I mean, is it even Breakfast at this point?
We love cheese.
I took the brothers to the Bunker (from the old blog post) and this time it was open for visitors. My Spanish friend Iago and Fabi also came. It was a very serious experience and interesting for us. I will copy and insert parts from the guide we were given with appropriate pictures.
"Of these 32 [B-Werke designated bunkers], B-Werk Besseringen is the only intact structure with all its armored cupolas left. The construction took 2 years (early 1938 to December 1939). As an important example of military technology, it was thus placed under a preservation order.
The B-Werke had always been considered "Top Secret" and therefore, unlike all other bunker complexes, were not disarmed during the war. [...]
The B Werk Besseringen was abandoned by the German soldiers on March 15th, 1945 without a fight. About three days later, the first American troops entered the B-Werk.
In 1997, the B-Werke Besseringen was uncovered [and is now maintained by the local heritage association]"
After the first page historical introduction, accompanied by the guide, we were asked to read the following passage:
"The Besseringen B-Werk is a historical building which was designed, constructed, and equipped solely for the war. Its size, weaponry and facilities and range of uses make it one of the largest installations of the Westwall. Being part of an immense war machine, it was equipped with the most modern technology of the time. And in its role as a killing machine too it was designed to be highly effective.
The B-Werk serves to remind visitors of the lengths to which humanity was (and probably still is) prepared to go to apply its scientific knowledge, its skills and its whole economy to the waging of war.
But it should also remind visitors that the Nazi commanders of the B-Werk shared responsibility for the largest war the world has ever seen, with over 50 million dead. In the German Wehrmacht alone over 2,000,000 soldiers died, with approx. 1,900,000 more missing and 4,400,000 wounded.
On top of those figures come the civilian victims of war: millions of men, women, and children.
And we can never forget the millions of people murdered during the war solely because of their race.
Over sixty years have passed since this barbaric war. Former enemies, particularly in Europe, have recognized the necessity for close cooperation at all levels, including military levels, to ensure that such a worldwide conflict can never again arise.
It is hoped that Europe will never again see the day when immense border fortress divide countries and peoples."
After reading the intro, we walked into the bunker. The first stage was a room with trap doors and pifalls, and on to the decontamination chamber. From there we passed through rooms towards the gun cupolas.
"Crew of 5, protected by an armored steel cupola. This cupola weighs about 51 tons, and the steel walls are 250mm thick [...]"
"This room was intended for 2 field-grade officers, hence the quality of the interior"
Not pictured: Flame Thrower Room. It still had the original instructions for operation and smelled terrible.
"In 1946 an inhabitant of Besseringen was exploring the B-Werk. It seems he opened the armored door to the service room and looked inside with a burning match or light. This set off an explosion of the gases concentrated int he room. The explosion was so strong that the armored steel door was pushed towards the corridor. The damage around the door is still visible today. Traces of the detonation can still be seen on the soot-blackened ceiling in the hallway. The Besseringen citizen suffered fatal injuries."
Room 35:
"Room 35: Orderly Room?
Apart from the room for staff officers, this is the second room in the B-Werk facilities to feature an elaborate wall decoration.
The precise function of this room has not yet been established. [...] The theory that it is an orderly room is also supported by the more recent discovery of a slogan on the wall. This little verse was discovered by [...] in the course of renovation work. It was most likely written in 1939/1940.
The rhyme was probably composed in the period when the bunker was first occupied, perhaps by a crew member or a soldier of the 79th infantry division [...].
The slogan is written in the form of a verse. At first glance the words appear to glorify the Nazi salute. But when the lines are examined more closely, a more critical and 'disrespectful' meaning emerges. For example, in the seventh line in the original German the phrasing suggests the writer did not necessarily regard the salute as very important.
This interpretation could also explain why the jingle was later painted over.
Whatever meaning the rhyme may have had at the time, it remains a testament from the darkest chapter of German history"
From Exhibit:
"Not so loud with your Heil Hitler" there
roared out from an empty head
let me tell you good old mate,
you can drop the high salute,
and just as well say "hound dog" instead
If you choose to joke like that.
So if you want to say Heil Hitler,
Then do it truly, from the heart"
There were too many rooms to write about or show pictures. Here is the last thing, from a Rest Room.
Fabian was walking and looked in the display, and his eyes immediately went to a little brown package that says "Only for the german Wehrmacht (army). Destroy immediately after use"
We asked the a docent, and he didn't know, but he found the head guy. Apparently, the box contains a condom. As part of the racial doctrine and army doctrine all soldiers were required to use them when in enemy land. It was so important that anyone leaving the bunker would have to show the commanding officer that they had one, just in case. The guy went on to talk about just how insane the Wehrmacht was about things like this.
It was a heavy, but interesting, day. We headed to the Volklingen Hutte direct from the bunker for an art show.
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The old steel mill had an art exhibit that was really cool and integrated into the factory. It was called "Urban Art" and all about graffiti and street art.
Russell wasn't impressed yet:
Same artist who designed Obama's "Hope" campaign.
It was a cool mix of things that were shipped in, and things that were done on-site. Here is something Russell noticed on a beam as we were walking:
Back to things inside:
Will is part of this installation:
This was cool- an artist took the giant poster advertisements and drew over them in paint:
And then more:
After walking around we explored the factory and had some age-appropriate fun:
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