wolfschanze

The complex is located in the Goerlitz forest app. 8 km. east of Rastenburg (in Polish Ketrzyn) in the Masurian Lake district of former East-Prussia.
The first construction phase started in the summer of 1940, went on to the summer of 1944 and was laid out on both sites of the road from Rastenburg to Angerburg (in Polish Wegorzewo) in the thick forest of Goerlitz for reasons of camouflage. The old 'Bahnhof' of the hamlet of Goerlitz was expanded to serve the arrival and departure of the 'Fuehrersonderzug Amerika' and after 1941 no civilian use was being made of the railroadline anymore.
Total costs of the entire complex (a total of app. 80 object were erected) were app. 36 million Reichsmark and can be divided into 3 phases:
-summer 1940/june 1941: mostly wooden- and concrete buildings were build up to walls 3m. thick.
-1942/1943: all wooden structures were covered by concrete roof up to 0,35 m. thick and brick walls up to 0,50 m. thick.
-march 1944/oktober 1944: All major bunkers were covered by an extra roof up to 4 m. leaving a space of app. 0,50 m. filled with rubble between the old and new roof and thus creating a 'double' bunker.
The complex was divided in 3 (later 4) sections: The 'Sperrkreis I/ II/II'. 'Sperrkreis III' was the outer ring and consisted of 'Sperrkreis II and I'. The 'Sperrkreis II' enclosed app. 2.5 sq. km. and was surrounded by a double-apron, barbed-wire fence and mine fields in which 3 entrance gates were situated. 'Wache' West, Sud and Ost.
'Sperrkreis I' was the center of the FHQ situated north of the rail-road, it was also surrounded by a barbed-wire fence having an eastern- and a western gate. The complex was connected to an airfield to the south, I'll give you a view of this road later.
All major bunkers such as Hitler's bunker and the 'Lagebaracke' where v. Stauffenberg placed the bomb that should have killed the Fuehrer were situated in the 'Sperrkreis I', I will come to a description later on.
In the 'Sperrkreis II' all other bunkers such as air-shelters and offices were situated.
The Fuehrer's safety was trusted to members of the 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler', 'Reichssicherheitsdienst' and the 'Fuehrer Begleit Bataillon', a total of app. 2000 men and women worked in the complex incl. the guards. The Fuehrer himself felt safe in the Wolfschanze and stayed app. 800 days between june, 24 1941 and november, 21 1944 in his bunker (Fuehrerbunker) or the guest's bunker (Gaestebunker).
All buildings were demolished by 'Pioniere' januari, 24 1945. Tourists visit the complex since 1959.

The attempt on Hitler's life, part of the plot called 'Walkuere'.
The time: July 20, 1944, the place: the 'Lagebaracke' in Sperrkreis I.
Berlin 06.00 a.m.: Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (born in Jettingen-Bavaria november 15, 1907-'Stabschef der Reservearmee') left his house in Tristanstrasse 8 Berlin-Wannsee for the airport. There his plane, a 'Ju-52' waited with his aide 'Oberleutnant' Werner von Haeften, they both carried briefcases in which were hidden British made 975 gr. heavy bombs.
Berlin-Rangsdorf 07.00 a.m.: The plane took off hedding for Rastenburg, a two hour flight.
Wilhelmsdorf 09.00 a.m.: The plane landed at the airport of Wilhelmsdorf, Stauffenberg and Haeften went north by car over a cobblestone road app. 5 k.m. to the Wolfschanze, entered through the Southern gate, and had a breakfast together with some other officers in the Kasino II in 'Sperrkreis II'.
Wolfschanze:
11.00 a.m.: Stauffenberg left the Kasino II, met with some other officers in an other barrack.
11.30 a.m.: Stauffenberg and the other officers met with fieldmarshal Wilhelm Keitel.
12.00 a.m.: The group was told that due to the fact that Mussolini would visit the Wolfschanze later that day the 'Lagerbesprechung' was not as originally planned at 13.00 but was set for 12.30 p.m. Stauffenberg told Keitel that he wanted to freshen up first and put on a fresh shirt. Haeften had the excuse that Stauffenberg, due to his earlier war wounds from North-Africa, needed him to assist him in putting on a fresh shirt. They wanted to activate the ignition of the two bombs, but were asked to join the meeting so they could only activate one of the bombs...Stauffenberg took the activated one in a brief-case with him, Heaften placed the other one in the car.
12.30 p.m.: All were present in the 'Lagebaracke' where that day, because of reinforcement of the 'Fuehrerbunker', the meeting would take place. This was one of the original buildings constructed of brick, app. 5*10 m., later concrete was added to it's walls and ceiling. It stood app. 30 m. west of the 'Gaestebunker' where Hitler stayed for the time being. At the beginning of the meeting Stauffenberg asked for a place near to the Fuehrer so he could hear him talking. He got a place on the right hand site just two persons away from Hitler and he placed the bomb under the heavy wooden table full of maps. Due to the fact that so many people (25) were in the room, the briefcase was moved to the right just on the right hand site of the table leg...Stauffenberg left the room with the excuse that he had to make an important telephone call, met up with Haeften in an other bunker nearby, and at that moment a gigantic BANG took place.
Stauffenberg and Haeften got in their car together with the driver 'Leutnant' Erich Kretz and left for the airport convinced that all in the bunker were dead. They passed the check-point 'Sperrkreis I' succesfully because no alarm was given yet. A few minutes later they arrived at the southern check-point out of 'Sperrkreis II' where they were stopped by 'Oberfeldwebel' Kolbe because a general alarm was given. Stauffenberg got out of the car, called the officer in charge and got permission to leave the 'Sperrkreis II'. They looked back and saw a great cloud of smoke over the 'Lagebaracke' and drove to the Wilhelmsdorf airport as quickly as they could. On their way out they threw the not exploded bomb away into the forest.
In the 'Lagebaracke' only 4 persons were killed, 3 died later due to their wounds but most important Hitler survived just a bid shaken. The heavy wooden table and the leg of the table together with the fact that the pressure of the bomb could escape through the opened windows protected the Fuehrer...
Wilhelmsdorf 13.15 p.m.: Their plane took off and all flew back to Berlin.
Wolfschanze 16.00 p.m.: Hitler met with Mussolini and showed him the results of the assassination attempt...
Berlin 15.00 p.m.: The plane arrived in Berlin, Haeften called the 'Allgemeinen Heeresamt' in the 'Bendlerstrasse' saying that Hitler is dead. At app. 16.00 p.m. general Olbricht launched 'Walkuere' with the password: 'Deutschland', a few moments later the conspirators found out that the Fuehrer only suffered light wounds...the plot had failed. In the last 9 months of the war more people would be killed than in all the war years before added up...
Berlin 23.00 p.m.: The building in the 'Bentlerstrasse' was attacked by forces of the 'Grossdeutschland' under the command of Otto Ernst Remer, Stauffenberg was wounded in the corridor and was arrested shortly after. Four of the conspirators were sentenced to death, many others were to follow...At app. midnight they were shot in the innencourt. Lighted by the head-lights of trucks shots rang out into the night, Stauffenberg called out: ' Es lebe das heilige Deutschland' and died at the age of 36.

Current status:
'Sperrkreis I' is a major tourists attraction nowadays, complete with a parking lot, hotel/restaurant and guided tours. During our visit september 2000 we stayed in the hotel which is made inside the only authentic building (ones home for the 'SS-Begleitkommando') just outside 'Sperrkreis I', prices are very moderate but you will have to have dinner in Rastenburg. Fortunately you are allowed to wonder the complete complex freely thus spending as much time as you like visiting the impressive ruins, a two day visit is the ideal time to see it all. Mind the mosquitoes in summer!
All large bunkers are blown, smaller buildings are also ruined but you can easyly identify all of them and glance at the huge remnants left...a very impressive sight!
Take care: all numbers on the bunkers are changed since the After the Battle days, so buy a new guide!