Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg

Tannenberg
Germany
Tannenberg is located in Germany
Tannenberg
Tannenberg
Tannenberg location on a map of pre-1945 Germany
Coordinates48°29′44″N 8°15′49″E / 48.49556°N 8.26361°E / 48.49556; 8.26361
TypeCommand and control
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
Built byOrganization Todt
In use1940 (1940)
Fateabandoned / demolished

Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg (also known as "Installation T") was a Führer Headquarters built in 1939 for use as a military command and control facility by Adolf Hitler. It was located near Freudenstadt and Hitler stayed there for a week in 1940 while inspecting the fortresses that formed the Maginot Line.

History

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Tannenberg was constructed on Kniebis Mountain in the heart of the Black Forest on the grounds of an existing installation of Germany's western air defense zone near Freudenstadt.[1] Built by the Organization Todt in the winter of 1939–1940, it has been described as a prototype for the Wolf's Lair.[2][3][4] The site's designation, "Tannenberg", was from the Battle of Tannenberg during World War I.[4]

The ruins of Tannenberg pictured in 2012

Hitler stayed at the Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg from 28 June to 5 July 1940, following the Fall of France, using it as a base from which to tour the fortresses of the Maginot Line.[5] This is the only time it was known to have been used by Hitler.[4]

Most of the buildings were demolished during the German withdrawal from the Western Front in 1945.[4] One building, which remained standing, was subsequently used to store fertilizer and other supplies by foresters.[4]

As of 2015, the location of Tannenberg sits within the Black Forest National Park.[4]

Design and layout

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Tannenberg consisted of two concrete bunkers, one used as Hitler's private quarters and a second as a communications facility.[1] The site also included a number of wood-frame structures, including a mess hall, barracks, guest quarters, a conference center, and a guard house.[1] The perimeter of the complex was ringed with barbed wire.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Short, Neil (2013). The Führer's Headquarters: Hitler's command bunkers 1939–45. Bloomsbury. p. 23. ISBN 978-1849083027.
  2. ^ Johnson, Aaron (1999). Hitler's military headquarters: organization, structures, security, and personnel. Bender. p. 131. ISBN 9780912138800.
  3. ^ Felton, Mark (2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer. Pen and Sword. p. 232. ISBN 978-1473838383.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Frank, Hans Goerg (28 September 2015). "Fundament eines Führerbunkers von Adolf Hitler im Nationalpark Schwarzwald". Südwest Presse (in German). Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  5. ^ Baxter, Ian (2009). Wolf's Lair: Inside Hitler's East Prussian HQ. History Press Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 978-0750950794.