Danish demolitions under way

Work has started on the demolition of 100 bunker along the Danish coast.

For a sad video see http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-70959793:for-farlige-tyske-bunkere-spr%C3%A6nges-v%C3%A6k.html?fbs

Denmark demolitions

122 bunkers along the Danish coast will be demolished in the coming months. This is because the concrete and steel remains pose a danger to the public.

According to TH on Axis History Forum the following bunkers will be demolished:

• 1x L 410,
• 1x L 411,
• 1x 621,
• 1x 676,
• 5x 680,
• at least 62 F-Stände (small machine gun bunkers) and
• at least 25 Ringstände (types 58c and 67, one 65a).

He also mentions: “I’m not entirely sure about the L 411 and 621, because those two are still in decent condition. Only the locations of the bunkers have been published, not the types – I worked those out on my own. Nevertheless, the list should be fairly accurate.”

Next year the beaches will look different again, and new remains will show up. Is this the start of a bigger demolition campaign? More dangerous remains in the see remain untouched this year. Unfortunately it will happen so make your trip to the western coast around Thyborøn now, before bunkers have disappeared.

 

Petition for the Hochbunker Försterstrasse in Aachen

From the internet:

[quote]Hard to believe: The Nazis last stand in Aachen, the former “Hochbunker” (air raid shelter) between the Rütscherstr and Försterstr in Aachen is to be demolished, to be exchanged for more boring urban apartments with basement garage. It was here, on October 21st, 1944 that the last Wehrmacht commander in the first liberated German city surrendered to the Allies. Justification of the Bezirksregierung Köln: „Because of the extensive alterations the explanatory power has been lost.“ (3)

I do not agree with that. Its thick concrete walls still show the devastating results of shelling, which was needed to expel the Nazi dictatorship. Every pedestrian, old or young, will notice this damaged concrete block and will ask the awkward question: “What happened here?” One possible answer is: “This is the place where dictatorship and repression ended and where freedom and democracy in West-Germany began.”

Aachen was the first large German city captured by the Allies. Its commander Oberst Wilck surrendered, against Hitler’s order to fight until the very last man, as the Nazis wanted it to be. Instead, he and his surviving soldiers gave up. This was a tremendous symbolic moment for the whole world. (3, 8)

Ok, bunkers are not beautiful. It needs fantasy and imagination to make something out of it, to enable visitors to experience their history but also to regain the usability of this urban spot. But please not by just demolishing them completely and build some ordinary multi storey apartments instead! It is just Aachen showing that a better way of combining history and urban living is possible: The Hochbunker in the Lütticherstr is currently altered for a supermarket (5), the Hochbunker in the Kongreßstr holds apartments since 1992 (6, 9). These huge concrete boxes are monuments, especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr, which should not vanish from our collective awareness: These Hochbunker are not only a remembrance of Nazi dictatorship, of repression and war atrocities, on days and nights with people seeking protection from air raids and bombing. Especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr is one of the first places of the Hour Zero, from which a free democratic Germany emerged!

Please sign this petition to demand:

– withdrawal of the demolishing permit.
– addition of this Hochbunker to the Monuments Register.
– development of a concept, to ensure a combination of monumental value and urban usability.

Petition link: Der Hochbunker Försterstr in Aachen soll nicht für Stadtwohnungen weichen

Press sources:
1) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-abriss-100-anwohner-wehren-sich-1.567386
2) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-200-nachbarn-unterschreiben-gegen-abriss-1.570897
3) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/auch-denkmalschuetzer-gegen-den-bunker-abriss-1.569237
4) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-ruetscher-strasse-anwohner-wollen-schutzengel-behalten-1.594420
5) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/luetticher-strasse-bunker-wird-ein-schickes-heim-1.360473
6) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bombengeschaeft-mit-aachens-alten-bunkern-1.339141
7) http://www.zeit.de/2004/44/A-Aachen
8) http://www.aachener-geschichtsverein.de/Online-Beitraege/die-schlacht-um-aachen
9) The alternative way: http://www.architektur-bildarchiv.de/detail.php?picture_id=19294

Please sign this petition :

Vorname = first name Nachname = surname E-mail = email address Postleitzahl = postal code Warum unterschreiben Sie? = Why do you sign? (optional) Unterschreiben = sign[/quote]

Back in time at Batterie Azeville

The museum bunkers of the army coastal battery Azeville in Normandy have their impressive camouflage paint back. Painted as ruines with trees the Germans hoped the battery wouldn’t be spotted by the Allies. Some of the original paint was still visible beneath overhanging parts but the rest had faded. Now professional painters have done the same job as 70 years ago.

L 410 around the Füherhauptquartier Wolfsschlucht 2

The Füherhauptquartier Wolfsschlucht 2 is known for its enormous variety of bunker designs. There are local designs for machine gun turrets and plates and one can discover Luftwaffe Regelbauten never built anywhere else. A not so rare Luftwaffe design is the L 410, a command bunker for small Flak batteries. However near Margival this type was built ten times on only 9 km²!

And not only was the type built a lot of times, they were also heavily equipped with communication devices. You will find L 410s here with a Festungsvermittlung zu 30 Ltn, the large telephone exchanges for 30 lines, which you will normally find in large command bunkers (117, 608) along the Atlantikwall. Some boost four Festungsfernsprecher in a row, which really shows the importance given to these small Flak batteries. (According to Rhode and Sünkel in their book Wolfsschlucht 2, Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers, 21 light Flak batteries were built around the headquarters!)

Normally an L 410 has a Flak emplacement on top and in the Atlantikwall it was usually built with two Flak/Crew bunkers like the L 409A. Around Margival you’ll find most L 410s without emplacement on top. Three either early square shaped open emplacements or later war L 2 emplacements formed the actual battery and the L 410 really served as an HQ.

Of the ten L 410s, seven are accessible and six are on the website. We’re still updating our old 2002 and 2003 images with newer ones, so stay tuned.

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-flak16-marg-1.php

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-neuv.php

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-flak12-neuville-1.php

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-laf.php

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-flak6-vauxaillon-1.php

http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/margival/l410-flak8-vauxaillon-1.php

Sign petition for the recognition of all D-Day beaches

Six tourist offices in Normandy have created a new ‘Secteur Mythique’ in Normandie. This includes all the beaches and inland landing zones, except for the British parachute landing sites and Sword Beach.

Of course it’s all about money in Normandy. A lot of bunker complexes are turned into ‘museums’. With no knowledge whatsoever about the Atlantikwall most of the time. Now there’s the idea of ‘Mythical sector’, made up by six tourist offices, where the British sector is not included. The tourist office isn’t about history, but about tourism of course. But ideas like this will effect the perception of history in the future. Sign the petition, just to send a reminder of history to these tourist offices.

And visit the British sector, it’s one of the most beautiful areas of Normandy too!

http://www.change.org/petitions/suppression-du-secteur-mythique-des-plages-du-d%C3%A9barquement

How bunkers can be preserved

The city of The Hague shows how you can preserve a bunker: incorporate it into urban design.

One of the three pre-war Dutch bunkers (which were part of the Atlantikwall during the war), was moved to the Army Engineers museum in Vught two years ago. Another was found but buried beneath the new boulevard. It’s however still visible. A thick glass plate covers the entrance shaft and the bunker’s building plan is visible on the pavement. A beautiful solution which shows that the historical value of bunkers is recognized more and more.

Photos and a 3D impression by Bas de Mos can be found on the website of the SAMS.

High frequency as a weapon

A fantastic German wartime film shows the operation of radar and jamming. Partly related to bunkers, it gives an impression of how daily life for Luftwaffe radar crews must have been.

It’s in the National Archives library.

Wissant

502 in Pisz gets his colors back

It’s been some time since I reported about the Masurische Grenzstellung and its bunkers. Stp Johannisburg around today’s Pisz lies nearby. Since several years the command bunker type 502 is being restored. In September last year it’s got his camouflage colors back in. Very nice work!

More photos http://rygielpisz.eu/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=54&func=view&catid=14&id=1343

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