The Führer Headquarters (), abbreviated FHQ, were a number of official headquarters used by the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and various other German commanders and officials throughout Europe during World War II.Raiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19, Introduction and p. 1. The last one to be used, and the most widely known, was the in Berlin, where Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945. Other notable headquarters are the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) in East Prussia, where Claus Graf von Stauffenberg in league with other conspirators attempted to assassinate Hitler on 20 July 1944, and Hitler's private home, the Berghof, at Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, where he frequently met with prominent foreign and domestic officials.
Introduction
At the beginning of World War II there were no permanent headquarters constructed for Hitler. The German leader would visit the frontlines using either aeroplanes or his special train, the Führersonderzug; which could be considered as the first of his field headquarters. The first permanent Führer Headquarters was the Felsennest, used by Hitler during the Battle of France in May 1940. Hitler spent little time in Berlin during the war, and the dwellings he most frequently used were the Berghof and the Wolfsschanze, spending more than 800 days at the latter.
The Führer Headquarters were especially designed to work as command facilities for the Führer, which meant all necessary demands were taken into consideration: communications, conference rooms, safety measures, bunkers, guard facilities, etc. The Berghof and the Obersalzberg complex were modified and extended with considerable defense facilities (bunkers, guard posts etc.). The Wehrmachtbericht, a daily propaganda broadcast covering the war, was transmitted from the Führer Headquarters.
The Fuhrerhauptquartiere programme used over one million cubic metres (35 million cu ft) of concrete, more than half at Anlage Riese and Wolfsschlucht II. Forced labourers worked for nearly 12 million working days—two-thirds at Anlage Riese, Wolfsschlucht II, and Wolfsschanze.
The Führer Headquarters cannot be considered as strict military headquarters; the Wehrmacht had their own, distinctly located in other places, yet often in the vicinity of the FHQs. Nevertheless, because Hitler directly controlled much of the German war effort, the FHQs more often than not became de facto military headquarters. In reality, Nazi Germany's military command during the war generally rested upon Hitler's directives, while the rest of the military command structure, especially the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) (directly controlled by Hitler) was reduced to executing his decisions, as compared to most other nations' command structures, which generally had more independence in decision-making.
Terminology
Every place Hitler stayed cannot be considered as a Führer Headquarters, and he did not stay at every official FHQ. Furthermore, some sources may not refer to the Berghof and the as official German Führerhauptquartiere at that time in history, but both of them became de facto Führer Headquarters; thus, they are historically often referred to as such.
The Berghof was modified in much the same way as other FHQs,Eberle, Henrik and Uhl, Matthias, The Unknown Hitler, 11th chapter, pp. 199–200. and Hitler had daily conferences on military matters there in the latter part of the war. The "Eagle's Nest", i.e. the Kehlsteinhaus, was rarely used and may not be considered a FHQ as such alone; however, it was associated with the Berghof and part of the Obersalzberg military complex.
The Führerbunker was located about beneath the garden of the old Reich Chancellery at Wilhelmstraße 77, and north of the new Reich Chancellery building at Voßstraße 6 in Berlin.Lehrer, Steven, The Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker Complex, p. 123. It became a de facto Führer Headquarters during the Battle of Berlin, and ultimately, the last of his headquarters.Beevor, Antony, Berlin: The Downfall 1945, p. 357.
Headquarters locations There were about 14 known completed Führer Headquarters (of about 20 planned):Raiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19, p. 2.
NameAlternative designationsLocationBuild startedCompletedUsage as Führer HeadquartersAdlerhorstRaiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No.19, pp. 48–51.(Eagle's Nest)Mühle (OT)Bauvorhaben Z Lager K Bauvorhaben CBad Nauheim, Hesse1 Sep 1939yesyes – used by Hitler during the Ardennes offensive; was too late for invasion of Poland, and Hitler told Speer it was "too luxurious ... the Führer must show Spartan simplicity".Anlage Mitte(Central Facility) Askania MitteTomaszów Mazowiecki, Masovia, Poland1 Dec 1940yesno – only industryAnlage Riese(Riese Facility) noneWałbrzych (Waldenburg), Lower SilesiaOct 1943nonoAnlage Süd(Southern Facility) Askania SüdStrzyżów (Strezow), Lesser Poland1 Oct 1940yesyes, Hitler met with Mussolini here on 27–28 August 1941Berghof(Mountain Court) noneObersalzberg, Berchtesgaden, Bavaria?yesyes – also thought by the Allies to be within an Alpine Fortress "last stand" territory of the Third ReichBärenhöhleDer Kommandant Führerhauptquartier from Das Bundesarchiv (German, www.bundesarchiv.de)(Bear's Lair) noneSmolensk, Russia; Platform of Gniesdovo station lengthened for Führersonderzug1 Oct 1941yesno – used by Army Group CentreFelsennestRaiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19, p. 4.(Rocky Nest) noneRodert, Bad Münstereifel, Rhineland1940yesyes, used by Hitler during the Battle of France in May, 1940Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) noneMönichkirchen, Lower Austria12 April 1941yesyes. Trains Amerika and Atlas, and Mönichkirchen goods station, for invasion of Yugoslavia, until 27 April 1941FührerbunkerThe Berlin Führerbunker: The Thirteenth Hole, After the Battle , No.61 Special Edition (entire)(Leader's Bunker) noneBerlin1943yesyes, Hitler committed suicide here in 1945Führersonderzug(Leader's Special Train) (a special train) "Amerika", "Brandenburg"various (movable)1939?yesyesOlganone Orsha, Belarus1 July 1943nonoS IIIWolfsturm, Olga etc.Ohrdruf, ThuringiaAutumn 1944 (?)nonoSiegfriedHagenPullach, Bavaria??noTannenbergRaiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19, p. 18.noneFreudenstadt/Kniebis, Germany1 Oct 1939yesyes (27 June – 5 July 1940)W3Wolfsschlucht III Saint-Rimay, Loire Valley, France1 May 1942no. no. Built around a railway tunnel with armoured doors to protect the Führersonderzug, with bunkers for Hitler and for his staff at northeast entrance. Had anti-aircraft emplacements.Waldwiese(Forest Meadow) noneGlan-Münchweiler, Palatinate 1 Oct 1939yesnoWasserburg(Water Mountain) nonePskov (Pleskau), Russia1 Nov 1942yesno (assigned to Army Group North)Werwolf(Werewolf) EichenhainVinnytsia, Ukraine1 Nov 1941yesyes, on 28 December 1943 Hitler ordered its demolition after failure of Operation CitadelWolfsschanzeRaiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19, p. 28.(Wolf's Redoubt) Askania Nord, "Wolf's Lair"Kętrzyn (Rastenburg), Masuria, Poland 1 Dec 1940yesyes, site of the failed 20 July plot on Hitler's lifeWolfsschlucht IRaiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After the Battle, No. 19, p. 10.(Wolf's Canyon I)Brûly-de-Pesche, near to Couvin, Belgium1 May 1940yes yes. A further bunker planned near the Wolfspalast (formerly the village inn) was not completed.Wolfsschlucht II(Wolf's Canyon II)W2, later Zucarello Margival, Picardy, France1 Sep 1942yesyes. Built around a railway tunnel with armoured doors to protect the Führersonderzug. The compound had six large bunkers; an OKW bunker was adjacent to the Führerbunker, also signals and guest bunkers and anti-aircraft emplacements. Zigeuner (Gypsy)BrunhildeThionville, Moselle, France; used Maginot Line tunnels1 Apr 1944nono
Special train (Führersonderzug)
The Führersonderzug train was named Führersonderzug "Amerika" in 1940, and later Führersonderzug "Brandenburg". The train was used as a headquarters until the Balkans campaign. Afterwards, the train was not used as Führer Headquarters, however Hitler continued to travel on it throughout the war between Berlin, Berchtesgaden, Munich and other headquarters.
See also National redoubt (the supposed Nazi "Alpenfestung" (Alpine Fortress)) Nazi architecture Vorbunker
References Notes
Bibliography
Hansen, Hans-Josef: Felsennest - Das vergessene Führerhauptquartier in der Eifel. Bau, Nutzung, Zerstörung. Aachen 2006, Helios-Verlag, . Kuffner, Alexander: Zeitreiseführer Eifel 1933–45. Helios, Aachen 2007, .
Raiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After the Battle, No.19, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1977, London Ramsey, Winston G. (editor) & Posch, Tom (researcher), The Berlin Führerbunker: The Thirteenth Hole, After the Battle, No. 61, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1988, London Pierre Rhode/Werner Sünkel: Wolfsschlucht 2 – Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers, Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte+Technik, Leinburg 1993, Werner Sünkel/Rudolf Rack/Pierre Rhode: Adlerhorst – Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers, Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte +Technik, Offenhausen 1998, von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag/d’Alançon, François: Mit Hitler im Bunker. Aufzeichnungen aus dem Führerhauptquartier Juli 1944 – April 1945. Berlin 2005, wjs-Verlag, . Schulz, Alfons: Drei Jahre in der Nachrichtenzentrale des Führerhauptquartiers. Christiana-Verlag, Stein am Rhein. 2. Aufl. 1997. . Seidler, Franz W./Zeigert, Dieter : Die Führerhauptquartiere. Anlagen und Planungen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. München: Herbig 2000. .
External links
Bundesarchiv – Der Kommandant Führerhauptquartiere Map over places