Post 2 from last week’s vacation to Wrocław
Located about an hour away from Wrocɫaw, my visit to Książ Castle was full of history and adventure. As you may notice through the pictures, the exterior of the Castle appears to be mismatched due to various expansions over time and work that has been done over time. It was originally owned by the Hochberg family (quite a bit of historical family drama involved in Hochberg family stories that I’ll spare you the details of). Long story short, after the Nazi occupation, the family was compelled to cede the property to the Nazi government. Although they resisted for some time, the family ultimately handed over the castle in exchange for a cancelation of outstanding debts. The Nazis then took control of the property and actually retrofitted the Castle to add additional elevators and even personalized a room for Hitler, although it is unknown whether he ever stayed at the Castle. Given the Castle’s position in the mountains of what used to be Breslau, Germany; the Germans saw this as an ideal strategic European headquarters that, compared to Berlin, was closer to many crossroads of Central Europe.
Perhaps more interesting than the castle itself is what lies beneath. As a part of the Nazi’s Project Rise, the they used imprisoned laborers from nearby the Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp to build a network of tunnels in the mountains. Mystery abounds as there remains great speculation as to what the purpose of the tunnels was intended to be. According to my tour guide on the trip, the Project was supposed to take five years to complete, and was left unfinished once the Nazi’s were defeated in 1945. Although the project wasn’t officially completed, there remains a great deal of the seven tunnel network that had been established within the mountains. Interestingly enough, there are no definitive answers as to what the tunnel network was intended to become upon completion. There is a legend that a train full of gold has been hidden by the Nazis within the tunnels for safekeeping (a legend because the train has yet to be found). A variety of theories abound regarding the tunnels’ purpose. From being intended as a sort of hiding place for people or valuables, to an underground test facility for the development of atomic weapons, the purpose of the Project Rise tunnel network remains unclear.
I also visited the historic Wooden Peace Church in Świdnica. Although I may be hard to believe, everything within the church is wooden (even the pillars near the alter that appear to me marble). The church is functioning to this day and is home to a Lutheran congregation. Operational since 1652, the Church is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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