June 8, 1962 - The so-called “Wolf’s Lair,” the supreme command post of Adolf Hitler in what formerly was German East Prussia, has been preserved as a tourist attraction by the Polish Government. The command post, where the assassination attempt against Hitler took place on July 20, 1944, covers many acres of remote woodlands in the Masurian Lake district. The preservation of the “Wolf’s Lair,” from which Hitler intermittently directed his armed forces for almost four years of World War II, represents, from the Polish point of view, making the best of a bad bargain. The huge concrete and steel structures — more than 60 tremendous bunkers in all, plus former mess halls and living quarters — all but defy complete destruction. Efforts to demolish and remove the great chunks of steel and concrete would not be worth the cost. A visitor to the “Wolf’s Lair” today is amazed by the extensive nature and the strength of the half-ruined bunkers, but finds it difficult to envision the heavily guarded headquarters that existed from 1941 to 1945: three rings of electrified barbed wire, mine fields and pillboxes, and a trench system surrounding the bunkers, all patrolled by S.S. troops. Signs warn visitors to stay on paths and point out that unmarked land mines may still be planted in some areas.
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