This Guy Found Hitler’s Secret French Bunker
Adolf
Hitler committed some of the most horrifying atrocities in human
history, but when this photographer stumbled upon his secret French
bunker, he was brave enough to go inside anyway.
The
Explorer Who Found Hitler’s Bunker
Urban
explorer and photographer Marc Askat braved the hunting season to
walk through the thick wooded countryside in northern France. He was
searching for a new subject for photographs and stumbled upon what is
believed to be one of Adolf Hitler’s last bunkers— a place where
the Nazi leader plotted the invasion of Britain.
The
eerie underground stronghold is filled with stories from one of the
most devastating wars in human history, but despite finding and
photographing the bunker, Askat won’t reveal its exact location. It
turns out he has a very good reason for keeping Hitler’s
underground bunker location a secret from the public.
The
History Buff
This
isn’t the first time Parisian photographer Marc Askat has uncovered
an intriguing World War II history site and photographed it. He’s
also used soldier’s journals to uncover an underground World War II
hospital and numerous wartime relics.
However,
his latest adventure to uncover Hitler’s last bunker was more
difficult. Most people know that Hitler fled to a bunker in German
territory in a failed attempt to salvage his ailing war efforts, but
that wasn’t the only bunker Hitler used. Askat uncovered a
different bunker in France that was used to plan the invasion of
Britain. You won’t believe what’s inside.
Crumbling
Structure
After
making his way through the dense forest during a dangerous
time—hunting season—Askat saw a crumbling concrete building that
was being enveloped by undergrowth and reclaimed by nature. He wasn’t
entirely sure what he would find inside, but he pulled out his camera
to document the experience.
Outside
he found an enormous swimming pool. He researched and learned that a
giant tarpaulin once hung above the pool to camouflage German
officers as they swam. The empty pool was now covered in moss, but
the grand scale of this Nazi bunker in the now peaceful French
countryside seemed eerie.
A
Way In
Now
that Askat had located the bunker, he had to find a way in. The doors
and windows were covered with rusty shutters—designed to keep
intruders out. Eventually, the urban explorer and photographer was
able to find an opening.
The
bunker Askat discovered was far from the only bunker Hitler had in
France. The ruins of Nazi bunkers still exist throughout northern
France, including the battle-ready bunker Batterie Todt near
Normandy, and a rocket launching bunker that was never completed
called Le Blockhaus. The Nazis occupied France for several years in
World War II, ending with the Liberation of Paris in 1944.
Inside
the Bunker
Askat
entered the bunker and began exploring a massive network of tunnels
and rooms that sprawled beneath the surface of the earth for six
miles. At its deepest point, the underground bunker is close to 100
feet below the ground.
Inside
he discovered crumbling ceilings, dark echoing hallways, and moss
covered military phrases stamped on the chipped walls. The bunker is
scary on its own, but knowing that it was once inhabited by the
evilest man in the world makes the journey through the darkness even
more chilling. During the occupation of France, Nazi’s brought
terror and genocide to the country.
Historical
Importance
He
later planned to burn the city of Paris to the ground if the Allies
captured the city; they did, but Hitler was holed up in his German
bunker, support for the Nazis was waning, and he was unable to
execute a military strategy at that point. The bunker Askat
photographed may have been the site of major military decisions that
resulted in massive death and destruction.
Who
Lived There?
The
name of the bunker Marc Askat found was Führerhauptquartier
Wolfsschlucht II, and Adolf Hitler wasn’t the only terrifying
figure who resided there. The bunker served as the Nazis’ Western
Front military command center and housed dozens of German officers
and their staff.
The
maze of passageways and rooms would’ve been full of Nazis plotting
the expansion of their fascist regime. What makes this bunker all the
more terrifying is that it was just one of ten similar sites used by
Hitler during the war—which gives you an idea of just how vast
their influence was. In a bunker like this one, it was difficult for
Allied forces to find and attack Hitler.
A
Bloody War
World
War II was one of the bloodiest wars in history. The unprovoked
German attack on Poland in 1939 set the war in motion, and it raged
for six years until the Nazis were defeated in 1945. It was a brutal
six years,
with
more than 50 million soldiers and civilians killed in the war.
A
large portion of the death toll was due to the genocide of six
million European Jews killed by Hitler’s directives. Death camps
and concentration camps contributed one of the deadliest genocides in
history. This genocide was carried out in stages, with the
extermination camps eventually posed as “the Final Solution to the
Jewish Question.” The bunker is a reminder of this horrifying
chapter in history.
The
Spread of Antisemitism
Antisemitism
was not a new concept when Hitler rose to power—and he preyed on
this fear of the other by scapegoating Jews for the economic problems
and social unrest Germany was facing after World War I. The historian
and scholar Eberhard Jackel wrote about why the Holocaust was so
shocking to those who lived through it.
“Never
before had a state with the authority of its responsible leader
decided and announced that a specific human group, including its
aged, its women, and its children and infants, would be killed as
quickly as possible, and then carried through this resolution using
every possible means of state power.”
A
Slow Build
Though
many of us are unable to visit harrowing historical sites like this
one, the photos remind us that state sanctioned violence on a scale
as massive as the Holocaust didn’t happen overnight. It took
resources, supporters, and infrastructure.
When
the Third Reich was first established, they started ordering Jewish
Germans by dividing the population into two categories: “national
comrades” and “community aliens.” Nazis also further divided
people by their perceived offenses: “racial” enemies (e.g. Jews
and Romani), political enemies (e.g. Marxists and liberals), and
moral enemies (e.g. gays and lesbians). The first step was propaganda
that instilled fear about these groups and turned neighbors against
them.
Harrowing
History
Inside
the dark and dingy bunker, Askat found harrowing reminders of the
past. Though many of the floorboards had fallen away to reveal rusty
pipes underneath, there were still old canisters and decaying debris
strewn around some rooms—a reminder that this space was lived in.
Before
underground bunkers, the legal and social rights of Jews were slowly
but steadily being restricted in Germany. Throughout the 1930s,
several anti-Semitic laws were passed. In 1933, Jews and other
“non-Aryans” were barred from civil service. Jews were also
barred from owning farms. Jewish lawyers were abruptly disbarred, and
judges were dragged from their courtrooms and beaten.
If
Walls Could Talk
Inside
the bunker, Askat photographed the winding concrete corridors deep
underground. These gloomy passageways were reinforced with thick
cement walls and metal doors to protect the Nazis plotting
underground from Allied forces.
To
get to this point, the Nazis stripped Jews of more and more rights
until they had few ways to resist.
In
1933, a major eugenics law was also passed, and 400,000 people were
sterilized against their will. The Nuremberg Laws, passed in 1935 by
Hitler, also prohibited “Aryan” Germans from having relationships
with Jews and later other “non-Aryan” groups. Many persecuted
artists and intellectuals fled Germany before World War II.
The
Secret Location
After
finding and photographing the bunker, Askat was pleased and wanted to
show off his historical find to the world. He uploaded photographs of
the complex to Facebook, but people quickly noticed a bit of
important information was missing: the location of the underground
bunker.
It
turns out Askat had a very good reason for keeping the location a
secret. He wasn’t just trying to keep the location and all the
great photos to himself. He was protecting something very important
about the complex. It was still in use, and the reason for its use
had changed a lot since its original purpose as Hitler’s bunker.
The
Bunker Today
The
bunker Marc Askat stumbled upon may have once served as an
underground stronghold for Nazi forces and Hitler, but today it
serves a much different purpose. The top-secret location is actually
currently a training site for the French Foreign Legion.
Askat
knew the importance of keeping the precise location a secret, even
though he wanted to share his discovery with the world. Though the
location of Hitler’s French hideout is concealed from the rest of
the world, Askat’s photos give us a glimpse into the past without
compromising the location. The photos remind us of important history
and serve as a warning to current and future generations.
The
East Berlin Bunker
The
secret bunker in France may have been eerie but Hitler’s not so
discreet bunker in East Berlin almost packed the same punch as far as
being creepy goes. a man by the name of Robert Conrad took some risks
when he disguised himself as a construction worker to take photos of
this bunker. He would sneak in 30 times before finally releasing the
photos.
There
were guards, dark tunnels, and explosions but he trekked on so he
could be able to show the world these horrific truths. “I walked
very slowly across the site, as if on eggshells, so no one would
notice me,” he recalls.
The
photographer Robert Conrad risked his freedom 30 times just to get
exclusive pictures of this bunker. He started his work in 1987 and
only recently decided to reveal the photos. Maybe he feared his life
would be in danger if he would have surfaced the pictures or his
actions way back then. Who knows…but the pictures he got were
chilling.
Starting
off with this image, it depicts tiles falling from the wall in the
bunker of the New Reich Chancellery. One can only imagine what it
looked like when it was in full service and Hitler was walking the
grounds.
When
It Floods It Rusts
What
we see here is an air raid shelter. If you are unaware, an air raid
shelter is a structure designed to protect people from bombs being
dropped. This specific shelter in the New Reich Chancellery had been
flooded. You can notice the sediment markings along the walls which
indicate different water levels.
And
if you look to the left, you can see a steel cabinet that has been
overturned. It looks like someone can fit perfectly in their if they
crouch down if bombs were to be dropped on them. Let’s see what
lies on the next page.
Selfie
in the Bunker
What
we see here are two things. Let’s talk about the first glaring
recognition. That man is Robert Conrad, the person we can thank for
all of these photos. You are probably wondering why he is taking a
self-portrait at a time like that when he was supposed to be
disguised as a construction worker. Well, wonder no more because what
he is standing in front of is history.
What’s
behind him is known as the “Führer’s bunker” and it is where
Hitler shot himself way back in April 1945. Still wondering why he
took the selfie at the spot?
From
the Outside
Up
until now, we have only seen what the inside looked like but what
about the exterior? An apartment building was in the works of being
built on the same position where the bunker was so construction
workers had to do some demolition work before they could begin the
process. This is what they had uncovered.
Hitler
made a man by the name of Albert Speer commence the construction of
this building because, at the time, the old Reich Chancellery had
become outdated and too small. It was time to take things up a notch.
Nothing
Is Safe
What
is a bunker without the amenities that come with it? Secret rooms,
trap doors, hiding spots and of course safes, just to name a few. Of
course, we don’t know for certain what a bunker comes detailed
with.
This
photo was taken in 1988 and what you see is a couple of rusting metal
safes. We wonder what Hitler kept in the safes he owned. It couldn’t
have been anything good for humankind wouldn’t you agree?
If
You Read the News, You Are Misinformed
Pictured
above is a bunker room. Photographer Rober Conrad shed some light on
what it was like, as the public had major concerns over the bunkers
being built. The newspapers wouldn’t even call them bunkers,
avoiding talking about it at all.
“Of
course there was nothing in the newspapers about the Nazi bunkers.
That was very much a taboo subject, as was everything about the Nazi
period,” Conrad explains. “Officially, they were just
constructing a new residential neighborhood.” That is what the
media fed and the public consumed it.
Not
a Hunt
What
we see here appears to be rusted water heaters. Who knows what it
could be, but Robert Conrad wasn’t in this just to do it or find
some type of hidden artifacts. He was in it for something else that
may have been meaningful for him.
“I
didn’t go to the bunkers hunting for relics or out of some secret
admiration for the Nazi regime,” Conrad says. He says that he was
more concerned with documenting the architecture that was found in
the bunker. That could be of important use for others who may ever
need to refer back to how things were built back then.
Floods
on Floods
We
brought up flooding earlier but you couldn’t actually see the
water. In this image you see the water and how high it is. This was
shot in 1988 and to the left, you can see the entrance to the
staircases that attached an older portion of the structure to a new
area.
The
black and white tone adds a dramatic effect to the photo as you can
see debris from the damage the bunker took over on the right side. A
photographer is going to do what he or she has to do to get the
absolute best shot possible no matter the conditions.
The
Survival
The
name of the construction site that Robert Conrad had snuck into was
called Otto Grotewohl Strasse. It is now called Wilhelmstrasse and
what you see in the picture are buildings from the former Nazi
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (that’s not a
tongue twister).
Hitler
used to stand in the window to address the crowds, but decided the
building was inadequate for use. What you see is typical Nazi
architecture.
The
Electrics
What
does this look like to you? Like something was ripped out of the wall
that had wires? Or just some room in the New Reich Chancellery bunker
where obscure things happened? Well, what it is exactly is the
remnants of the electrical system. Hitler had to have lights, right?
Robert
Conrad admitted that due to fear, he was not able to get in optimal
positions so that he could take the best pictures because he did not
want to get caught while in the bunker. Who can blame him? It took a
huge act of courage to do what he did.
The
Surrounding Area
Has
anyone ever said anything to you and you didn’t have a clue as to
what he or she was talking about? Then they provide context and you
start to understand what in the world they initially said to you.
Well, this photograph is a bit similar as it provides context to the
photo of the bunker.
Sure,
you can vividly know what the bunker looked like thanks to the
photographs Robert Conrad provided but wouldn’t you like to know
what it looked liked around the bunker? Conrad took pictures after an
explosion as you see the smoke from the construction area.
More
Demolition
Here
is more context for you piggybacking off the last slide. Here is
another view but a closer look at the demolition site of the bunker.
Even whilst outside the bunker, Conrad carried fear with him and for
good reason. Wouldn’t you feel even the slightest bit of anxiety
while on a mission like this?
“My
greatest fear was that they would assume I was trying to escape,”
Conrad says. “As far as I knew, parts of the labyrinth of bunkers
ran along under the Wall and even extended into the death strip.”
Just the word death strip brings fear.
Big
Hole There
Of
course, taking photographs on the outside must have been easier for
Robert Conrad. Whether or not he was caught doesn’t matter because
what’s important is that he was able to share these pictures with
the world.
What
we see here is a huge hole of Hitler’s bunker. It is the stair
shaft that led from the western exit. The bunker had its complex
setup but Hitler most likely knew every part of like the back of his
hand. Can’t say the same for anyone who might have gotten lost down
there.
Take
a Look
If
you look to the right you can see the Nazi Ministry of Public
Enlightenment and Propaganda building and if you look to the left you
see an East German state publishing house. The Nazis used to use that
building to the left as well but what you see in the middle is, of
course, the bunker. Now you know how far away the Nazi Ministry of
Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was.
By
Chance
If
you look closely you can see the Berlin Wall. This photo was taken in
1988 by Conrad and in the background, you are able to see the
temporary construction buildings that are in front of the Berlin
Wall.
Conrad
only found out about the site by chance when he was an apprentice bus
driver. One day on his route, he went past the Otto Grotewohl
Strasse. “My seat in the bus was raised, so I could see over the
fence into the construction site,” he recalls. “Suddenly I saw
this completely insane landscape with enormous concrete ruins that
had buried for decades protruding out of the ground.”
Caught
Up!
They
took a dozen rolls of film from him during his secret visits. That
means Conrad could have possible had way better pictures to share on
top of just simply having more. How do you think he was feeling each
time he was caught? Our guess is that his heart dropped.
Curiosity
Killed the Cat
As
we mentioned earlier, if it weren’t for Robert Conrad’s bus
route, he may not have found out about the bunker. Taking a step
further, the construction is the reason why the bunker even made it
to surface level. The bunker was underground so even with that bus
route Conrad had taken, the demolition is what helped bring it to
light.
On
why he couldn’t stop from going down Conrad had this to say. “Being
down there and hearing the echo of your own footsteps, discovering
things from a completely distant chapter of history — it was that
feeling of traveling back in time that fascinated me so much.”
An
Encounter
After
being caught five times, your sense of trust and awareness is surely
raised. You are likely moving about like a wolf in the night on the
hunt for sheep. And mistrust is exactly what was going on the mind
when Conrad ran into an unsuspecting individual.
“It
was unbelievable,” he says. “He was sitting there as calm as
could be with a miner’s lamp, drawing the gloomy scene on a small
easel,” Conrad says. “We talked to each other, but the mistrust
was too great,” he says. “He didn’t dare to ask me why I was
there, and I didn’t dare to ask him either.”
Creepy
Stairs
What
we see here is the staircase at the former foreign ministry. Conrad
would frequent this spot often. Doesn’t this image give you the
slightest bit of chills? The rubble and debris everywhere with the
rusted handrails just makes you want to wonder what could have taken
place here.
Much
to no avail, however, these images apparently did not do the site as
much justice as Conrad might have imagined. What do we mean by that?
Well, Conrad thought that a certain vibe would still be there but
that was not the case. See the next page to uncover what he meant.
Slightly
Disappointed
Richard
Conrad, with all the fear he had still felt disappointed by his
findings. Sure, the pictures were compromised because he wasn’t
able to get the positioning he really wanted but the environment
itself is what made him unsatisfied and he expressed exactly why.
The
bunker did not have the “original setting of insanity” he wanted
to witness. “Too many Allied soldiers and curious Berliners had
already been through there in the first years after the war, and all
of them took souvenirs,” he explains. That makes sense because he
didn’t get there until later so he can’t have too much
disappointment.
Jewish
Resistance
Though
many history books and documentaries explore Hitler, few take a
closer look at resistance by German Jews. Because they were
persecuted slowly and for so long, the resistance wasn’t as strong
as one might expect. It was just like the old saying about putting a
frog in a pot of lukewarm water: if you slowly turn it up to a boil
one degree at a time, the frog won’t realize until it’s too late.
Peter
Longerich, who studied the Polish ghettos, observed, “On the Jewish
side there was practically no resistance.” However, the Warsaw
ghetto uprising was one of the most pivotal moments in resistance.
After months of massive deportations, the remaining Jewish community,
which was small, armed themselves and took to the streets.
The
French Resistance
The
bunker, which was found in France, needed to stay well concealed
because there was an active guerrilla campaign against the Nazis and
Vichy authorities called the French Resistance. The French Resistance
aided Allied armies. Though Jews made up only one percent of the
French population, they were fifteen to twenty percent of the French
Resistance.
Pieter
Meerburg disputed the idea that there was little Jewish resistance
during World War II. “Many people think Jews went to their deaths
like sheep to the slaughter, and that’s not true—it’s
absolutely not true. I worked closely with many Jewish people in the
Resistance, and I can tell you, they took much greater risks than I
did.”
Hitler’s
Defeat and Death
By
1944, Western Allies and the Red Army had advanced into Germany.
Hitler spent his final days in a bunker very similar to the one Askat
photographed—located in Germany and called the Fuherbunker. He knew
he would be trapped and have to face the atrocities he’d committed.
In
the bunker, Hitler married Eva Braun. Then, a day later, he shot
himself and Braun bit into a cyanide capsule. Their bodies were
removed from the bunker and their corpses were burned. Bunkers were
the site of some of the most important decisions in World War II, and
Askat’s photographs are a gateway into that time.
Occupation
of France
When
Germany occupied France (along with Norway, the Netherlands,
Luxembourg, and Belgium) in 1940, anti-Semitic measures were
introduced there too. The Vichy regime in occupied France aided in
the persecution of French Jews. They were deported to unoccupied
areas of France, with only Jews in mixed marriages not expelled.
In
October 1940, 6,500 French Jews were given just two hours of warning
before being forced onto trains and deported. The French authorities
in unoccupied territories were unhappy with the sudden influx of
deported people who were not allowed to bring any belongings with
them. After this jarring and disorienting trip, they were greeted
with more hostility.
The
Importance of the Photos
Marc
Askat may not be able to reveal the secret French bunker’s
location, but he was able to show the world what it looked like.
Though many World War II historical sites are open to tourists,
Askat’s photos have the ability to circulate around the world and
don’t require anyone to travel to see this historic site.
Hitler’s
French bunker may be disturbing to look at, but it offers an
important glimpse.
