Wolfsschanze
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Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze (English: Wolf's Lair) was the code name used for a major military headquarters of Adolf Hitler during World War II.
The remains of the complex are located in Poland by the village of Gierłoż near Ketrzyn (German: Rastenburg), although at the time of operation this area was part of the former German province of East Prussia. It consisted of a group of bunkers and fortified buildings in a thickly wooded area, surrounded by several rings of barbed wire and defensive positions. The complex was served by a nearby airfield. It was built for the 1941 Wehrmacht offensive against the Soviet Union and was abandoned in 1944 as Soviet troops approached East Prussia.
Wolfsschanze was the location of the failed assassination attempt on Hitler which was carried out by Claus von Stauffenberg on July 20, 1944.
The whole complex was severely damaged by the demolitions carried out during the German retreat because Hitler thought it too valuable to allow Soviets to use. Despite the damage, the site remains to this day a notable tourist attraction. A monument to the July 20 plotters can also be found on the site.
| Missing image Wolfsschanze,_Gierloz,_Poland_1.jpg The amount of explosives used to destroy the bunkers in Wolfsschanze was enormous. Here, the explosion lifted bunker's roof, which is couple-meters-thick solid ferroconcrete. |  |