Recovery of M19 parts on Guernsey
The guys of Festung Guernsey continue to work on different projects on the Channel Island of Guernsey. One of the exciting ones is the recovery of remains of the automatic mortar M19 at Stützpunkt Großfels. In the future, the M19 bunker there will be turned into a museum.
Recovery of M19 parts at Stützpunkt Großfels. (Photo: Festung Guernsey)
In: Channel Islands, News · Tagged with: 5cm, 633, festungs, fortress, granatwerfer, guernsey, m19, recovery, regelbau, weapon
Regelbau, the photo series
Until the end of March and during July, August and September I’m presenting my photo series ‘Regelbau’ in Kunstfort Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.
It’s a study on the German standardized bunker from World War Two and its current state both as an historical object and a part of present nature. A fascination for modernist materials such as concrete and steel and how time transforms these buildings into modern time ruins. But also, a fascination for the idea of building permanent fortifications and in what form and size. In less than three years tens of thousands of concrete structures were erected along the European coasts and deep inland.
Løkken, 2013
For the last fifteen years I’ve travelled the European continent to document these defenses. It brought me to remote places, and it helped me grasping the geography of war too.
637, Wissant, 2013
The German bunkers show how practical solutions lead to modernist monuments. I also try to open a discussion on their history and whether we should preserve them for future generations.
L 409A, Vigsø, 2013
When: Until the end of march 2014, and during July, August and September. Where: Kunstfort Vijfhuizen, close to Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands.
629, Ambleteuse, 2013
http://www.arthurvanbeveren.com/
http://www.kunstfort.nl/kunst/nu-te-zien/688-tt-restaurant-arthur-van-beveren-nu
In: Art, Photography · Tagged with: arthur, atlantic wall, atlantikwall, beveren, bunkers, exhibition, expert, fotografie, national geographic, photography, regelbau, tentoonstelling
Ruin Lust in Tate Britain
Ruin Lust, an exhibition at Tate Britain from 4 March 2014, offers a guide to the mournful, thrilling, comic and perverse uses of ruins in art from the seventeenth century to the present day. The exhibition is the widest-ranging on the subject to date and includes over 100 works by artists such as J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, John Martin, Eduardo Paolozzi, Rachel Whiteread and Tacita Dean.
In: Art · Tagged with: art, atlantikwall, britain, bunker, Jane and Louise Wilson, londen, london, tate
Regelbau 656 discovered near Nieuwpoort
A long forgotten Regelbau 656 was discovered near the Albert I-monument in Nieuwpoort. The bunker is completely stripped but apart from that in a beautiful conditions.
Its number (Ost-W 019-252) is clearly visible and the St sign on the outside and instructional texts on the inside are still sharp. It was probably part of Wn Tilly I or II. A 656 is a quite rare Kriegsmarine Regelbau and to find one in this condition is very good news.
656 Nieuwpoort. (Photo: Jack Koorneef)
In: Belgium, News · Tagged with: 656, atlantikwall, bunker, discovery, gevonden, nieuwpoort, ontdekt, regelbau
Atlantikwall from the air
A very nice video by Marc Tessier using a drone.
In: Photography · Tagged with: air, atlantic wall, atlantikwall, marc, tessier, video
Regelbau 638 opened after 60 years
The most complete army battery of the Südwall at La Tamarissière (Agde) has the only built 638 hospital bunker on this side of the front. The bunker was closed since the 1950s but has been reopened this weekend by a local group of enthusiasts.
Pipettes, syringe boxes, various tubes and even remains of unused glass x-ray negatives were found inside the bunker. The group will now clean the bunker and it will be part of a future museum.
You can find photos on the group’s Facebook page.
638 Agde in 2004. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)
In: France, News · Tagged with: agde, batterie, battery, bunkers, heer, mittelmeerfront, mittelmeerküste, südwall, tamarissière
Performance against a bunker
The Norwegian artist Tori Wrånes is known for her daring performances on sometimes strange places. In 2010 she chose the beautiful Leitstand type 636 at Svolvær for a piano play.
During the Lofoten International Art Festival she played the piano attached to the wall of the bunker. Loose Cannon was the project title. More images and info via her website.
Loose Cannon by Tori Wrånes.
In: Art · Tagged with: 636, art, atlantikwall, lofoten, norway, performance, piano, project, regelbau, Svolvær, tori wrånes
Demolition in Croisic
Sad news from the demolition front again. A very rare L 406 on the Croisic peninsula will be demolished or at least altered.
In 2010 new houses already closed in but now the bunker has to disappear (completely or under a new house). The faith of the Vf bunkers around this one is unknown.
A link to this location on Bunkersite.com can be found here.
M 123 on Croisic peninsula attacked by a machine. (Photo: Patrick Fleuridas)
In: Demolition/Disappearing, France, News · Tagged with: "L 406", atlantikwall, atlantique, blockhaus, bretagne, bunker, croisic, demolition, luftwaffe, mur, sloop
Allen Gewalten zum Trotz sich erhalten
Two years ago I’ve posted about the Fl 250 anti-aircraft headquarters in Saint-Marc near Saint-Nazaire. Back then more than 400 letters from all over Europe ended up at the office of the Service Territorial d’Architecture et du Patrimoine.
However, there was no reaction to any of these letters, although they were surprised by the big number of writings. Now, again, the bunker is in immediate danger! Send the same letter as last time to both:
Monsieur l’Architecte des Bâtiments de France M. Dominique BERNARD
Service territorial de l’architecture et du patrimoine
DRAC Pays de Loire 1 rue Stanislas Baudry
F- 44035 Nantes cedex 1
FRANCE
And two more copies, just to let other officials on a higher level know.
Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication
3 rue de Valois
75001 Paris
and
M. Le Préfet des Pays de la Loire
Secrétariat Général pour les Affaires Régionales ( SGAR)
6 quai Ceineray
BP 33515
44035 NANTES Cedex 1
Information and letter come from the French Atlantikwall forum, the initiative was created by the brothers Luc et Marc Braeuer of the Grand Blockhaus museum at Batz-sur-Mer and Alain Durrieu, known for his books on ‘Bunkerart’.
Make the bunker’s slogan count even today: “Despite the violent forces against us….we must overcome”.
http://atlantikwall.superforum.fr/t14368-important-sauvetage-de-la-tour-de-flak-de-st-marc-sur-mer
Objet : inscription ou classement d’un élément architectural remarquable à St-Marc-sur-Mer (commune de Saint-Nazaire)
Monsieur,
Par ce courrier, nous souhaitons attirer votre attention sur la nécessaire sauvegarde d’un des plus remarquables vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique situé à St-Marc-sur-Mer, 5 route Ste-Eugène. Cadastré EK 387, cet ouvrage appartient à la Commune de St-Nazaire.
Il s’agit d’un ensemble comprenant un Blockhaus type Fl 250 avec une Tour d’observation haute de 18 m reposant sur un large bunker enterré dans un état exceptionnel de conservation. Cet ancien poste de commandement de la DCA de la marine (Défense Contre Avions) a été construit en exemplaire unique en France. Sur le bunker enterré est construit un ancien mess de marine tout aussi remarquable, avec un patio, des colonnes en briques rouges et des poutres gravées. Il s’agit là d’un des tous derniers bâtiments de cette époque encore en place aujourd’hui. Cette construction dans son ensemble, qui a fait l’objet de nombreux référencements dans plus de 10 livres historiques, est visitée tous les ans par des centaines de passionnés, notamment des Hollandais, des Belges, des Britanniques et des Américains. Il est absolument indispensable, pour notre mémoire collective, d’inscrire ou de classer cet élément architectural remarquable. Son histoire est intimement liée avec le Raid héroïque mené par les Britanniques sur St-Nazaire en mars 1942.
A titre d’exemple, le Blockhaus d’Eperlecques dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais a été classé monument historique. En Normandie (Calvados et Manche), tous les vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique ont été intégralement classés ; ils font l’objet de soin, comme le Poste de Commandement de la Pointe du Hoc pour lequel les autorités américaines ont engagé plus de 4 millions de dollars de travaux pour consolider la falaise sur laquelle il repose. Dans les îles anglo-normandes, ce patrimoine est fortement mis en valeur par les autorités, tout comme au Danemark ou en Norvège. En Charente-Maritime, sur l’île de Ré, la Batterie Karola comprenant une haute tour d’observation bétonnée a été classé Monument Historique en 2004. Il est grand temps d’agir en Loire-Atlantique où, malgré une étude financée par la DRAC menée par M. Eric Lemerle en 1999, qui recense l’intégralité des vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique dans le département, rien n’a été fait depuis. Alors qu’il était justement prévu, suite à cette étude, de classer une dizaine de sites les plus remarquables.
Nous vous prions d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de nos salutations respectueuses.
In: Demolition/Disappearing, France, News · Tagged with: atlantique, blockhaus, bunker, demolition, fl 250, Flak, kriegsmarine, loire, marineflak, mur, patrimoine, saint-marc, saint-nazaire, sauvegarde
Restauration 622 Cap Ferret under way
Restauration of the 622 of Ar 36 with naval beds, and stove. (Photo: GRAMASA)
Last year I wrote about a recentely excavated 622 personnel bunker next to the light house of Cap Ferret. The restauration is under way and it looks very good and professional.
More pictures can be found via GRAMASA’s Picasa.
In: France, News · Tagged with: 622, ar36, atlantikwall, cap ferret, gramasa, regelbau, restauration