Ruins of a Destroyed Westwall Bunker

Hitler had the Westwall, which had both military and propaganda value, planned from 1936 and built between 1936 and 1940. Shortly before, during the occupation of the Rhineland on March 7, 1936, contrary to the requirements of the Versailles Peace Treaty, the areas on both sides of the Rhine demilitarized by the Reich as a result of the First World War were occupied by Wehrmacht troops. The construction of the west wall cost almost 3.5 billion Reichsmarks (for comparison: the German Reich had civilian expenditure of 6.2 billion RM in 1933). In the post-war period, many of the Siegfried Line were destroyed by blasting. During this work and the clearing of the many mines, people lost their lives again. Source: Wikipedia

<< Westwall bunker in the Schneifel – the ruins of the Siegfried Line >>
"Before the Second World War, an impregnable bulwark was to be built west of the Rhine over a length of 630 km from Kleve to Basel. 8 million tons of cement, 1.2 million tons of iron and over 950,000 solid cubic meters of wood were needed for the "Siegfried" line 170 bunkers were built in the Schneifel area between 1938 and 1940, some only a hundred meters apart.
In the old district of Prüm there were more than 1,200 bunkers. In addition, there was a 13 m wide hump line over a length of 35 km, which could stop tanks up to 36 tons. The ruins of the Siegfried Line from World War II. The proud sum of 3.5 billion RM was installed. "Westwall workers" were billeted in almost all villages in the Eifel, and their spending brought about a small economic upswing, but also unpleasant consequences such as an increase in crime.The facilities were blown up by the French after the war
The Americans called these weirs the "Siegfried Line". Old American film footage shows how armored caterpillars bridged the 1.5 m high concrete hump with earth ramps. However, towards the end of the Second World War, the West Wall, which was considered impregnable, was only of temporary importance due to a lack of sufficient German occupation personnel and was hardly able to stop the Allies. The facilities were blown up by the French after the war and are now, if at all, only recognizable as rubble. Many bunker ruins were filled in around the turn of the millennium and only the many protests from citizens interested in contemporary history led to this work being stopped.The plan was to put up information boards explaining the different types of bunkers. Unfortunately, not much has happened in this regard over the years. The flora and fauna have benefited from the ruins. When the facilities were smashed, access to the cavities for small mammals was created. Excellent biotopes for rare animals and plants have developed in the concrete fragments. Wild cats and bats, rare mosses and lichens are invading these humid habitats."
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