Flak towers and U bahn pics?

Discussions on every day life in the Weimar Republic, pre-anschluss Austria, Third Reich and the occupied territories. Hosted by Vikki.
User avatar
Simon K
Member
Posts: 1425
Joined: 19 Jul 2008, 20:25
Location: London U.K

Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#1

Post by Simon K » 31 Jul 2008, 06:06

Does anyone have pics of Berlin scenes from 1942 - 45?
Any pics of the flak towers, major U and S bahn stations, street views from this period?
Cheers
Simon K

GeneralHaupt
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: 10 Aug 2008, 08:02

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#2

Post by GeneralHaupt » 10 Aug 2008, 08:14

I'd be very interested to see those too.


V1Oliver
Member
Posts: 31
Joined: 13 Jan 2008, 13:15
Location: Belgium

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#3

Post by V1Oliver » 22 Aug 2008, 20:06

Is this what you wanted?

Image

Image

It's not very clear, but if you look closely, you can see flak canons in the towers.

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#4

Post by Adam Carr » 23 Aug 2008, 05:23

I have *current* photos of all the surviving flak towers, which I took in April-May. If that interests you I will post some here.

bigger_chief
Member
Posts: 128
Joined: 24 May 2008, 17:26

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#5

Post by bigger_chief » 26 Aug 2008, 11:22

The flack tower in background ca. late 1945.

Image

baldy1926
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: 20 Aug 2007, 20:46
Location: LONDON

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#6

Post by baldy1926 » 26 Aug 2008, 21:42

i would also be interested in pictures of them.what ones surive by the way

User avatar
kstdk
Member
Posts: 5444
Joined: 10 Jan 2004, 17:59
Location: Denmark
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#7

Post by kstdk » 26 Aug 2008, 22:26

Hello Adam

It would be appreciated if you would show us your new pictures - thanks:
Adam Carr wrote:I have *current* photos of all the surviving flak towers, which I took in April-May. If that interests you I will post some here.
Best regards
Kurt
kstdk

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#8

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 00:43

There are two flaktowers standing in Hamburg and five in Vienna, although one of the Vienna ones is in an army base and impossible to see up close since it is surrounded by buildings. One of the Hamburg ones has been converted into apartments, and one of the Vienna ones is an aquarium. The others are just standing derelict in parks. In Berlin the Zoo towers have been demolished, but there is half of one tower standing in Humboldthain. One of the towers in Friedrichshain is still there but is buried under a rubble mountain (trummelberg) so only the very top is visible. I will post some photos this evening.

User avatar
Langemann
Member
Posts: 345
Joined: 01 May 2002, 04:58
Location: Chicago, IL
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#9

Post by Langemann » 27 Aug 2008, 01:11

Pictures that I took of the Vienna Flaktürme in March of this year can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chowhound1 ... 387541875/

Hope you enjoy.

Langemann

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#10

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:24

As the Allied bombing offensive against Germany intensified in 1942, the Germans responded by developing new air defence systems for their cities. In Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna, they built massive concrete towers called flaktowers (flaktürme) as platforms for anti-aircraft guns (the German word flak is an abbreviation of FLugAbwehrKanone or air defence gun). The towers were grouped in pairs, each consisting of a G-Tower (Gefechtturm) or Combat Tower, and an L-Tower (Leitturm) or Lead Tower. The G-towers were bigger and were the platforms for the heavier flak guns. The L-towers were usually smaller. There were three pairs of towers in Berlin, three in Vienna and two in Hamburg. Today, 63 years after the war, the flaktowers still loom over Vienna and Hamburg – less so in Berlin since the only surviving tower is in a large park and is partly concealed by trees. They are stark and vivid reminders of the Allied air war against Germany, which killed about 600,000 civilians. It is somehow fitting that the largest and most enduring relics of the Third Reich are these large, ugly and (almost) useless concrete monsters.

In Berlin, there were two towers in the west, in the Tiergarten near the Zoo, known as the Zoo towers. Nothing remains of them. These were the only pair of towers completely demolished after the war – by the British. There were two towers in Friedrichshain park, in the Soviet zone east of the city. After the war the L-Tower was demolished, while the G-Tower was used as a dumping ground for rubble. It is now almost completely buried beneath the Bunkerberg (Bunker Mountain), which is now overgrown with trees. One of the gun platforms can still be seen sticking out of the ground at the top of the mountain.
Attachments
P1040400.JPG
P1040400.JPG (222.58 KiB) Viewed 15443 times

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#11

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:25

There were also two towers in Humboldthain park in the northern suburbs, in the French zone. After the war the L-Tower was demolished, and the G-Tower partly so. After three failed attempts to blow up the remaining section of the G-Tower, the French abandoned it, and today it is half buried in the dense woodland of the park.
Attachments
IMGA0359.JPG
IMGA0359.JPG (150.28 KiB) Viewed 15419 times

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#12

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:26

The Humboldthain G-Tower is accessible to the public, who can climb to the top, where there is an ugly piece of modern sculpture. The underground bomb shelters under the tower are open for guided tours, though not to individual vistors.
Attachments
IMGA0366.JPG
IMGA0366.JPG (134.22 KiB) Viewed 15392 times

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#13

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:27

In Hamburg, there were two towers at Heiligengeistfeld, to the west of the city. The L-Tower was demolished after the war, but the G-Tower is intact. Since this is a trendy area of Hamburg, the tower has been converted into apartments (at great expense given the thickness of the walls), while the ground floor houses a music school.
Attachments
P1000611.JPG
P1000611.JPG (196.12 KiB) Viewed 15395 times

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#14

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:28

The Heiligengeistfeld G-Tower, showing the modern windows.
Attachments
P1000619.JPG
P1000619.JPG (201.91 KiB) Viewed 15308 times

User avatar
Adam Carr
Member
Posts: 2648
Joined: 30 Jan 2008, 14:40
Location: Melbourne Australia
Contact:

Re: Flak towers and U bahn pics?

#15

Post by Adam Carr » 27 Aug 2008, 11:29

There were also two towers at Wilhelmsburg, in the dock area south of the city. Again, the L-Tower was demolished, but the G-Tower is intact. Since this is a working-class area, the tower has not been developed, but sits like a massive ruined castle in the middle of the suburb. The underground shelters are used for storage, but the tower itself is empty. The netting is to protect the citizens from bits of falling concrete.
Attachments
P1000656.JPG
P1000656.JPG (183.8 KiB) Viewed 15267 times

Post Reply

Return to “Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic”