Stahlbeton – Atlantikwall guide

During the last World War a large amount of fortifications and supporting structures were build by the German occupier all over Europe. These structures or bunkers if you like, are the last reminders of this building period, and are scattered along coasts, harbours, airfields, cities and inland.

They show us how strong the German engineering projects became integrated in many parts of society.

Neue Westwall

In August 1942, it became clear that the improvement of the New Westwall was needed. Several meetings of the German High Command resulted in orders for the increase of coastal defence, the protection of important areas such as ports and naval bases, the use of camouflage, weapons, armor parts and obstables, and the introduction of new bunker designs.

Aim was for building a total of 15.000 bunkers, which could accomodate the men protecting the coasts of Europe. The Atlantikwall programme was born …

Airfields

You can find German airfields from Norway all the way down to the south of France:

England

Being the only English territory that Germany occupied during the war, it was decided to convert them into an impregnable fortress. The islands were declared Festung, designated to resist the offensive, and the defenders were ordered to defend it at all costs …

Telephone exchange network

For communication between the resistance nests and strongpoints along the coast and the hinterland, it was important to have a stable network of telephone lines (Festungs-Kabelnetz). Therefor, in all occupied European countries the existing lines were reused, extended and improved by the Germans …

This website guides you through these countries and along their coasts, discovering the bunkers, supported with background information, pictures and global positioning.