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Danish TV2 Nord produces TV-series about the Atlantikwall

Twenty interviews with people from Germany, USA, UK, Australia and Denmark. Nine 30 minute episodes. Danish TV2 Nord put huge effort in their series “Bunkerne”.

I’ve never seen anything like it. There has never been so much media attention for bunkers than this series. Beautiful aerial shots and archives material are connected by expert, eye witness and veteran interviews. All nine episodes have their own subject, from building the bunkers, to Russian forced labourers and a special on the Festung Hanstholm. Some of the people we see are Museumscenter Hanstholm director Jens Andersen, bunker expert and author of several books on the subject Bent Anthonisen and Gerhard Saalfeld, a German veteran.

Unfortunately the series is mostly in Danish but the interviews with foreign people are both in English and German.

See all episodes here.

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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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Alarming messages from Denmark

Ok, the story appeared on an engineers website but still it’s an alarming message. Without mentioning any historical value of the bunkers, Poul Erik Faurholm of CMP Demolition A/S makes a cold calculation on how the bunkers could be demolished. The only question is: “Who’s going to pay for this all”.

I hope Danish government officials have some historical vision and will not begin to think about removing these bunkers because they are so very dangerous to tourists as Faurholm states. Nonsense of course. If you’ve ever seen the coast of Jutland you’ll know it’s huge, and the places where bunkers lurk under the ocean “like sharks” are minimal. The article states that in 2003 “it was estimated that it would cost a total of 130 million crowns to remove a total of 593 German bunkers on the coast”. Faurholm already has Danish Crown signs in his eyes. Luckily there are engineers who have some feeling with history, instead of a pure technical view.

Karl Kaas Laursen states it very right on the same website:

The bunkers are a huge part of our heritage, and for us who have grown up with them, they are simply a part of the west coast. Let them be! Are they a danger, because you might get a bruise, if care is not taken? I once got a sore big toe, because I kicked to the curb. I think we should start to tear up all the curbs, and it can not go fast enough. (Irony may occur)

Watch your toes! Or hey, tourists actually use it. 628, Skagen. (Photo: Henk Adriaanse 2007)

Watch your toes! Or hey, tourists actually use it. 628, Skagen. (Photo: Henk Adriaanse 2007)

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Dreischartenturm in Denmark

Camouflaged Dreischartenturm 407P9 in Denmark, probably Hanstholm. (Photo: Collection Frihedsmuseet)

Dreischartenturm 407P9 in Denmark, probably Hanstholm. (Photo: Collection Frihedsmuseet)

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Bunker in Thyborøn Denmark restored

A bunker for personnel in the Danish coastal town of Thyborøn has been restored to its original outside state. It’s an interesting one because it was camouflaged as warehouse, including fake big wooden doors and windows.

There is an exibition inside about “Skildpaddespionen” (The Turtlespy) a Danish employee (engineer) at the town hall who made double drawings of alle German bunkers and smuggled them out to the resistance. He got his name because of his mark – a pipe smoking turtle – on the copies of the drawings. (Source: Kurt on Axis History Forum)

More info and photos via this topic.

Restored 621, Thyborøn. (Photo: Kurt Stigaard)

Restored 621, Thyborøn. (Photo: Kurt Stigaard)

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Bunkers by night, in Silkeborg

To celebrate liberation, the Silkeborg bunker museum organises Bunker by night on the 5th of June. Last year’s night was a big succes with over 3.500 visitors.

Between 5 and 11 pm visitors can visit bunkers and enjoy a play by reenactors who portray German and English soldiers from 1945. The entrance fee is 50 Kr. Children under the age of 12 are free. For more information see the Silkeborg Bunkermuseum.

622 "Berta", Silkeborg Bunkermuseum. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

622 "Berta", Silkeborg Bunkermuseum. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

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Bunkersite.com update: Silkeborg

In the November 1942 the health resort of Silkeborg Bad was confiscated by the Germans and in March of the following year the construction of a dozen Ständige bunkers started. The newly installed Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber in Dänemark (Commanding Officer of the army in Denmark) Hermann von Hanneken moved his headquarters from Copenhagen to Silkeborg Bad in November 1943.
A snowy report from February 2010 of this interesting site can now be found on Bunkersite.com.

Bunkersite.com update

Entrance to the 691 of Silkeborg. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

Entrance to the 691 of Silkeborg. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

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