Ketrzyn in Poland
Ketrzyn
is a charming village in north-eastern Poland, dominated by a
fourteenth-century castle, which houses an interesting regional museum.
However, the main reason visitors make their way here is the 'Wolfsschanze',
Adolf Hitler's wartime military headquarters. The so-called Wolf's Lair
is located in the forest east of the town, and what remains of it, after
it was blown up by the retreating Germans in 1945, is both historically
important and a major tourist attraction well worth seeing.
In was here,
in July 1944, that a group of high-ranking German officers headed by
Baron Claus von Stauffenberg tried to kill Hitler. Arriving for a
meeting, von Stauffenberg placed his briefcase, which contained a bomb,
close to the Fuhrer's seat, and then left the room to take a pre-arranged
phone call. The explosion killed two members of staff and badly wounded
others, but Hitler, who unfortunately arrived late for the meeting,
merely suffered minor injuries. The conspirators were left to die hanging
from butcher's hooks and several thousand others who were suspected of
involvement in the plot were also executed.
The ruins of
'Wolfsschanze', with 2-3 meter (6-10 feet) thick concrete walls, endless
fortified underground corridors, conference rooms and living quarters,
all bear witness to Hitler's paranoia, and leave a lasting impression,
especially in contrast to the surrounding pristine forest and meadows
covered with delicate wildflowers.
