This is the building in Blutenburg Strasse where Hitler and his co-defendants were tried in 1924 for their participation in the Beer hall putch. They were initially supposed to be tried in the main in Berlin but too many prominent members of Munich society were implicated ….so conveniently the trail was tucked away in this infantry school in Munich along with a sympathetic judge.
There are a fair few of these if you know where to look. Many are just empty a few have been converted. The interesting thing about them is that they were not large concrete edifices as found in many other German cities but made to blend in with the surroundings, with features such as tiled roofs.
North east of BMW works
South east of BMW works
Shelter and Flak tower south of BMW works
Blumenstrasse
Mullerstrasse
Hotterstrasse
Stienerstrasse
Allach
Quellenstrasse
Claudelorranestrasse
Boschelsnederstrasse
Lohnrösslerveg
Crailsheimstrasse
Himmler owned a chicken farm before he took over the SS in 1929. I rode past it the other day – It looks like there is a petrol station on the spot now. He was born in Munich just off Maximillian Strasse and also went to the school opposite. He eventually had a large house in Bogenhausen like many senior Nazis. His brother lived just off Dachauer Strasse after the war. My family connection to this is that my grandfather, who was in the British army, was present in the house where Himmler committed suicide in 1945 after he was captured.
Himmler's House 1941 -1945
Himmler's School
The unremarkable location of Himmler's chicken farm taken from the petrol station
Himmler's Birth Place
Took a great walk along the coast this week near to my UK home. I went past Reculver Towers where the Dambusters practiced their bomb runs with Barnes Wallis and his team watching and aiming to refine their weapon. My Grandfather guarded the cliffs during the trials as naturally they were sealed off….he came close to being killed by a German parachute mine that went off near him. But that is another story. The bombs lay on the sea bed for years and were eventually recovered and are now displayed. the sea behind the towers is where Richard Hillary was shot down during the Battle of Britain and also is the final resting place for Amy Johnson who disappeared in bad weather over it…whilst ferrying an aircraft in 1941 if my memory serves me right! I will post more pics soon.
Dambusters test footage at Reculver here – http://www.thedambusters.org.uk/60feet.html
The wall of the Roman Fort at Reculver with ww2 tank traps in the background (called dragons teeth)
Reculver Towers2000 years of history.
Whilst routing around in France in June 2004 – I found this half track wheel in a ditch….I was with the farmer at the time and he let me have it. A left over from the battle of Failse pocket. It was discovered in right on the southern edge of the Normandy battle field.
This is what I know about it.
Sd Kfz it was abandoned at La Baroche S Luce whilst towing a 10.5cm gun. It ran out of fuel. The date was probably about 15-16Augsut 1944. The unit was probably the 10SS Panzer Division.
The wheel has signs of battle field repairs on it and also shrapnel damage.
After the death of Ludwig Troost – Hermann Geisler became the key architect for the Munich area in 1938. Albert Speer never really gained a foothold in Munich and consequently Speer and Geisler became competitive enemies. The plans/models for the rebuilding of Munich were completed by 1940. The war was in full swing and like the plans for many other German cities they were never realised. However one huge ‘test’ residential building was constructed in the vicinity of Hitler’s residence. Here are the pictures of how it looks today – note the air raid bunkers built onto each corner.
Selection of Bunker shots taken down by the river Isar that runs through Munich. The round one man bunkers are known as Moll bunkers and were to guard sentries and the like from air raids. You can also find these on the Obersalzberg guarding the approaches. For example one is situated in the woods near the route Hitler and his entourage took on their walk to the tea house. ( I will post up a pic of this example at a later date)
