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Wikipedia / Project Riese

Riese (; German for "giant") was the codename given to a construction project undertaken by Nazi Germany between 1943 and 1945. Consisting of seven underground structures at Książ Castle and in the Owl Mountains in Lower Silesia, which was then Nazi Germany and is now Poland.

None of the structures were finished, and all are in different states of completion with only 11% reinforced with concrete.

The purpose of the project remains uncertain due to a lack of documentation. While some sources suggest that all the structures were part of the Führer Headquarters, others claim that it was a combination of headquarters (HQ) and arms industry facilities. However, comparison to similar facilities indicates that only the castle was adapted as an HQ or official residence, while the tunnels in the Owl Mountains were planned as an underground factory complex.

Construction work was carried out by forced labourers, prisoners of war (POWs), and concentration camp prisoners, many of whom lost their lives.

History

Due to an increase in Allied air raids, Nazi Germany relocated much of its strategic armaments production to safer regions, including the Province of Lower Silesia. The plans to protect critical infrastructure also involved transferring the arms factories to underground bunkers and constructing air-raid shelters for government officials.

In September1943, the Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer, and senior Organisation Todt management started talks on Project Riese. The Silesian Industrial Company (Industriegemeinschaft Schlesien) was subsequently established to conduct construction work. In November, collective camps (Gemeinschaftslager, GL) were set up to house forced labourers, primarily from the Soviet Union and Poland, as well as POWs from Italy, the Soviet Union and, later, Poland, following the Warsaw Uprising (List of camps).

A network of roads, bridges, and narrow-gauge railways was built to link the excavation sites to nearby railway stations. Prisoners were responsible for reloading building materials, cutting down trees and digging reservoirs and drainage ditches. Small dams were constructed across streams to provide water and sewage systems. Later, the mountains' rocks were drilled and blasted with explosives, and the resulting caverns were reinforced with concrete and steel. Mining specialists, mostly Germans, Italians, Ukrainians and Czechs, were employed for this purpose, but prisoners did the most dangerous and exhausting work.

Progress on digging the tunnels was slow because the Owl Mountains consist of hard gneiss. While most similar facilities were built in soft sandstone, the harder, more stable rock provided total protection from Allied air raids and the ability to construct 12m high underground halls with a volume of 6,000m3.

A typhus epidemic occurred amongst the prisoners in December1943. They were held in unhygienic conditions and were exhausted and starving. As a result, construction slowed down significantly. An unknown number of forced labourers and POWs worked on the project in at least five collective camps, some until the end of the war. The number of prisoners who lost their lives is uncertain.

In April1944, Adolf Hitler became dissatisfied with the progress of the project and decided to hand over supervision of the construction to the Organisation Todt, assigning prisoners from concentration camps to work on it. The prisoners were deployed to thirteen labour camps (Arbeitslager, AL), some of which were located near the tunnels. This network of camps was named Arbeitslager Riese (List of camps) and was part of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. The ALRiese administration and camp commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Albert Lütkemeyer, were based in ALWüstegiersdorf. From December1944 to January1945, the prisoners were guarded by 853 SS troops.

According to incomplete records, at least 13,000 prisoners were employed on the project, most of whom were transferred from Auschwitz concentration camp. The documents allow 8,995 prisoners to be identified. All of these were Jewish, around 70% of whom originated from Hungary, with the remainder coming from Poland, Greece, Romania, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Mortality rates were extremely high due to disease, malnutrition, exhaustion, dangerous underground work and the treatment of prisoners by German guards. Many exhausted prisoners were sent back to Auschwitz. The deportation of 857 prisoners is documented, as are 14 executions following failed escape attempts. It is estimated that a total of 5,000 people lost their lives.

Another typhus epidemic occurred amongst the prisoners at the end of 1944. As the war front approached, the evacuation of the camps began in February1945; however, work may have continued in a few places until the end of April. Some prisoners, mostly those who were very ill, were left behind until the Red Army arrived in the area in May1945. Project Riese was abandoned at the initial stage of construction, with only 9km (25,000m2, 100,000m3) of tunnels having been dug out.

The individual structures of the project

The German codenames of these structures are unknown due to a lack of documentation. Polish names were created after the war.

Książ Castle

Książ Castle (German: Fürstenstein) () is located in the city of Wałbrzych (German: Waldenburg). During the interwar period, its last owners were Hans Heinrich XV, Prince of Pless, and his English wife, Mary-Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West (Princess Daisy), who were part of the Hochberg family, one of the wealthiest and most influential European dynasties. Their extravagant lifestyle and the global economic crisis resulted in them falling into debt.

In 1941, the Nazi government seized the castle and its lands, partly to pay taxes and partly as punishment for their sons' perceived treason. At that time, one of the sons was serving in the British Army and another in the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Under the leadership of architect Hermann Giesler, the castle was first adapted to accommodate the management of the state-owned railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn), but in 1944 it became part of Project Riese. Between 1941 and 1944, parts of the Prussian State Library's collection were also hidden there.

The castle underwent extensive works, which led to the destruction of many decorative elements. New staircase and lift shafts were built to improve emergency evacuation routes. However, the most serious work took place below the castle. There are two levels of tunnels. The first level is 15m underground and was accessible from the fourth floor of the castle via a lift, a staircase from the cellar, or an entrance from the gardens. The tunnel (80m, 180m2, 400m3), which is reinforced with concrete, leads to a hidden elevator shaft located 15m beneath the courtyard. This shaft (35m) connects the first and second underground levels. It has not yet been explored, as it is currently filled with rubble. A short, provisional tunnel was dug from the gardens to assist in its excavation.

The second underground level (950m, 3,200m2, 13,000m3) is 53m below the courtyard. Four tunnels have been dug into the base of the hill: 1.(88m), 2.(42m), 3.(85m), 4.(70m). The complex contains large tunnels (5m high and 5.6m wide) and four chambers. 75% of it is reinforced with concrete. There are two additional shafts leading to the surface: one measuring 3.5mx3.5m (45m) and the other with a diameter of 0.5m (40m). The latter is currently used to supply electricity.

Above ground, the remains of buildings and machinery can be found, as well as two water reservoirs, a pumping station and the remains of a sewage treatment plant. Four bunkers Ringstand58c and a guardroom were demolished in 1975–1976. After the war, the narrow-gauge railway connecting the tunnels with the railway siding in the village of Lubiechów (German: Liebichau) was dismantled.

ALFürstenstein () was established in the vicinity of the castle in May1944. Between 700 and 1,000 concentration camp prisoners lived in the barracks. They were Jewish citizens of Hungary, Poland and Greece. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

The castle and its underground areas are open to the public today. The second level houses seismological and geodetic measuring equipment belonging to the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Complex Rzeczka

The complex is located inside Ostra Mountain (German: Spitzenberg) (), between the villages of Rzeczka (German: Dorfbach) and Walim (German: Wüstewaltersdorf). Drilling work began there in March 1944. Three tunnels were bored into the base of the mountain. The structure contains a nearly completed guardroom and large underground halls with heights of up to 10m. The total length of the tunnels is 500m (2,500m2, 14,000m3), 11% of which is reinforced with concrete.

The foundations of machinery and a concrete bridge can be seen above ground. The second bridge was damaged and replaced with a footbridge. The narrow-gauge railway, which was used to transport spoil to a nearby heap, was dismantled after the war. The underground area was opened to the public in 1995 and transformed into a museum in 2001.

In November1943, the GLIWüstewaltersdorf was set up in the Websky, Hartmann & WiesenAG textile factory. The prisoners were forced labourers, mainly from the Soviet Union and Poland, as well as POWs from Italy who had been captured by the German army after switching sides following the Italian armistice. The largest group was made up of POWs from the Soviet Union. They were detained in a section of the camp that was part of Stalag VIII-A Görlitz. The camp was liberated in May1945.

In April1944, the ALWüstewaltersdorf () was established in the same location to hold prisoners from concentration camps, primarily Jews from Greece. While some sources suggest that the camp was located on the slopes of Chłopska Mountain (German: Stenzelberg), others cast doubt on its existence.

Complex Włodarz

The complex is located inside Włodarz Mountain (German: Wolfsberg) (). It consists of a grid of tunnels (3,100m, 10,700m2, 42,000m3) and large underground halls, some of which are up to 12m high. Less than 1% of it is reinforced with concrete. Four tunnels were bored into the base of the mountain to provide access, and there are chambers for guardrooms. There is a 4m diameter shaft (40m) leading to the surface. Some tunnels have higher second levels, which are connected by small shafts. This is an example of the stages involved in building underground halls. Two tunnels were bored, one above the other, and then the ceiling was collapsed to create a large space. Some parts of the complex are flooded, but can be accessed by boat. It has been open to visitors since 2004.

Above ground, the foundations of machinery and numerous unfinished or destroyed buildings remain, as well as a bunker, two water reservoirs and depots of building materials, including thousands of fossilised bags of cement. The network of narrow-gauge railways connecting the tunnels to the railway siding in the village of Olszyniec (German: Erlenbusch) was dismantled and sold for scrap after the war.

In May1944, the ALWolfsberg () was established, probably by taking over an existing camp belonging to the Organization Schmelt. Around 3,000 concentration camp prisoners lived in plywood tents, each 3m in diameter and housing 20 people, as well as in several barracks. The prisoners were mainly Jewish people from Hungary and Poland, but also from Greece, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Romania. The ruins of concrete barracks intended for SS guards can still be found near the camp. The evacuation of the prisoners began in February1945.

Complex Osówka

The complex is located inside Osówka Mountain (German: Säuferhöhen) (). It is accessible via tunnel number1 (120m), which has chambers that were intended to serve as guardrooms, and tunnel number2 (456m), which starts 10m below the main underground level and has guardrooms that are almost complete. Behind these guardrooms, there is a connection between two levels created by the collapse of the ceiling.

The structure comprises a grid of tunnels (1,750m, 6,700m2, 30,000m3) and underground halls, some of which are up to 8m high. Only 6.9% of it is reinforced with concrete. There is a 6m diameter (48m) shaft leading to the surface. Tunnel number3 (107m) is not connected to the complex. It is located 500m away and 45m below the main underground area. It contains two dams and hydraulic equipment of an unknown purpose.

Above ground, there are the foundations of buildings and machinery, as well as a ramp for transporting mine cars to different levels. There is also a water reservoir and depots, some of which have systems for heating building materials in winter. The largest structure is a single-storey concrete building (680m2, 2,300m3) with 0.5m thick walls and a roof adapted for camouflage by vegetation (0.6m). A utility tunnel (1.25mx1.95m, 30m) was under construction to connect it with the shaft. Another structure of unknown purpose is a concrete monolith (30.9mx29.8m) with dozens of pipes, drains and culverts buried at least 4.5m into the rock. A narrow-gauge railway network connected the tunnels with the railway station in the village of Głuszyca Górna (German: Oberwüstegiersdorf). The complex has been open to the public since 1996.

In August1944, the ALSäuferwasser () was set up for prisoners from concentration camps. They were Jewish citizens of Poland, Hungary and Greece. The remains of the camp can still be found near tunnel number3. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

Complex Sokolec

The complex is located inside Gontowa Mountain (German: Schindelberg), near the village of Sokolec (German: Falkenberg). It consists of two underground structures at different levels. Tunnels 1 and 2 () lead to underground chambers that were intended to serve as guardrooms and reach heights of up to 5m. The complex was bored in soft sandstone, so it has collapsed in many places.

Excavation of tunnel number3 (145m) () began in 2011. It had been inaccessible since the end of the war due to its collapsed entrance. It is located 600m away and 60m below tunnels 1 and 2. Tunnel number4 (100m), one of only two short tunnels found with mining equipment from 1945, was opened in 1994. It is located 250m from tunnel 3 on the same level, but the two tunnels are not connected. The total length of the complex is 1,090m (3,025m2, 7,562m3), and it is not reinforced with concrete.

Above ground, there are the foundations of buildings and machinery, as well as two ramps for transporting mine cars to different levels. A retaining wall (47m) has been built to support the new road. A narrow-gauge railway connected the tunnels to the railway siding in the village of Ludwikowice Kłodzkie (German: Ludwigsdorf).

In April1944, the ALFalkenberg () was established in the hamlet of Sowina (German: Eule) to hold prisoners from concentration camps. Around 1,500 men of Jewish origin from Poland, Hungary and Greece lived there. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

Complex Jugowice

The complex is located inside Dział Jawornicki Mountain (German: Mittelberg) (), in the village of Jugowice (Jawornik) (German: Hausdorf (Jauering)). Tunnels 2 (109m) and 4 lead to a small underground level. There is a 0.5m–0.6m diameter shaft (16m) in the vicinity of the complex, but it is not connected to it. Tunnel number6 has collapsed 37m from the entrance and has not yet been explored. It was closed by two steel doors, 7m apart. The rest of the tunnels are in the initial stage of construction: 1.(10m), 3.(15m), 5.(3m), 7.(24.5m). The total length of the structure is 460m (1,360m2, 4,200m3), of which less than 1% is reinforced with concrete.

Above ground, the foundations of buildings and machinery can be seen, as well as a pumping station and a water reservoir. A narrow-gauge railway connected the tunnels to the railway siding in the village of Olszyniec (German: Erlenbusch), where the ALErlenbusch () was established in May1944. Between 500 and 700 concentration camp prisoners lived in five barracks. They were Jewish citizens of Hungary and Poland. The camp was liberated in May1945.

Complex Soboń

The complex is located inside Soboń Mountain (German: Ramenberg) () and can be accessed via tunnels 1 (216m) and 2 (170m). Tunnel number3 is not connected to the main underground area. Its initial 83m length has collapsed, but in 2013, a shaft was dug from above, revealing 86m of tunnel containing mining equipment from 1945. The total length of the complex is 700m (1,900m2, 4,000m3), less than 1% of which is reinforced with concrete.

Above ground, the remains of machinery and a pumping station can be seen, as well as a water reservoir, depots of building materials, numerous unfinished or destroyed buildings, a bunker and large-scale earthworks. A narrow-gauge railway network connected the tunnels with the railway station in the village of Głuszyca Górna (German: Oberwüstegiersdorf). Between October and December1944, the ALLärche () was established for prisoners from concentration camps, primarily Jews from Poland and Greece. They lived in twelve plywood barracks near tunnel number3. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

Jedlinka Palace

The palace is located in the village of Jedlinka (German: Tannhausen) (). In 1943, the Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (National Socialist People's Welfare) purchased it from the Böhm family due to their financial difficulties. However, at the beginning of 1944, plans to transform the palace into a hospital were disrupted when the building was confiscated by the military and converted into headquarters for Industriegemeinschaft Schlesien (Silesian Industrial Company), which had previously occupied Haus Hermannshöhe in the nearby town of Bad Charlottenbrunn (Polish: Jedlina-Zdrój).

An air-raid shelter with armoured, gas-proof doors was created in the cellar. The corporation was responsible for the construction work, as well as for supervising all the companies and local businesses that took part in the project on behalf of the Main Building Commission of the Ministry of Arms. (List of companies) Most companies used forced labour.

In April1944, the Industriegemeinschaft Schlesien was deemed too inefficient and was replaced by the Organisation Todt(OT). The Oberbauleitung Riese (OBLRiese) (Site management Riese) was established under the supervision of Ministerial Director Franz Xaver Dorsch and Hans Meyer, Chief of the OBL Riese and of the entire Lower Silesia area. The Construction Office, which was located in Haus Mohaupt in the town of Wüstewaltersdorf (Polish: Walim), was overseen by senior construction managers Leo Müller and Fritz Leonhardt. By July1944, 30,788 people were employed by OBLRiese.

In February1945, as the war front approached, OBLRiese evolved into the headquarters of the Front-OTXBrigade. The new formation's task was to reconstruct damaged communication systems. The OT occupied the palace until May1945. It is currently open to the public.

Głuszyca

The town of Głuszyca (German: Wüstegiersdorf) and the surrounding area were home to many labour camps connected to Project Riese. From October1943 to March1945, manufacturing plants belonging to Friedrich Krupp AG were relocated here from Essen. The company took over two textile factories belonging to Meyer-Kauffmann TextilwerkeAG and adapted them for the production of armaments. An air-raid shelter was constructed inside a nearby hill (). Consisting of two tunnels, 60% of it is reinforced with concrete and bricks. (240m, 600m2, 1,800m3).

In November1943, the GLIIIWüstegiersdorf () was established for Soviet prisoners of war in the Kammgarnspinnerei Stöhr & Co.AG textile factory, and it existed until the end of the war. In April1944, ALWüstegiersdorf was set up at the same location to hold prisoners from concentration camps. Between 700 and 1,000 Jews from Hungary and Poland were held there. The camp also served as a main storehouse for food and clothing, as well as an administrative centre and the headquarters of the commander of ALRiese. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

GLIIDörnhau () was established in the village of Kolce (German: Dörnhau) in November1943. The camp was located in a closed textile factory owned by the Giersch brothers and was inhabited by forced labourers from Poland and the Soviet Union. In June1944, ALDörnhau was set up in the same location to hold concentration camp prisoners of Jewish origin from Hungary, Poland and Greece. Several barracks were added. That autumn, the camp was also designated a central infirmary for the severely ill with no prospect of recovery. After the war, twenty-five local mass graves containing 1,943 victims were excavated. The camps were liberated in May1945.

GLIVOberwüstegiersdorf () was established in the village of Głuszyca Górna (German: Oberwüstegiersdorf) in November1943. Located in the building of a closed textile factory, the camp existed until the end of the war. The prisoners were forced labourers and POWs. Between April and May1944, ALSchotterwerk () was created in the same village, near the railway station, to hold prisoners from concentration camps. Between 1,200 and 1,300 Jews from Hungary, Poland and Greece were accommodated in eight to eleven wooden barracks. Some of the prisoners joined the evacuation column in February1945. The rest were freed in May.

In March1944, the GLVTannhausen () was established in the village of Jedlinka (German: Tannhausen) for forced labourers and POWs in the Websky, Hartmann & WiesenAG textile factory. Between April and May of that year, ALTannhausen was created in the same location for prisoners from concentration camps. Around 1,200 men of Jewish origin from Hungary, Poland, Greece and other European countries were held there. Zentralrevier Tannhausen ("central infirmary") () was set up next to the camp in November1944. This was reserved for patients with a good chance of recovery. They were housed in four brick barracks. In February1945, those prisoners who were able to walk were evacuated. Only the sick remained in the camp and they were liberated in May.

In August1944, the ALKaltwasser () was established in the village of Zimna Woda (German: Kaltwasser). Concentration camp prisoners of Jewish origin from Poland lived in five barracks. The camp was closed in December1944 and the prisoners were transferred to ALLärche.

Between April and June1944, the ALMärzbachtal () was established in the Potok Marcowy Duży valley (German: Grosser Märzbachtal) for concentration camp prisoners. Between 700 and 800 Jews, mainly from Hungary and Poland, lived in barracks, the remains of which can still be seen today. The camp was evacuated in February1945.

Gallery

List of camps

List of companies

The companies that took part in the project:

See also

Notes

References