Courthouse and is conveniently reachable by car of with the U-bahn U1, stop ‘Bärenschanze’, about 1 mile west of the historical town center. It can be visited on a self-guided basis, with audio-guides in many languages. This exhibition is really well designed and very interesting, and may take a couple of hours for a complete exploration. Yet due to the relative absence of tangible ‘hardware’ it may turn out unbearable for smaller children. Website here.

Spiritual Headquarter of the SS, Wewelsburg

The castle of Wewelsburg is connected to one of the most obscure aspects of the Nazi ideology – magic practices. The castle was founded centuries before the advent of the Nazis. Soon after the rise to power of the NSDAP, the head of the SS Heinrich Himmler got fascinated by the triangular perimeter of the castle, which appears to point towards the North. This is nothing special for a normal mind, but the SS were the treasurers of the German race culture, and they were trying all the time to establish a solid link between basically themselves and the ancient settlers of Greenland – the Thule people – described in some legends as the most ancient northern population. This was instrumental in sustaining that the world belonged to the SS, which had been there since before everyone else.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

This apparently silly idea represented for this group of fanatics a sufficient motivation to trigger a world war, were they saw themselves as the leaders of a liberation movement, regaining a rightful control over Europe (just to start) to the German race, after centuries of undue occupation by other races.

Wewelsburg gained more and more importance as the Nazis started preparing for war. The northern tower of the castle was declared the center of the world, and the heart of the SS soul. The School of Wewelsburg represented the spiritual leadership of this military organization, which enjoyed a surprising independence – and an extensive budget – even in the suffocating bureaucratic apparatus of Hitler’s political dictatorship. As such, Wewelsburg came in the middle of a visionary master plan, where it had to be at the center of a circular construction with a radius of 1 kilometer. Construction works started on this project, satellite concentration camps for forced laborers being opened on site for the purpose. The work did not develop much though, due to the intervening war events and things evolving differently from the Nazi plans.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The castle underwent some modifications under the SS. It was generally refurbished to host regular reunions of the comrades of the School of Wewelsburg, with SS-themed furniture which can be seen in the local museum devoted to this incredible story.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

Furthermore, the northern tower was largely modified inside, with two round rooms appearing one above the other on two levels. The top one was completed as the ‘Room of the Black Sun’. It is centered on a mosaic pavement with a swastika motif. A disk made of pure gold, disappeared after the war, represented the sun in the center of the pavement, and marked the very center of the world.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The bottom room is basically a crypt, receiving little light from the outside, and resembling a chapel. At the center of the room you can find a basin like in a baptistery. All around there are little stands, possibly provisions for thrones. On top of the vault, just beneath the sun in the top room, there is a rare stone sculpture of a swastika.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The real use of these rooms is rather mysterious. It seems likely that Himmler with the School of Wewelsburg wanted to create a kind of ‘elite of the elite’ in the SS. The crypt might have been a place for ritual initiation ceremonies, and the top hall a kind of meeting area for the group. Selected officials and intellectuals of the SS met regularly in Wewelsburg, but basically no documentation exists of the content of these meetings. Yet the well-known mental inclination and conviction of the components of the group, the symbolic significance of the Wewelsburg site for these people and the temple-like setup of the northern tower suggest some sort of esoteric ritual might have taken place here.

The area reportedly fell into disrepair soon after WWII, and even worse, conceived by some as the shrine of the still alive ‘spirit of the SS’, it rapidly became the stage of black masses, magic practices and satanic rites. To contain the drift, the top hall was turned into a Christian chapel and an altar was put in place. This was later removed when castle opened as a museum on local history, a youth hostel and more recently as part of a very interesting museum and documentation center about the SS.

Getting there and moving around

The castle of Wewelsburg is located on top of a cliff in the homonym village, about 8 miles southwest of the medieval town of Paderborn, immersed in a beautiful north-German landscape. It appears to be about 2 miles south of the Paderborn-Lippe local airport. The castle can be conveniently reached by car, parking available nearby the entrance.

There are several exhibitions, including a museum about the ancient history of the castle, a documentation center and museum on the SS, which provides access to the Northern Tower and its mystery rooms, and a space for temporary exhibitions – at the time of my visit, there was one on the racial aspects of Nazi ideology. All museum are very modern and extremely interesting. There is also a hostel right inside the castle.

The site is really interesting to visit and a good destination for a nice half-day trip for everyone. Yet despite the nice panorama and the pleasant 16th century architecture, the association of the castle with dark activities in the dark years of Himmler and the SS makes this castle mysterious and somewhat grim, adding to the experience.

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Sights

Soviet Northern Group of Forces Command Bunker, Legnica

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Chojna Abandoned Soviet Airbase

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Kolobrzeg Abandoned Soviet Airbase

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Museum of Artillery, Torun

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Nuclear Fallout Control Bunker, Kalisz

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Vineta Battery – Polish Army Command Bunker

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Poznan War Cemetery & Soviet Memorial

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Sights

Southwestern Area – Most of the Barracks and Older Buildings

Northern Area – Warehouses and Technical Buildings

Northeastern Area – Sporting Facilities and Mystery U-Shaped Building

Soviet Monument

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A quick historical overview

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Sights

Map

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Blavand – Shore Battery & Military Area

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Blavand – ‘Tirpitz’ Coastal Guns

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Stauning Battery

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Sondervig

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Thyboron

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Extra feature – Sea War Museum, Thyboron

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Agger

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Hanstholm

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Hirtshals

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Skagen

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Bangsbo

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History – in Brief

70th Anniversary Celebrations in Germany

Historical Flight – Fly-in

US Air Force C-47A/DC-3C ‘Miss Virginia’

Golden Age Tours C-41A

USAAF C-47A 43-30647 ‘Virginia Ann’

Chalair C-47B

Johnson Flying Service, Inc. C-47 ‘Miss Montana’

Legend Airways C-47D/DC-3C ‘Liberty’

Pan American Airways System C-47B/DC-3

USAAF C-47DL 43-15087

USAAF C-47 42-26044 ‘Placid Lassie’

German Air Force Aircraft

Visiting Aircraft from Other Countries

Final Note

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Sights

Museum of Communism, Prague

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Nuclear Bunker for Civil Defense, Prague

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Soviet-Related Buildings and Monuments, Prague

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Vojna Prison Camp, Pribram

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Iron Curtain Museum, Rozvadov

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