Hitler's bunker. The Secret Haven of the Fuhrer

At one time, according to the orders of the German Fuhrer Hitler, about 20 bunkers were built for him and the top German leadership. Almost all of them had in the title a prefix "wolf" (wolf) from the eponymous nickname of Hitler given by his financial patron Edwin Bechstein. No bunker was preserved in its original form. Most of them were blown up by the Germans themselves during the retreat, and some were destroyed after the reunification of Germany.

The main stake in Wolfschanze, in which Hitler's personal bunker was also located, was located in Poland, in the Görlitz Forest. Here the Reich Chancellor spent about 800 days in the period from June 21, 1941 to November 20, 1944. From here he gave the order for an attack on the Soviet Union, and here an unsuccessful attempt was made on him.

The Wolfschanze 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 a width of 350 m. For security reasons, Hitler's bunker and several other buildings were sealed with algae and dyed green. The staff of the Wolf's Den included 300 servicemen, 150 guards and scouts, 1,200 soldiers and 300 officers.

The main bunkers had double ceilings up to 8.5 meters thick. Because of the excessive thickness of ceilings, walls and huge corridors, the living quarters themselves had small areas. On the roof of each of them were installed towers of anti-aircraft defense.

The Hitler's bunker has an area of 2480 sq.m. And with six entrances was the largest in the complex. On its roof there were three defense towers, so during the explosion in January 1945, he suffered less than the others.

The main rate was a small town with everything necessary for work and rest. There were laid railway lines, built 2 airfields, post office, garages, a cinema, a casino, tea and guest rooms.

Now the "Wolf's Lair" is a memorial, where year-round access is open to all comers.

Hitler's bunker in Berlin became his last refuge. Here he spent the last weeks of his life and on April 30, 1945 met death.

Thanks to photographer William Vandaivert, who captured the command bunker immediately after the siege of Berlin, there were photographs that conveyed not only the interior, but also the atmosphere of the Führer's secret refuge.

The Berlin bunker of Hitler was located directly by the Reich Chancellery and retreated 5 meters underground. His thirty rooms, located on two levels, had access to the main building and an emergency message to the garden. Initially, the building was not intended for the Fuhrer personally, so it had a standard 4.5 m thick ceiling and 12 small rooms. In 1943 the bunker was rebuilt, and the right of use extended only to Hitler and the nearest entourage.

The Berlin shelter was the worst and most uncomfortable in comparison with the rest. There was no heating, power station and even a sewage system. The last month of life, Hitler did not leave the bunker, fearing incessant bombing.

Now it is difficult to imagine that once there was a bunker of Hitler. 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.