WW2-Poland-2015

The code name “Mauerwald” comes from the forester's lodge located nearby. The headquarters was divided into
three security zones: “Quelle” (“Source”) for the Quartermaster's Department of the Army, “Fritz” (“Frederick”) for
the High Command of the German Army and “Brigitten Stadt” – (“Bridget Town”) for the auxiliary services and the
communication centre.
This little town with its water and sewage system, two boiler houses, transformer stations and generators, occupied
ca. 250 hectares (620 acres) of land. There was a railway station inside and the streets had names. 29 reinforced
concrete shelters and over 200 masonry and wooden buildings were built.
In the summer of 1944 three of the shelters were reinforced, and then two other before the Germans fled. This is also
when the construction of a gigantic, 74 × 37 metre shelter began.
Various sections of the General Staff started leaving Mauerwald in late summer of 1944. First front-line units entered
the HQ in November. The Soviet Army entered Mauerwald in January 1945.
The inhabitants
It is estimated that around 1500 people lived here. This figure includes non-commissioned officers, officers and
generals of the General Staff, soldiers of the auxiliary forces as well as maintenance and security personnel. Many of
the low-rank positions in the staff and communication service were occupied by women.
The most famous inhabitants include: Walther von Brauschitsch (commander of the Army), the successive Chiefs of
the General Staff, generals Franz Halder, Kurt Zeitzler and Heinz Guderian or Deputy Chief of the General Staff Friedrich
Paulus, later to become the commander of the 6th Army defeated at Stalingrad. Claus von Stauffenberg lived here for
one and a half years (June 1941 to January 1943).
Social life
Unlike “Wolf's Lair” with its spartan lifestyle, much time at Mauerwald was devoted to relaxation and social occasions.
After work, the inhabitants would meet not only in the canteens or the Soldier's Home but they would also visit each
other in their living quarters. They would organize birthday or names day parties and attend saunas or the cinema.
The officers enjoyed swimming and boat trips on Lake Mamry. The local aristocracy would invite them to local estates.
Horse riding was very popular. There were three stables here with horses ready to ride.
An example of the relaxed atmosphere at Mauerwald is the meeting of the two famous field marshals: Erich von
Manstein and Erwin Rommel. They had not had a chance to meet, and they did at Maurewald. Manstein, summoned
from the front, used a free moment to swim in the lake. When he and his adjutant swam away from the shore, Rommel,
accompanied by a couple of officers, came to the lake. Manstein, who swam naked, came up to the shore, greeted
Rommel and went out of the water. Rommel's officers had hidden away the clothes of the swimming officers but field
marshal Manstein kept his poise talking to Rommel, naked.
Visits
Adolf Hitler visited Mauerwald four times but his visits didn't usually last longer than a couple of quarters of an hour.
Two of the visits were on the account of the Chief of the General Staff, general Hadler: his birthday (30 June 1941) and
the fortieth anniversary of his joining the army (14 July 1942). In August 1941 Hitler visited Mauerwald accompanied
by the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini. Three months later he came to an exhibition of winter equipment and
uniforms.
Other important guests included: admiral Miklós Horthy (Hungarian dictator), general Ion Antonescu (Rumanian
dictator) and marshal Carl Mannerheim, the Finnish army commander-in-chief.
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