Wolfsschanze
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Image:WolfsLairMap.png Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze (English: Wolf's Lair, Template:Lang-pl) was the codename used for a major military headquarters of Adolf Hitler during World War II. Image:Wolfsschanze, Gierloz, Poland 2.jpg
The remains of the complex are located in Poland at the village of Gierłoż near Kętrzyn (Template:Lang-de), although at the time of operation this area was part of the former German province of East Prussia. It consisted of a group of bunkers and fortified buildings in a thickly wooded area, surrounded by several rings of barbed wire and defensive positions. The complex was served by a nearby airfield. It was built for the 1941 Wehrmacht offensive against the Soviet Union and was abandoned in 1944 as Soviet troops approached East Prussia.
The Wolfsschanze was the location of the failed assassination attempt on Hitler which was carried out by Claus von Stauffenberg on July 20, 1944.
The whole complex was severely damaged by the demolitions carried out during the German retreat because Hitler thought it too valuable to allow the Soviets to use. Despite the damage, the site remains to this day a notable tourist attraction. A monument to the July 20 plotters can also be found on the site.
Clearance of the site of remaining explosive charges left by the Germans was carried out in the early 1950s by members of the Polish Communist youth movement – it is not known how many casualties, fatal and otherwise, resulted from this.
One of Hitler's self-given nicknames was Wolf – he began using this nickname in the early 1920s and was so addressed only by those in his intimate circle up until the fall of the Third Reich. The names of his various headquarters scattered throughout continental Europe (Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Wolfsschlucht in Belgium, Werwolf in Ukraine, etc.) reflect this.
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