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Last Schnellbootbunker in IJmuiden in danger of being demolished

Shocking news from the Netherlands where the partial owner of the huge Schnellbootbunker in IJmuiden has plans to demolish its part of the bunker. If they continue their plans the bunker will be unreversibly demolished.

The bunker in the harbour area of the Dutch coastal town always had private owners and the bunker was never a protected heritage site. People and heritage organisations woke up after the news and started initiatives to save the bunker from demolishing. The Dutch National Cultural Heritage Agency started talks with the owner and municipality, and other smaller heritage institutions also opposed to the plans. An online petition has been signed by 1.100 times since this morning.

Chances are slim the demolishing of six concrete docks will stop. But hopefully any future destruction plans are reviewed. Although the Atlantikwall has seen significant popular interest in the last ten years with sites protected and bunkers acknowledged as important military heritage, danger of destruction is still looming.

Only several years ago an important headquarters complex in Rockanje was partly destroyed when the command bunker with armoured observation turret and an ammunition bunker were demolished to make room for horse stables. There’s a common misconception with local municipalities that every bunker is the same and they are isolated buildings with no interconnection. By demolishing one bunker the context of the military landscape is severely damaged, and by partly demolishing the Schnellbootbunker at IJmuiden (during the 80th remembrance year of the Second World War liberation), an important story about this coastal town will disappear.

 

 

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Regelbau 502 Ost-W 010-216 uncovered in Middelkerke

During the construction of the new casino in the Belgian coastal town of Middelkerke a Regelbau 502 has been unearthed. The bunker was part of Stützpunkt Roon and will be demolished.

The bunker was stripped after the war, and about one meter of the roof was demolished. The bunker bears the number Ost-W 010-216. The left entrance shows an St-sign on each side, meaning this bunker was Ständig, safe to hide in against heavy artillery and bombs from the air.

According to forum member Simon V. on Axis History Forum, there should be another 502 buried at the site of the new casino.

Entrance to the bunker with the bunker number Ost-W 010-216

The mayor of the town is clear, the bunkers will not pose a threat to his buildings plans. There will be a new casino and the bunkers will be demolished. Belgium has never showed much interest in the former Atlantikwall. They will always use the excuse that ‘we already have the Raversijde bunker museum’. Which is the same as demolishing a medieval castle ‘because we already have another one left’.

See a tv-coverage on the find here. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/01/05/bunker-gevonden-onder-casino-middelkerke/

Mayor of Middelkerke Jean-Marie Dedecker makes a bad joke about possible German bodies inside the bunker.

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Demolition of Saint-Nazaire bunker on its way

In Saint-Nazaire the bunker of the Marine Flak Abteilung 820 still resists the demolition hammer. It will be destroyed in the end, but it’s stronger than expected.

It is huge too. 1500 m2, with walls 2 meters thick. The demolition started in june 2016 and should finish before 1 September, when then school next to it opens again. But at the moment only half of the bunker is gone.

The city of Saint-Nazaire has a reputation of bunker demolition. They even had plans to get rid of another Marine Flak Abteilung headquarters, the unique Fl 250 bunker at St-Marc. Fortunately for now, this plan is on hold.

As a headquarters near the coast it commanded six light anti-aircraft batteries around the Festung Saint-Nazaire. They gave the 17 heavy anti-aircraft batteries cover against low flying fighters. Saint-Nazaire had this huge amount of anti-aircraft guns because of the presence of the U-Boot base in the city center.

More photo via http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/nazaire/cp-nazaire.php

1946 IGN aerial view of the bunker still in the open.

1946 IGN aerial view of the bunker still in the open.

The huge bunker from the air. (Photo: Alain Chazette)

The huge bunker from the air. (Photo: Alain Chazette)

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Gun bunkers demolished at Locqueltas

Sad news from Lorient, France, this week. At least two gun bunkers type M 170 of battery Locqueltas, near Larmor Plage, are being demolished. A casino will be built on the spot.

Photos via http://atlantikwall.superforum.fr/t15717-c-est-la-fin-de-locqueltas

Partly demolished M 170 casemate of Batterie Locqueltas near Larmor Plage. (Photo: Olsen)

Partly demolished M 170 casemate of Batterie Locqueltas near Larmor Plage. (Photo: Olsen)

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Demolition in Croisic

Sad news from the demolition front again. A very rare L 406 on the Croisic peninsula will be demolished or at least altered.

In 2010 new houses already closed in but now the bunker has to disappear (completely or under a new house). The faith of the Vf bunkers around this one is unknown.

A link to this location on Bunkersite.com can be found here.

M 123 on Croisic peninsula attacked by a machine. (Photo: Patrick Fleuridas)

M 123 on Croisic peninsula attacked by a machine. (Photo: Patrick Fleuridas)

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Allen Gewalten zum Trotz sich erhalten

Two years ago I’ve posted about the Fl 250 anti-aircraft headquarters in Saint-Marc near Saint-Nazaire. Back then more than 400 letters from all over Europe ended up at the office of the Service Territorial d’Architecture et du Patrimoine.

However, there was no reaction to any of these letters, although they were surprised by the big number of writings. Now, again, the bunker is in immediate danger! Send the same letter as last time to both:

Monsieur l’Architecte des Bâtiments de France  M. Dominique BERNARD
Service territorial de l’architecture et du patrimoine
DRAC Pays de Loire 1 rue Stanislas Baudry
F- 44035 Nantes cedex 1
FRANCE

And two more copies, just to let other officials on a higher level know.

Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication
3 rue de Valois
75001 Paris

and
M. Le Préfet des Pays de la Loire
Secrétariat Général pour les Affaires Régionales ( SGAR)
6 quai Ceineray
BP 33515
44035 NANTES Cedex 1

Information and letter come from the French Atlantikwall forum, the initiative was created by the brothers Luc et Marc Braeuer of the Grand Blockhaus museum at Batz-sur-Mer and Alain Durrieu, known for his books on ‘Bunkerart’.

Make the bunker’s slogan count even today: “Despite the violent forces against us….we must overcome”.

http://atlantikwall.superforum.fr/t14368-important-sauvetage-de-la-tour-de-flak-de-st-marc-sur-mer

Objet : inscription ou classement d’un élément architectural remarquable à St-Marc-sur-Mer (commune de Saint-Nazaire)

Monsieur,

Par ce courrier, nous souhaitons attirer votre attention sur la nécessaire sauvegarde d’un des plus remarquables vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique situé à St-Marc-sur-Mer, 5 route Ste-Eugène. Cadastré EK 387, cet ouvrage appartient à la Commune de St-Nazaire.

Il s’agit d’un ensemble comprenant un Blockhaus type Fl 250 avec une Tour d’observation haute de 18 m reposant sur un large bunker enterré dans un état exceptionnel de conservation. Cet ancien poste de commandement de la DCA de la marine (Défense Contre Avions) a été construit en exemplaire unique en France. Sur le bunker enterré est construit un ancien mess de marine tout aussi remarquable, avec un patio, des colonnes en briques rouges et des poutres gravées. Il s’agit là d’un des tous derniers bâtiments de cette époque encore en place aujourd’hui. Cette construction dans son ensemble, qui a fait l’objet de nombreux référencements dans plus de 10 livres historiques, est visitée tous les ans par des centaines de passionnés, notamment des Hollandais, des Belges, des Britanniques et des Américains. Il est absolument indispensable, pour notre mémoire collective, d’inscrire ou de classer cet élément architectural remarquable. Son histoire est intimement liée avec le Raid héroïque mené par les Britanniques sur St-Nazaire en mars 1942.

A titre d’exemple, le Blockhaus d’Eperlecques dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais a été classé monument historique. En Normandie (Calvados et Manche), tous les vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique ont été intégralement classés ; ils font l’objet de soin, comme le Poste de Commandement de la Pointe du Hoc pour lequel les autorités américaines ont engagé plus de 4 millions de dollars de travaux pour consolider la falaise sur laquelle il repose. Dans les îles anglo-normandes, ce patrimoine est fortement mis en valeur par les autorités, tout comme au Danemark ou en Norvège. En Charente-Maritime, sur l’île de Ré, la Batterie Karola comprenant une haute tour d’observation bétonnée a été classé Monument Historique en 2004. Il est grand temps d’agir en Loire-Atlantique où, malgré une étude financée par la DRAC menée par M. Eric Lemerle en 1999, qui recense l’intégralité des vestiges du Mur de l’Atlantique dans le département, rien n’a été fait depuis. Alors qu’il était justement prévu, suite à cette étude, de classer une dizaine de sites les plus remarquables.

Nous vous prions d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de nos salutations respectueuses.

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Danish demolitions under way

Work has started on the demolition of 100 bunker along the Danish coast.

For a sad video see http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-70959793:for-farlige-tyske-bunkere-spr%C3%A6nges-v%C3%A6k.html?fbs

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Denmark demolitions

122 bunkers along the Danish coast will be demolished in the coming months. This is because the concrete and steel remains pose a danger to the public.

According to TH on Axis History Forum the following bunkers will be demolished:

  • 1x L 410,
  • 1x L 411,
  • 1x 621,
  • 1x 676,
  • 5x 680,
  • at least 62 F-Stände (small machine gun bunkers) and
  • at least 25 Ringstände (types 58c and 67, one 65a).

He also mentions: “I’m not entirely sure about the L 411 and 621, because those two are still in decent condition. Only the locations of the bunkers have been published, not the types – I worked those out on my own. Nevertheless, the list should be fairly accurate.”

Next year the beaches will look different again, and new remains will show up. Is this the start of a bigger demolition campaign? More dangerous remains in the see remain untouched this year. Unfortunately it will happen so make your trip to the western coast around Thyborøn now, before bunkers have disappeared.

 

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Petition for the Hochbunker Försterstrasse in Aachen

From the internet:

[quote]Hard to believe: The Nazis last stand in Aachen, the former “Hochbunker” (air raid shelter) between the Rütscherstr and Försterstr in Aachen is to be demolished, to be exchanged for more boring urban apartments with basement garage. It was here, on October 21st, 1944 that the last Wehrmacht commander in the first liberated German city surrendered to the Allies. Justification of the Bezirksregierung Köln: „Because of the extensive alterations the explanatory power has been lost.“ (3)

I do not agree with that. Its thick concrete walls still show the devastating results of shelling, which was needed to expel the Nazi dictatorship. Every pedestrian, old or young, will notice this damaged concrete block and will ask the awkward question: “What happened here?” One possible answer is: “This is the place where dictatorship and repression ended and where freedom and democracy in West-Germany began.”

Aachen was the first large German city captured by the Allies. Its commander Oberst Wilck surrendered, against Hitler’s order to fight until the very last man, as the Nazis wanted it to be. Instead, he and his surviving soldiers gave up. This was a tremendous symbolic moment for the whole world. (3, 8)

Ok, bunkers are not beautiful. It needs fantasy and imagination to make something out of it, to enable visitors to experience their history but also to regain the usability of this urban spot. But please not by just demolishing them completely and build some ordinary multi storey apartments instead! It is just Aachen showing that a better way of combining history and urban living is possible: The Hochbunker in the Lütticherstr is currently altered for a supermarket (5), the Hochbunker in the Kongreßstr holds apartments since 1992 (6, 9). These huge concrete boxes are monuments, especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr, which should not vanish from our collective awareness: These Hochbunker are not only a remembrance of Nazi dictatorship, of repression and war atrocities, on days and nights with people seeking protection from air raids and bombing. Especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr is one of the first places of the Hour Zero, from which a free democratic Germany emerged!

Please sign this petition to demand:

– withdrawal of the demolishing permit.
– addition of this Hochbunker to the Monuments Register.
– development of a concept, to ensure a combination of monumental value and urban usability.

Petition link: Der Hochbunker Försterstr in Aachen soll nicht für Stadtwohnungen weichen

Press sources:
1) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-abriss-100-anwohner-wehren-sich-1.567386
2) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-200-nachbarn-unterschreiben-gegen-abriss-1.570897
3) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/auch-denkmalschuetzer-gegen-den-bunker-abriss-1.569237
4) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-ruetscher-strasse-anwohner-wollen-schutzengel-behalten-1.594420
5) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/luetticher-strasse-bunker-wird-ein-schickes-heim-1.360473
6) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bombengeschaeft-mit-aachens-alten-bunkern-1.339141
7) http://www.zeit.de/2004/44/A-Aachen
8) http://www.aachener-geschichtsverein.de/Online-Beitraege/die-schlacht-um-aachen
9) The alternative way: http://www.architektur-bildarchiv.de/detail.php?picture_id=19294

Please sign this petition :

Vorname = first name Nachname = surname E-mail = email address Postleitzahl = postal code Warum unterschreiben Sie? = Why do you sign? (optional) Unterschreiben = sign[/quote]

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It has begun.. Stp Pommern will be demolished

Today I got the unfortunate news that demolishing works have started on the bunkers of the beautiful and famous Stützpunkt 120 “Pommern” on the beach south of Wissant.

2,5 years ago the local government decided to demolish the bunkers. Now, all the bunkers on the beach including the iconic Regelbau 600 with stairs, 630 in the anti-tank wall, 501, 612 and all other concrete remains will disappear. A real loss to the Atlantikwall..

Demolishing works started on the blown up 612. (Photo: Hervé Olejniczak)

Demolishing works started on the blown up 612. (Photo: Hervé Olejniczak)

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