Wolf's Lair
Between Kętrzyn and Lake Mamry lies the Gierłoż Forest. This place was chosen during World War II by the German Reich Chief - Adolf Hitler to build a huge military complex. The complex was a masterpiece of construction art. He was carefully hidden in the forest so that he was not visible from above. Trees were planted on the roofs of shelters and bunkers, which perfectly masked the fortress area.
The Wolf's Lair (Wolfsschanze) headquarters was built in 4 km2. It consisted of three concentric defense points. In the first zone there were shelters, outbuildings and observation points. In the second part there were residential buildings for officers and auxiliary services. In the third part, staffed, Hitler's close surroundings resided. Within a 10 km radius the area has been completely deserted. A special railway siding to the Wolf's Lair was also built, and Hitler's personal train was codenamed "America". Near the accommodation was also a field airport.
Between the zones there were minefields fenced with weaves of barbed wire (a total of 300,000 mines were placed ). Around the fence, observation towers masked with trees were attached, which were 35 m high.
In the central point of the third zone there was shelter No. 13, where Hitler was staying. There was a meeting room in the shelter's annex.
The quarter functioned as a self-sufficient town. It had all the amenities needed for the city to function. It had its own energy network, sewage treatment plant, water supply and heating network, two casinos, two tea rooms, sauna.
The inhabitants of surrounding towns and villages dealt with the supply of food and other products. In addition, transports were imported from the German Reich.
Hitler himself liked the Wolf's Lair very much. He came to the Wolf's Lair on June 24, 1941 and stayed there until November 20, 1944. Here he made his crazy decisions about the fate of the conquered nations. Here, he miraculously avoided death, as a result of an attempt on his life on July 20, 1944, the bomb, was brought to the council from Berlin by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. However, as a result of the explosion Hitler suffered only minor injuries and on the same day he received the visitor, Mussolini.
About 2.5 thousand people lived in the quarter. There was even a hairdresser, specially brought from Berlin from the Kaiserhof Hotel.
During the walk around the Wolf's Lair, the reinforced concrete, thick walls make an amazing impression. Some buildings were not destroyed as a result of blowing up the complex, which took place in 1945. The complex was already empty by then, as Hitler moved his cavalry in November 1944, when the Red Army began to approach Gołdapia, 70 km away.
In memory of sapers demining the area around the quarters
If any of your paths lead you to Polish Masuria, you cannot miss the opportunity to see this object.
* I originally posted this text on Uptrennd
