At one time, on the orders of the German Fuhrer Hitler, about 20 bunkers were built, intended for him and the top German leadership. Almost all of them had the prefix "wolf" (wolf) in the name from the nickname of the same name for Hitler, given by his financial backer Edwin Bechstein. Not a single bunker has been preserved in its original form. Most of them were blown up by the Germans themselves during the retreat, and some were destroyed after the unification of Germany.
The Wolfschanze's main headquarters, which also housed Hitler's personal bunker, was located in Poland, in the Görlitz forest. Here the Chancellor spent about 800 days from June 21, 1941 to November 20, 1944. From here he ordered the attack on the Soviet Union, and an unsuccessful attempt was made on him.
The Wolfschanze complex consisted of 80 fortified objects in the middle of a dense forest and was surrounded by several barbed wire fences, observation towers and minefields up to 350 m wide. For security purposes, Hitler's bunker and several other buildings were lined with algae and painted in green color. The staff of the "Wolf's Lair" included 300servants, 150 guards and scouts, 1200 soldiers and 300 officers.
The main bunkers had double ceilings up to 8.5 meters thick. Due to the excessive thickness of the ceilings, walls and huge corridors, the living quarters themselves had small areas. Air defense towers were installed on the roof of each of them.
Hitler's Bunker with an area of 2480 sq.m. and with six entrances was the largest in the complex. There were three defense towers on its roof, so it suffered the least damage in the explosion in January 1945.
The main headquarters was a town with everything necessary for work and leisure. Railway lines were laid here, 2 airfields, a post office, garages, a cinema, a casino, tea rooms and guest rooms were built.
Now the "Wolf's Lair" is a memorial, where all year round access is open to everyone.
Hitler's bunker in Berlin became his last refuge. Here he spent the last weeks of his life and met death on April 30, 1945.
Thanks to photographer William Vandivert, who captured the command bunker immediately after the siege of Berlin, there are photos that convey not only the interior, but also the atmosphere of the Fuhrer's secret hideout.
Hitler's Berlin bunker was located right by the Reich Chancellery and went 5 meters underground. Its thirty rooms, located on two levels, had access to the main building and an emergency connection to the garden. Initially, the building was not intended personally for the Fuhrer, so it hadstandard ceiling covering 4.5 m thick and 12 small rooms. In 1943, the bunker was rebuilt, and the right of use extended only to Hitler and his inner circle.
The Berlin hideout was the worst and most uncomfortable of all. There was no heating, no power plant, and no sewerage system. For the last month of his life, Hitler did not leave the bunker, fearing incessant bombardments.
Now it's hard to imagine that Hitler's bunker was once here. Berlin was indifferent to the idea of preserving this place. During the grandiose construction, all underground facilities were destroyed and a parking lot was built above them.
