Wolf's Lair
Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military headquarters during World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Wolf's Lair (German: Wolfsschanze; Polish: Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.
Wolf's Lair | |
---|---|
Wolfsschanze | |
Part of Führerhauptquartiere | |
Present-day Gierłoż, Kętrzyn, Poland | |
Coordinates | 54.0804°N 21.4941°E / 54.0804; 21.4941 |
Type | Camouflaged concrete bunkers |
Site information | |
Owner | Polish Government |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Mostly destroyed |
Site history | |
Built | 1941; 83 years ago (1941) |
Built by | Hochtief AG, Organisation Todt |
In use | June 1941 – January 1945 |
Materials | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) steel-reinforced concrete |
Fate | Partially demolished by retreating German forces |
Events | 20 July Plot |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders | Johann Rattenhuber |
Garrison | |
Occupants |
The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the village of Görlitz in Ostpreußen (now Gierłoż), about 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg (now Kętrzyn), in present-day Poland. The central complex and the Führer's bunker were surrounded by three security zones guarded by two Schutzstaffel (SS) units: the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers, and the Reichssicherheitsdienst. The Wehrmacht's armoured Führerbegleitbrigade was held in readiness nearby but, as a part of the Heer's elite Großdeutschland Division, was used to counter-attack Red Army break-throughs in Army Group Centre's front and rescue cut-off Heer, Luftwaffe Fallschirmjager and SS panzer troops.
The 20 July Plot, an assassination attempt against Hitler, took place at the Wolf's Lair on 20 July 1944.[1]