At one time, by order of the German Fuhrer Hitler , about 20 bunkers were built for him and the top German leadership. Almost all of them had the prefix “wolf” (wolf) in their name from Hitler’s nickname given by his financial patron 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 main headquarters of the Wolfschans, in which Hitler’s personal bunker was located, was located in Poland, in the Görlitz forest. Here the Reich Chancellor spent about 800 days from June 21, 1941 to November 20, 1944. From here he gave the order to attack the Soviet Union, and an unsuccessful attempt on him took place here.
The Wolfsshanze complex consisted of 80 fortified objects in the midst of a dense forest and was surrounded by several barbed wire fences, observation towers and minefields up to 350 m wide. For security reasons, Hitler's bunker and several other buildings were covered with algae and painted green. The staff of the “Wolf's Lair” included 300 service staff, 150 security guards and scouts, 1,200 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. On the roof of each of them were installed air defense towers.
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, therefore, during the explosion in January 1945, he suffered less than the rest.
The main rate was a town with everything necessary for work and leisure. Railway lines were laid here, 2 airdromes, a post office, garages, a cinema, a casino, tea and guest rooms were built.
Now the “Wolf's Lair” is a memorial where access is open to all comers year-round.
Hitler's bunker in Berlin was his last refuge. Here he spent the last weeks of his life and met death on April 30, 1945.
Thanks to the photographer William Wandeyvert, who captured the command bunker immediately after the siege of Berlin, there were photos that conveyed not only the interior, but also the atmosphere of the Fuhrer’s secret refuge.
Hitler’s Berlin bunker was located directly by the Reich Chancellery and went 5 meters underground. Its thirty rooms, located on two levels, had access to the main building and emergency communication with the garden. Initially, the building was not intended personally for the Fuhrer, so it had a standard ceiling of 4.5 m in thickness 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 refuge was the worst and most uncomfortable compared to the rest. There was no heating, power plants or even sewage systems. The last month of his life, Hitler did not leave the bunker, fearing the ongoing bombing.
Now it’s hard to imagine that Hitler’s bunker was once here. Berlin was indifferent to the idea of ​​preserving this place. During a grand construction, all underground facilities were destroyed and a parking lot was built above them.