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Wolf's Lair

The Wolf's Lair (German: Wolfsschanze; Polish: Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.

Wolf's Lair
Wolfsschanze
Part of Führerhauptquartiere
Present-day Gierłoż, Kętrzyn, Poland
Hitler's reinforced bunker at the Wolfsschanze
Location within historic and present-day borders
Wolf's Lair
Wolf's Lair
Coordinates54°04′49″N 21°29′39″E / 54.0804°N 21.4941°E / 54.0804; 21.4941
TypeCamouflaged concrete bunkers
Site information
OwnerPolish Government
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionMostly destroyed
Site history
Built1941; 83 years ago (1941)
Built byHochtief AG, Organisation Todt
In useJune 1941 – January 1945
Materials2 m (6 ft 7 in) steel-reinforced concrete
FatePartially demolished by retreating German forces
Events20 July Plot
Garrison information
Past
commanders
Johann Rattenhuber
Garrison
Occupants

The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the village of Görlitz in Ostpreußen (now Gierłoż), about 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn), in present-day Poland. The central complex and the Führer's bunker were surrounded by three security zones guarded by two Schutzstaffel (SS) units: the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers, and the Reichssicherheitsdienst. The Wehrmacht's armoured Führerbegleitbrigade was held in readiness nearby but, as a part of the Heer's elite Großdeutschland Division, was used to counter-attack Red Army break-throughs in Army Group Centre's front and rescue cut-off Heer, Luftwaffe Fallschirmjager and SS panzer troops.

The 20 July Plot, an assassination attempt against Hitler, took place at the Wolf's Lair on 20 July 1944.[1]

Name edit

The name Wolfsschanze is derived from "Wolf", a self-adopted nickname of Hitler. He began using the nickname in the 1920s and it was often how he was addressed by those in his intimate circle. "Wolf" was used in several titles of Hitler's headquarters throughout occupied Europe, such as Wolfsschlucht I and II in Belgium and France, and Werwolf in Ukraine.

Although the standard translation in English is "Wolf's Lair," a Schanze in German denotes a sconce, redoubt or temporary fieldwork. The German cognate for the lair of a wolf is Höhle (cave) or Bau (dwelling).

History edit

As part of the preparations for the coming Operation Barbarossa, the decision was made in late 1940 to build a military headquarters for the Führer in Eastern Europe, similar in concept to the Felsennest in Western Europe. Like the Felsennest, the new headquarters had to be as close to the front as possible, but far enough to be safe from enemy forces.

Eventually, a top-secret site was chosen in the middle of the Masurian woods, in what was then East Prussia, far from roads and urban areas, and accessible only by a single railway and small airstrip. To maintain secrecy, locals were told that the construction works were for a new cement factory. The Organisation Todt completed construction of the entire 6.5 km2 (2+12 sq mi) complex by 21 June 1941.

Hitler first arrived at the headquarters on 24 June 1941, two days after Barbarossa commenced. At its peak, over 2,000 people lived and worked at the Wolf's Lair, including food-tasters to sample Hitler's food before he ate it to guard him against being poisoned.[2] Additional construction work began in mid-1944 to enlarge and reinforce many of the original buildings on the site on Hitler's orders, although the work was never completed because of the Red Army's rapid advance during the Baltic Offensive.

Hitler left the Wolf's Lair for the final time in November 1944 after having spent over 800 days there, the longest he had stayed at any place over the course of the war, during a 3+12-year period.[citation needed]

Layout edit

The buildings within the complex were camouflaged with bushes, grass, and artificial trees on the flat roofs; netting was also erected between buildings and the surrounding forest so that the installation looked like unbroken dense woodland from the air. The site consisted of three concentric security zones.[3]

  • Sperrkreis 1 (Security Zone 1) was located at the heart of the Wolf's Lair, the perimeter was ringed by steel fencing and guarded by the SS Reichssicherheitsdienst (RSD). Within the compound, security was managed by Dienststelle I (command I) from the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers (FBK) which operated under the auspices of Obersturmbannführer Bruno Gesche. These were the only armed guards Hitler allowed to be near him.[4] They never had to surrender their weapons and were never searched whereas the RSD were required to remain at positions some distance away from Hitler.[5] The zone contained the Führer Bunker and ten other camouflaged bunkers built from 2-metre-thick (6 ft 7 in) steel-reinforced concrete. These shelters protected members of Hitler's inner circle such as Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, Wilhelm Keitel, and Alfred Jodl. Hitler's accommodation was on the northern side of the Führer Bunker so as to avoid direct sunlight. Both Hitler's and Keitel's bunkers had additional rooms where military conferences could be held.[1]
  • Sperrkreis 2 (Security Zone 2) surrounded the inner zone. The area housed the quarters of several Reich Ministers such as Fritz Todt, Albert Speer, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. It also housed the quarters of the personnel who worked in the Wolf's Lair and the military barracks for the RSD.
  • Sperrkreis 3 (Security Zone 3) was the heavily fortified outer security area which surrounded the two inner zones. It was defended by land mines and the Führerbegleitbrigade (FBB), a special armoured security unit from Wehrmacht which manned guardhouses, watchtowers, and checkpoints.

A facility for Army headquarters was also located near the complex.[1] The FBK and RSD had responsibility for Hitler's personal security within the site, while external protection of the complex was provided by the FBB, which had become a regiment by July 1944. The FBB was equipped with tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and other heavy weapons. Any approaching aircraft could be detected up to 100 km (60 mi) from the site. Additional troops were also stationed about 75 km (45 mi) away.[6]

 
  1. Office and barracks of Hitler's bodyguard
  2. FBK/RSD command post
  3. Emergency generator
  4. Bunker
  5. Office of Otto Dietrich, Hitler's press secretary
  6. Conference room, site of the 20 July 1944 assassination attempt
  7. RSD command post
  8. Guest bunker and air-raid shelter
  9. RSD command post
  10. Secretariat under Philipp Bouhler
  11. Headquarters of Johann Rattenhuber, SS chief of Hitler's security department, and Post Office
  12. Radio and telex buildings
  13. Vehicle garages
  14. Railway siding for Hitler's Train
  15. Cinema
  16. Generator buildings
  17. Quarters of Morell, Bodenschatz, Hewel, Voß, Wolff, and Fegelein
  18. Stores
  19. Residence of Martin Bormann, Hitler's personal secretary
  20. Bormann's personal air-raid shelter for himself and staff
  21. Office of Hitler's adjutant and the Wehrmacht's personnel office
  22. Military and staff mess II
  23. Quarters of General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Operations of OKW
  24. Firefighting pond
  25. Office of the Foreign Ministry
  26. Quarters of Fritz Todt, then Albert Speer after Todt's death
  27. RSD command post
  28. Air-raid shelter with Flak and MG units on the roof
  29. Hitler's bunker and air-raid shelter
  30. New tea room
  31. Residence of General Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, supreme commander of OKW
  32. Old tea house
  33. Residence of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring
  34. Göring's personal air-raid shelter for himself and staff, with Flak and MG on the roof
  35. Offices of the High Command of the Air Force
  36. Offices of the High command of the Navy
  37. Bunker with Flak
  38. Rastenburg railway line

Reinforcements edit

 
Hitler meeting Reich Commissioner Robert Ley, automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche, and Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring at the Wolfsschanze in 1942

Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge, recalled that Hitler repeatedly spoke in late 1943 or early 1944 of a possible bomber attack on the Wolfsschanze by the Western Allies. She quoted Hitler as saying, "They know exactly where we are, and sometime they're going to destroy everything here with carefully aimed bombs. I expect them to attack any day."[7]

According to Speer, between 28 July 1941 and 20 March 1942, Hitler left Rastenburg only four times for a total of 57 days. Afterwards, Hitler spent the next three months in Obersalzberg before returning to Rastenburg for the next nine months.[8]

Hitler's entourage returned to the Wolfsschanze from an extended summer stay at the Berghof in July 1944. The previous small bunkers had been replaced by the Organisation Todt with "heavy, colossal structures" of reinforced concrete as defense against the feared air attack.[9] According to Armaments Minister Albert Speer, "some 36,000,000 marks were spent for bunkers in Rastenburg [Wolf's Lair]."[10]

Hitler's bunker had become the largest, "a positive fortress" containing "a maze of passages, rooms and halls." Junge wrote, "We had air-raid warnings every day" in the period between the 20 July assassination attempt and Hitler's final departure from the Wolfsschanze in November 1944, "but there was never more than a single aircraft circling over the forest, and no bombs were dropped. All the same, Hitler took the danger very seriously, and thought all these reconnaissance flights were in preparation for the big raid he was expecting."[11]

No air attack ever came. It has never been revealed whether the Western Allies knew of the Wolfsschanze's location and importance. The Soviet Union was unaware of both the location and the scale of the complex until the site was uncovered by its forces during their advance towards Berlin in early 1945.[12]

Hitler's daily routine edit

Hitler would begin his day by taking a walk alone with his dog around 10 a.m. or so, after waking up, and at 10:30 a.m. he looked at the mail that had been delivered by air or courier train. A noon situation briefing would be convened, either in Keitel's or Jodl's bunker, and frequently ran for two hours. This was followed by lunch at 2 p.m. in the dining hall. Hitler invariably sat in the same seat between Jodl and Otto Dietrich, while Keitel, Martin Bormann, and Göring's adjutant General Karl Bodenschatz sat opposite him.[1]

After lunch, Hitler dealt with non-military matters for the remainder of the afternoon. Coffee was served around 5 p.m., followed by a second military briefing by Jodl at 6 p.m. Dinner could also last as long as two hours, beginning at 7:30 p.m., after which films were shown in the cinema. Hitler then retired to his private quarters where he gave monologues to his entourage till late, usually going to sleep around 3 or 4 a.m. Occasionally, Hitler and his entourage listened to gramophone records of Beethoven symphonies, selections from Wagner or other operas, or German lieder.[1]

Notable visitors edit

Assassination attempt edit

 
Claus von Stauffenberg (left) meeting Adolf Hitler at the Wolfsschanze five days before the 20 July plot in 1944

On Thursday, July 20, 1944, an attempt was made to kill Hitler at the Wolf's Lair. It was organized by a group of acting and retired army officers, as well as some civilians, who wanted to remove Hitler and establish a new democratic government in Germany that would negotiate a peaceful end to the war with the Allies before Germany's inevitable defeat, which had become apparent to both sides by then. However, the main challenge facing the conspirators was that Hitler's habit of last-minute changes to his schedule had led to the failure of attempts by others to kill him.

Eventually, the conspirators chose the Wolf's Lair as a viable location to target Hitler because it was the only place where they were sure they could get close enough to kill him. Staff officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg volunteered to carry a bomb hidden in a briefcase into one of the daily military briefings usually held in the bunkers, in the hope that the heavy reinforcements of the bunkers could be turned against the Führer through the shockwave of the blast reverberating off the heavily reinforced walls of the room and certainly killing him.

However, on the day of the planned assassination, the location of the meeting was unexpectedly changed to a light brick hut due to Hitler's complaints about the immense heat within the bunkers that day. This change in venue, along with other factors, such as Hitler unexpectedly calling the meeting earlier than anticipated, would contribute to the eventual failure of the plot. Despite this change in plans, Stauffenberg went ahead with carrying out the plot. He carried the briefcase containing the bomb into the conference hut, making a request to be placed close to Hitler on grounds that he had trouble hearing due to his injuries sustained while fighting in North Africa, which would ensure that the bomb would be close enough to Hitler to be effective.

The bomb exploded at precisely 12:42 p.m., with Stauffenberg having excused himself from the meeting a few minutes before. The interior of the building was devastated, four officers were injured and would later die of their wounds but Hitler was only slightly injured. This was due to the fact that one of the other officers present at the meeting had, for his own comfort, moved the briefcase from where it had been put by Stauffenberg close to Hitler and placed it against one of the legs of the solid oak table being used for the meeting. Consequently, the thick, heavy table absorbed most of the blast and this, along with the collapse of some of the hut's thin walls thus dissipating the shockwave, saved the Führer's life.

Even before the bomb detonated, Stauffenberg and his adjutant, Lieutenant Werner von Haeften, had already began their departure for Berlin where they planned to take control of the country alongside their fellow conspirators. Their escape involved passing through various security zones that controlled all access around the site. After a short delay at the RSD guard post just outside Sperrkreis 1, they were allowed to leave by vehicle. The two officers were then driven down the southern exit road towards the military airstrip near Rastenburg.

 
Hermann Göring surveys the conference room destroyed by the suitcase bomb left by Claus von Stauffenberg on 20 July 1944

The alarm had been raised by the time they reached the guardhouse at the perimeter of Sperrkreis 2. According to the official RSHA report, "at first, the guard refused passage until Stauffenberg persuaded him to contact the adjutant to the compound commander who then finally authorized clearance". It was between here and the final checkpoint of Sperrkreis 3 that Haeften tossed another briefcase from the car containing an unused second bomb. The two men reached the outer limit of the security zones and were allowed to catch their plane back to army general headquarters in Berlin.

The attempted assassination was derived from Operation Valkyrie, a covert plan officially sanctioned by Hitler for the Reserve Army to take control and suppress any revolt in the country in the event of his untimely death, which the conspirators adapted to suit their purpose. Unfortunately for the conspirators, news soon arrived from the Wolf's Lair that Hitler was still alive. Upon hearing from Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels that Hitler was indeed alive, as well as speaking to the Führer himself, Major Otto Ernst Remer, in command of the Reserve Army's troops in Berlin still loyal to the regime, was fully convinced of Hitler's survival and he quickly re-established control of key government buildings and arrested the conspirators.

That same evening, Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators were summarily executed by gunshot outside the Bendlerblock in Berlin.

On 20 August 1944, Hitler personally presented survivors of the bomb blast with a "20 July 1944 Wound Badge". Next-of-kin of those killed in the blast were also given this award.

Destruction and capture edit

 
Enormous amounts of explosives were used by the retreating Germans to blow up the Wolfsschanze bunkers. Here the explosion has lifted a bunker's roof, made of solid ferro-concrete two meters thick.

The Red Army reached the borders of East Prussia during the Baltic offensive in October 1944. Hitler departed from the Wolf's Lair for the final time on Monday, 20 November 1944, when the Soviet advance reached Angerburg (now Węgorzewo), 15 km (9 mi) away. Two days later, the order was given to destroy the complex.

The demolition took place on the night of 24–25 January 1945, ten days after the start of the Red Army's Vistula–Oder offensive. Tons of explosives were used; one bunker required an estimated 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) of TNT. Most of the buildings were only partially destroyed due to their immense size and reinforced structures.

The Red Army captured the abandoned remains of the Wolfsschanze on 27 January without firing a shot, the same day that Auschwitz was liberated farther south.

Historical site edit

Following the war, more than 54,000 land mines were removed from the area, together with abandoned ordnance, and the entire site was left to decay by Poland's Communist government. Since the fall of Communism in the early 1990s, the Wolf's Lair has been developed as a tourist attraction. Visitors can make day trips from Warsaw or Gdańsk.[49] Hotels and restaurants have grown up near the site.[50] Plans have periodically been proposed to restore the area, including the installation of historical exhibits.[51]

As of 2019, the site was drawing almost 300,000 visitors a year. The Srokowo Forest District, which manages the site, announced renovation and restoration plans for the historic site, including new accommodation options, expanded historical exhibitions, and other upgrades to improve visitor experience. Critics worried that the planned changes could turn the site into a place for neo-Nazi pilgrimages, although the District's spokesperson said that they would "make every effort" to maintain "due seriousness and respect for historical truth". Pawel Machcewicz, a Polish historian who specializes in World War II, said, "[T]he scars left by the war should be preserved and presented as a lesson, a warning... Exhibitions should explain the history, contextualise the place, but not completely overshadow it."[52]

In February 2023, the Srokowo Forest District officials announced that the renovation of the "Wilczy Szaniec" site had begun and is slated to be completed by the end of 2024. The project will include expanding and renovating the hotel and restaurant building, adding a new conference room, redesigning the exhibition space, as well as constructing a new observation deck.[53]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Kershaw 2000[page needed]
  2. ^ Paterson, Tony (17 September 2014). "Hitler's only surviving food taster reveals the horrors of the 'Wolf's Lair'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Location and construction of Wolf's Lair - Why Gierloz / Ketrzyn?". Wolfsschanze. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ Felton, Mark (2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Führer. London: Pen and Sword Military. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-78159-305-9.
  5. ^ Misch, Rochus (2014) [2008]. Hitler's Last Witness: The Memoirs of Hitler's Bodyguard. London: Frontline Books-Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-1848327498.
  6. ^ "Location and construction of Wolf's Lair - Why Gierloz / Ketrzyn?".
  7. ^ Junge, Traudl (2003). Until the Final Hour. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 116.
  8. ^ Speer, Albert (1995). Inside the Third Reich. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 401. ISBN 9781842127353.
  9. ^ Junge, Traudl. Until the Final Hour. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, p. 126.
  10. ^ Speer, A: Inside the Third Reich, p.217
  11. ^ Junge, Traudl. Until the Final Hour. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, p. 145.
  12. ^ Beevor, Antony (1999) Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140284584
  13. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 11 February 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  14. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 10–13 January 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  15. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 5–6 August 1944, retrieved 20 September 2013
  16. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 24 March 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  17. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 14 August 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  18. ^ Image-No.: 50059436 (search inside)., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 29 May 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  19. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 5 November 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  20. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 25 October 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  21. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 18 December 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  22. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 17 August 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  23. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 15 July 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  24. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 7 May 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  25. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, October 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  26. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 8 September 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  27. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 16 May 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  28. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 6 June 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  29. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 18–19 October 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  30. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 21 July 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  31. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 19 December 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  32. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 8 December 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  33. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 26 May 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  34. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 27–28 June 1942, retrieved 20 September 2013
  35. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 11 September 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  36. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 8 January 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  37. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 7 December 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  38. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 25 August 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  39. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 28 August 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  40. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 14 September 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  41. ^ pict., publisher (pl): National Digital Archives, 20 July 1944, retrieved 20 September 2013
  42. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 18 September 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  43. ^ a b pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 30 July 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  44. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 15 July 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  45. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, July 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  46. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 4 September 1944, retrieved 20 September 2013
  47. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 20 October 1941, retrieved 20 September 2013
  48. ^ pict., publisher (de): Prussian Heritage Image Archive, 6 July 1943, retrieved 20 September 2013
  49. ^ "How to Visit Wolf's Lair from Warsaw". 13 December 2013.
  50. ^ . Archived from the original on 25 March 2015.
  51. ^ Berendt, Joanna (17 September 2012). "Restoring the Walls, and the History, at Hitler's Wolf's Lair". The New York Times.
  52. ^ Peter, Lawrence (31 July 2019) "Wolf's Lair: Will Hitler HQ makeover create a Nazi theme park?" BBC News
  53. ^ Boguszewski, Marcin (6 February 2023). "Hotel i restauracja w "Wilczym Szańcu" zostaną zmodernizowane". Polska Agencja Prasowa (in Polish). Retrieved 25 July 2023.

Bibliography edit

  • Junge, Traudl, "Bis Zur Letzten Stunde: Hitlers Sekretärin erzählt ihr Leben", München: Claassen, 2002, pp. 131, 141, 162.
  • Junge, Traudl, "Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary", London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, pp. 116, 126, 145.
  • Junge, Traudl, "Voices from the Bunker", New York: G.P.Puttnam's sons, 1989.
  • Kershaw, Ian (2000). Hitler, 1936–45. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-04994-7.
  • Speer, Albert, "Inside the Third Reich", New York and Toronto: Macmillan, 1970, p. 217.

External links edit

  • Wolf's Lair website
  • Remnants of Wolf's Lair and how to find it...

wolf, lair, this, article, about, world, german, fortified, command, post, lairs, wolves, wolf, german, wolfsschanze, polish, wilczy, szaniec, served, adolf, hitler, first, eastern, front, military, headquarters, world, wolfsschanzepart, führerhauptquartierepr. This article is about the World War II German fortified command post For the lairs of wolves see Wolf The Wolf s Lair German Wolfsschanze Polish Wilczy Szaniec served as Adolf Hitler s first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II Wolf s LairWolfsschanzePart of FuhrerhauptquartierePresent day Gierloz Ketrzyn PolandHitler s reinforced bunker at the WolfsschanzeLocation within historic and present day bordersWolf s LairShow map of PolandWolf s LairShow map of GermanyCoordinates54 04 49 N 21 29 39 E 54 0804 N 21 4941 E 54 0804 21 4941TypeCamouflaged concrete bunkersSite informationOwnerPolish GovernmentOpen tothe publicYesConditionMostly destroyedSite historyBuilt1941 83 years ago 1941 Built byHochtief AG Organisation TodtIn useJune 1941 January 1945Materials2 m 6 ft 7 in steel reinforced concreteFatePartially demolished by retreating German forcesEvents20 July PlotGarrison informationPastcommandersJohann RattenhuberGarrisonReichssicherheitsdienstFuhrerbegleitbrigadeOccupantsAdolf HitlerGovernment of Nazi GermanyOberkommando der Wehrmacht The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods near the village of Gorlitz in Ostpreussen now Gierloz about 8 kilometres 5 miles east of the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg now Ketrzyn in present day Poland The central complex and the Fuhrer s bunker were surrounded by three security zones guarded by two Schutzstaffel SS units the SS Begleitkommando des Fuhrers and the Reichssicherheitsdienst The Wehrmacht s armoured Fuhrerbegleitbrigade was held in readiness nearby but as a part of the Heer s elite Grossdeutschland Division was used to counter attack Red Army break throughs in Army Group Centre s front and rescue cut off Heer Luftwaffe Fallschirmjager and SS panzer troops The 20 July Plot an assassination attempt against Hitler took place at the Wolf s Lair on 20 July 1944 1 Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Layout 3 1 Reinforcements 4 Hitler s daily routine 5 Notable visitors 6 Assassination attempt 7 Destruction and capture 8 Historical site 9 See also 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External linksName editThe name Wolfsschanze is derived from Wolf a self adopted nickname of Hitler He began using the nickname in the 1920s and it was often how he was addressed by those in his intimate circle Wolf was used in several titles of Hitler s headquarters throughout occupied Europe such as Wolfsschlucht I and II in Belgium and France and Werwolf in Ukraine Although the standard translation in English is Wolf s Lair a Schanze in German denotes a sconce redoubt or temporary fieldwork The German cognate for the lair of a wolf is Hohle cave or Bau dwelling History editAs part of the preparations for the coming Operation Barbarossa the decision was made in late 1940 to build a military headquarters for the Fuhrer in Eastern Europe similar in concept to the Felsennest in Western Europe Like the Felsennest the new headquarters had to be as close to the front as possible but far enough to be safe from enemy forces Eventually a top secret site was chosen in the middle of the Masurian woods in what was then East Prussia far from roads and urban areas and accessible only by a single railway and small airstrip To maintain secrecy locals were told that the construction works were for a new cement factory The Organisation Todt completed construction of the entire 6 5 km2 2 1 2 sq mi complex by 21 June 1941 Hitler first arrived at the headquarters on 24 June 1941 two days after Barbarossa commenced At its peak over 2 000 people lived and worked at the Wolf s Lair including food tasters to sample Hitler s food before he ate it to guard him against being poisoned 2 Additional construction work began in mid 1944 to enlarge and reinforce many of the original buildings on the site on Hitler s orders although the work was never completed because of the Red Army s rapid advance during the Baltic Offensive Hitler left the Wolf s Lair for the final time in November 1944 after having spent over 800 days there the longest he had stayed at any place over the course of the war during a 3 1 2 year period citation needed Layout editThe buildings within the complex were camouflaged with bushes grass and artificial trees on the flat roofs netting was also erected between buildings and the surrounding forest so that the installation looked like unbroken dense woodland from the air The site consisted of three concentric security zones 3 Sperrkreis 1 Security Zone 1 was located at the heart of the Wolf s Lair the perimeter was ringed by steel fencing and guarded by the SS Reichssicherheitsdienst RSD Within the compound security was managed by Dienststelle I command I from the SS Begleitkommando des Fuhrers FBK which operated under the auspices of Obersturmbannfuhrer Bruno Gesche These were the only armed guards Hitler allowed to be near him 4 They never had to surrender their weapons and were never searched whereas the RSD were required to remain at positions some distance away from Hitler 5 The zone contained the Fuhrer Bunker and ten other camouflaged bunkers built from 2 metre thick 6 ft 7 in steel reinforced concrete These shelters protected members of Hitler s inner circle such as Martin Bormann Hermann Goring Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl Hitler s accommodation was on the northern side of the Fuhrer Bunker so as to avoid direct sunlight Both Hitler s and Keitel s bunkers had additional rooms where military conferences could be held 1 Sperrkreis 2 Security Zone 2 surrounded the inner zone The area housed the quarters of several Reich Ministers such as Fritz Todt Albert Speer and Joachim von Ribbentrop It also housed the quarters of the personnel who worked in the Wolf s Lair and the military barracks for the RSD Sperrkreis 3 Security Zone 3 was the heavily fortified outer security area which surrounded the two inner zones It was defended by land mines and the Fuhrerbegleitbrigade FBB a special armoured security unit from Wehrmacht which manned guardhouses watchtowers and checkpoints A facility for Army headquarters was also located near the complex 1 The FBK and RSD had responsibility for Hitler s personal security within the site while external protection of the complex was provided by the FBB which had become a regiment by July 1944 The FBB was equipped with tanks anti aircraft guns and other heavy weapons Any approaching aircraft could be detected up to 100 km 60 mi from the site Additional troops were also stationed about 75 km 45 mi away 6 nbsp Office and barracks of Hitler s bodyguardFBK RSD command postEmergency generatorBunkerOffice of Otto Dietrich Hitler s press secretaryConference room site of the 20 July 1944 assassination attemptRSD command postGuest bunker and air raid shelterRSD command postSecretariat under Philipp BouhlerHeadquarters of Johann Rattenhuber SS chief of Hitler s security department and Post OfficeRadio and telex buildingsVehicle garagesRailway siding for Hitler s TrainCinemaGenerator buildingsQuarters of Morell Bodenschatz Hewel Voss Wolff and FegeleinStoresResidence of Martin Bormann Hitler s personal secretaryBormann s personal air raid shelter for himself and staffOffice of Hitler s adjutant and the Wehrmacht s personnel officeMilitary and staff mess IIQuarters of General Alfred Jodl Chief of Operations of OKWFirefighting pondOffice of the Foreign MinistryQuarters of Fritz Todt then Albert Speer after Todt s deathRSD command postAir raid shelter with Flak and MG units on the roofHitler s bunker and air raid shelterNew tea roomResidence of General Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel supreme commander of OKWOld tea houseResidence of Reichsmarschall Hermann GoringGoring s personal air raid shelter for himself and staff with Flak and MG on the roofOffices of the High Command of the Air ForceOffices of the High command of the NavyBunker with FlakRastenburg railway line Reinforcements edit nbsp Hitler meeting Reich Commissioner Robert Ley automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche and Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring at the Wolfsschanze in 1942 Hitler s secretary Traudl Junge recalled that Hitler repeatedly spoke in late 1943 or early 1944 of a possible bomber attack on the Wolfsschanze by the Western Allies She quoted Hitler as saying They know exactly where we are and sometime they re going to destroy everything here with carefully aimed bombs I expect them to attack any day 7 According to Speer between 28 July 1941 and 20 March 1942 Hitler left Rastenburg only four times for a total of 57 days Afterwards Hitler spent the next three months in Obersalzberg before returning to Rastenburg for the next nine months 8 Hitler s entourage returned to the Wolfsschanze from an extended summer stay at the Berghof in July 1944 The previous small bunkers had been replaced by the Organisation Todt with heavy colossal structures of reinforced concrete as defense against the feared air attack 9 According to Armaments Minister Albert Speer some 36 000 000 marks were spent for bunkers in Rastenburg Wolf s Lair 10 Hitler s bunker had become the largest a positive fortress containing a maze of passages rooms and halls Junge wrote We had air raid warnings every day in the period between the 20 July assassination attempt and Hitler s final departure from the Wolfsschanze in November 1944 but there was never more than a single aircraft circling over the forest and no bombs were dropped All the same Hitler took the danger very seriously and thought all these reconnaissance flights were in preparation for the big raid he was expecting 11 No air attack ever came It has never been revealed whether the Western Allies knew of the Wolfsschanze s location and importance The Soviet Union was unaware of both the location and the scale of the complex until the site was uncovered by its forces during their advance towards Berlin in early 1945 12 Hitler s daily routine editHitler would begin his day by taking a walk alone with his dog around 10 a m or so after waking up and at 10 30 a m he looked at the mail that had been delivered by air or courier train A noon situation briefing would be convened either in Keitel s or Jodl s bunker and frequently ran for two hours This was followed by lunch at 2 p m in the dining hall Hitler invariably sat in the same seat between Jodl and Otto Dietrich while Keitel Martin Bormann and Goring s adjutant General Karl Bodenschatz sat opposite him 1 After lunch Hitler dealt with non military matters for the remainder of the afternoon Coffee was served around 5 p m followed by a second military briefing by Jodl at 6 p m Dinner could also last as long as two hours beginning at 7 30 p m after which films were shown in the cinema Hitler then retired to his private quarters where he gave monologues to his entourage till late usually going to sleep around 3 or 4 a m Occasionally Hitler and his entourage listened to gramophone records of Beethoven symphonies selections from Wagner or other operas or German lieder 1 Notable visitors editAntonescu Ion marshal of Romania 13 14 15 Boris III of Bulgaria tsar of Bulgaria 16 17 Bose Subhas Chandra National Leader from India 18 Bozhilov Dobri prime minister of Bulgaria in 43 44 19 Ciano Galeazzo minister of foreign affairs Italy 20 21 Csatay von Csatai Lajos general ministry of war Hungary 22 Gailani Rashid Ali al former prime minister Iraq 23 Gariboldi Italo general Italy 24 Graziani Rodolfo marshal Italy 25 Horthy Miklos regent Hungary 26 Jany Gusztav general Hungary 27 Kallay Miklos prime minister Hungary 28 Koburg Kiril prince of Bulgaria and Preslav tsar successor Bulgaria 29 Kvaternik Slavko commander and minister of armed forces Croatia 30 Laval Pierre prime minister of Vichy regime France 31 Lukash Konstantin general chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army Bulgaria 32 Luukkonen Fanni army colonel leader of the voluntary auxiliary organisation for women Finland 33 Mannerheim Carl Gustaf military leader and statesman Finland 34 Finat y Escriva de Romani Mayalde Jose Conde de Mayalde ambassador to Third Reich Spain 35 Mihov Nikola general minister of war Bulgaria 36 Moscardo Ituarte Jose general Spain 37 Mussolini Benito il Duce Italy 38 39 40 41 Nedic Milan general and prime minister of Serbia 42 Ohquist Harald lieutenant general of Finland 43 Ōshima Hiroshi general ambassador to Third Reich Japan 44 45 46 Pavelic Ante Poglavnik Head of Croatia 43 Tiso Jozef Roman Catholic priest and President of Slovakia 47 Toydemir Cemil Cahit general Turkey 48 Assassination attempt editMain article 20 July plot nbsp Claus von Stauffenberg left meeting Adolf Hitler at the Wolfsschanze five days before the 20 July plot in 1944 On Thursday July 20 1944 an attempt was made to kill Hitler at the Wolf s Lair It was organized by a group of acting and retired army officers as well as some civilians who wanted to remove Hitler and establish a new democratic government in Germany that would negotiate a peaceful end to the war with the Allies before Germany s inevitable defeat which had become apparent to both sides by then However the main challenge facing the conspirators was that Hitler s habit of last minute changes to his schedule had led to the failure of attempts by others to kill him Eventually the conspirators chose the Wolf s Lair as a viable location to target Hitler because it was the only place where they were sure they could get close enough to kill him Staff officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg volunteered to carry a bomb hidden in a briefcase into one of the daily military briefings usually held in the bunkers in the hope that the heavy reinforcements of the bunkers could be turned against the Fuhrer through the shockwave of the blast reverberating off the heavily reinforced walls of the room and certainly killing him However on the day of the planned assassination the location of the meeting was unexpectedly changed to a light brick hut due to Hitler s complaints about the immense heat within the bunkers that day This change in venue along with other factors such as Hitler unexpectedly calling the meeting earlier than anticipated would contribute to the eventual failure of the plot Despite this change in plans Stauffenberg went ahead with carrying out the plot He carried the briefcase containing the bomb into the conference hut making a request to be placed close to Hitler on grounds that he had trouble hearing due to his injuries sustained while fighting in North Africa which would ensure that the bomb would be close enough to Hitler to be effective The bomb exploded at precisely 12 42 p m with Stauffenberg having excused himself from the meeting a few minutes before The interior of the building was devastated four officers were injured and would later die of their wounds but Hitler was only slightly injured This was due to the fact that one of the other officers present at the meeting had for his own comfort moved the briefcase from where it had been put by Stauffenberg close to Hitler and placed it against one of the legs of the solid oak table being used for the meeting Consequently the thick heavy table absorbed most of the blast and this along with the collapse of some of the hut s thin walls thus dissipating the shockwave saved the Fuhrer s life Even before the bomb detonated Stauffenberg and his adjutant Lieutenant Werner von Haeften had already began their departure for Berlin where they planned to take control of the country alongside their fellow conspirators Their escape involved passing through various security zones that controlled all access around the site After a short delay at the RSD guard post just outside Sperrkreis 1 they were allowed to leave by vehicle The two officers were then driven down the southern exit road towards the military airstrip near Rastenburg nbsp Hermann Goring surveys the conference room destroyed by the suitcase bomb left by Claus von Stauffenberg on 20 July 1944 The alarm had been raised by the time they reached the guardhouse at the perimeter of Sperrkreis 2 According to the official RSHA report at first the guard refused passage until Stauffenberg persuaded him to contact the adjutant to the compound commander who then finally authorized clearance It was between here and the final checkpoint of Sperrkreis 3 that Haeften tossed another briefcase from the car containing an unused second bomb The two men reached the outer limit of the security zones and were allowed to catch their plane back to army general headquarters in Berlin The attempted assassination was derived from Operation Valkyrie a covert plan officially sanctioned by Hitler for the Reserve Army to take control and suppress any revolt in the country in the event of his untimely death which the conspirators adapted to suit their purpose Unfortunately for the conspirators news soon arrived from the Wolf s Lair that Hitler was still alive Upon hearing from Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels that Hitler was indeed alive as well as speaking to the Fuhrer himself Major Otto Ernst Remer in command of the Reserve Army s troops in Berlin still loyal to the regime was fully convinced of Hitler s survival and he quickly re established control of key government buildings and arrested the conspirators That same evening Stauffenberg and his co conspirators were summarily executed by gunshot outside the Bendlerblock in Berlin On 20 August 1944 Hitler personally presented survivors of the bomb blast with a 20 July 1944 Wound Badge Next of kin of those killed in the blast were also given this award Destruction and capture edit nbsp Enormous amounts of explosives were used by the retreating Germans to blow up the Wolfsschanze bunkers Here the explosion has lifted a bunker s roof made of solid ferro concrete two meters thick The Red Army reached the borders of East Prussia during the Baltic offensive in October 1944 Hitler departed from the Wolf s Lair for the final time on Monday 20 November 1944 when the Soviet advance reached Angerburg now Wegorzewo 15 km 9 mi away Two days later the order was given to destroy the complex The demolition took place on the night of 24 25 January 1945 ten days after the start of the Red Army s Vistula Oder offensive Tons of explosives were used one bunker required an estimated 8 000 kg 18 000 lb of TNT Most of the buildings were only partially destroyed due to their immense size and reinforced structures The Red Army captured the abandoned remains of the Wolfsschanze on 27 January without firing a shot the same day that Auschwitz was liberated farther south Historical site editFollowing the war more than 54 000 land mines were removed from the area together with abandoned ordnance and the entire site was left to decay by Poland s Communist government Since the fall of Communism in the early 1990s the Wolf s Lair has been developed as a tourist attraction Visitors can make day trips from Warsaw or Gdansk 49 Hotels and restaurants have grown up near the site 50 Plans have periodically been proposed to restore the area including the installation of historical exhibits 51 As of 2019 the site was drawing almost 300 000 visitors a year The Srokowo Forest District which manages the site announced renovation and restoration plans for the historic site including new accommodation options expanded historical exhibitions and other upgrades to improve visitor experience Critics worried that the planned changes could turn the site into a place for neo Nazi pilgrimages although the District s spokesperson said that they would make every effort to maintain due seriousness and respect for historical truth Pawel Machcewicz a Polish historian who specializes in World War II said T he scars left by the war should be preserved and presented as a lesson a warning Exhibitions should explain the history contextualise the place but not completely overshadow it 52 In February 2023 the Srokowo Forest District officials announced that the renovation of the Wilczy Szaniec site had begun and is slated to be completed by the end of 2024 The project will include expanding and renovating the hotel and restaurant building adding a new conference room redesigning the exhibition space as well as constructing a new observation deck 53 See also editFuhrer Headquarters Fuhrerbunker FuhrersonderzugReferences edit a b c d e Kershaw 2000 page needed Paterson Tony 17 September 2014 Hitler s only surviving food taster reveals the horrors of the Wolf s Lair The Independent Retrieved 28 June 2023 Location and construction of Wolf s Lair Why Gierloz Ketrzyn Wolfsschanze Retrieved 14 January 2022 Felton Mark 2014 Guarding Hitler The Secret World of the Fuhrer London Pen and Sword Military p 104 ISBN 978 1 78159 305 9 Misch Rochus 2014 2008 Hitler s Last Witness The Memoirs of Hitler s Bodyguard London Frontline Books Skyhorse Publishing Inc pp 120 121 ISBN 978 1848327498 Location and construction of Wolf s Lair Why Gierloz Ketrzyn Junge Traudl 2003 Until the Final Hour Weidenfeld amp Nicolson p 116 Speer Albert 1995 Inside the Third Reich London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson p 401 ISBN 9781842127353 Junge Traudl Until the Final Hour Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 2003 p 126 Speer A Inside the Third Reich p 217 Junge Traudl Until the Final Hour Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 2003 p 145 Beevor Antony 1999 Stalingrad The Fateful Siege 1942 1943 New York Penguin Books ISBN 9780140284584 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 11 February 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 10 13 January 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 5 6 August 1944 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 24 March 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 14 August 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 Image No 50059436 search inside publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 29 May 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 5 November 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 25 October 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 18 December 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 17 August 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 15 July 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 7 May 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive October 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 8 September 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 16 May 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 6 June 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 18 19 October 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 21 July 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 19 December 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 8 December 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 26 May 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 27 28 June 1942 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 11 September 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 8 January 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 7 December 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 25 August 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 28 August 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 14 September 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher pl National Digital Archives 20 July 1944 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 18 September 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 a b pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 30 July 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 15 July 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive July 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 4 September 1944 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 20 October 1941 retrieved 20 September 2013 pict publisher de Prussian Heritage Image Archive 6 July 1943 retrieved 20 September 2013 How to Visit Wolf s Lair from Warsaw 13 December 2013 Wolf s Lair sightseeing and tourist attractions what to see in Wolfsschanze Archived from the original on 25 March 2015 Berendt Joanna 17 September 2012 Restoring the Walls and the History at Hitler s Wolf s Lair The New York Times Peter Lawrence 31 July 2019 Wolf s Lair Will Hitler HQ makeover create a Nazi theme park BBC News Boguszewski Marcin 6 February 2023 Hotel i restauracja w Wilczym Szancu zostana zmodernizowane Polska Agencja Prasowa in Polish Retrieved 25 July 2023 Bibliography editJunge Traudl Bis Zur Letzten Stunde Hitlers Sekretarin erzahlt ihr Leben Munchen Claassen 2002 pp 131 141 162 Junge Traudl Until the Final Hour Hitler s Last Secretary London Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 2003 pp 116 126 145 Junge Traudl Voices from the Bunker New York G P Puttnam s sons 1989 Kershaw Ian 2000 Hitler 1936 45 New York W W Norton ISBN 978 0 393 04994 7 Speer Albert Inside the Third Reich New York and Toronto Macmillan 1970 p 217 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wolf s Lair Wolf s Lair website Remnants of Wolf s Lair and how to find it Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wolf 27s Lair amp oldid 1215979465, wikipedia, 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