HITLER’S HIDEOUTS
During his time, Adolf Hitler lived in several places and had several battlefield HQ’s
BERGHOF: Hitler’s own private residence in Bavaria. A luxurious chalet with a fantastic view. It was where Hitler would meet foreign dignitaries and spent most of the time during the war. It was demolished in 1952.
TANNENBERG: In the Black Forest, one of his earliest headquarters, and from here he inspected the Maginot line fortress. The battle of Tannenberg was a pretty decisive German victory in WW1, with most of Russian army being annihilated. The code name for Hitler’s bunker was taken from this.
ANLAGE TUNNELS: were essentially two railway tunnels/bunkers, fortified with thick walls and surrounded by buildings for soldiers and staff. Nazi government maintained three such bunkers in occupied Poland. Hitler held a brief meeting with Mussolini in 1941, never even bothered to leave the train, making Mussolini come over to his tunnel for talks.
WOLFSHCANZE or WOLF’S LAIR: Was his first East Military Front HQs in WW2, located in Poland. At its peak, over 2000 people lived and worked here including food-tasters to sample Hitler’s food. He survived an assignation attempt on 20th July 1944. He left Wolf’s Lair for the final time in November 1944 after having spent over 800 days, the longest he stayed in one place.
WOLFSSCHLUCHT 2: Yet another ‘Wolf’ themed nickname. Western Front Military HQs, located in France. Hitler used it only for 2 days in June 1944, because the Allied bombing was getting uncomfortably close. WOLFSSCHLUCHT 1 was a fortified farmhouse in Belgium, used by Hitler to oversee the Battle of France in 1940.
FESTUNG NORWEGEN: was the extreme defense and fortification system constructed in Norway, part of the Atlantic Wall after the conquest and occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. There were as many as 40,000 troops stationed here with large proportion of whom were dedicated to the defense of the Atlantic Wall. It is unclear how many days Hitler stayed in this fortress.
FUHRERSONDERZUG: was Hitler’s personal train, where he travelled between permanent HQs. This train also served as his HQs until the Balkans campaign. In late 1945, Hitler ordered his aide and adjutant Julius Schab to travel to Austria to destroy Fuhrersonderzug.
DEUTSCHES HAUS HOTEL: located in Berchtesgaden, is where Hitler stayed and dictated the second volume of ‘Mein Kampf’. Before he stayed at the PENSION MORITZ. When the owner sold It in 1926, Hitler moved out because he did not like the new owner.
KEHLSTEINHAUS or EAGLE’S NEST: is a Nazi constructed building erected atop the summit of Kehlstein. It was used exclusively by the members of Nazi party for government and social meetings. Hitler visited only 14 times, partly he deeply mistrusted the elevator going from the car park through the mountain.
FUHERBUNKER: Hitler spent his last days in this underground, self-contained complex under the Reich Chancellery gardens in Berlin. The bunker was below the water level and conditions inside was notoriously damp. Hitler married Eva Braun here, less than 40 hours before they committed suicide. Today some corridors of the bunker exist but are sealed off from the public.
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