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Friday 4 July 2014

Bunkers of Upper Silesia

4th July 2014

History of Upper Silesia is so complicated and painful one. Borders here had changed many times so we belonged to Austria, Germany or Russia. My city belonged to Germany for many year and since 1945 after WWII we came back to Poland. 

After WWI some Silesian cities came back to Poland after Silesian Uprisings but Bytom belonged to Germany till 1945 but of course Piekary Śląskie where I work came back to Poland after WWI. So nowadays there are some remains of  border between those two countries. 
So here we can find some interesting and amazing constructions - bunkers. 



Bunkers located along the border Germany and Poland.

As a result of the Plebiscite in Silesia and the Silesian Uprisings, the highly industrialized area of Upper Silesia, which had belonged to the German Empire, was divided between Poland and Germany, leaving Beuthen ( now Bytom my city)  Hindenburg and Gleiwitz in Germany and granting both Katowice and Chorzów to Poland.
In the 1920s the Poles did not consider their western neighbor as the main threat, concentrating its defence abilities in the East, along the border with the Soviet Union. However, beginning in the early 1930s, after Adolf Hitler had come to power, the Poles decided to prepare themselves for a war. Upper Silesia was the most important industrial region of the country and its defence was crucial so  they built bunkers.



The bunkers located in Bytom


The biggest bunker is located in Zbroslawice.

IT is the biggest and the most interesting part of  Upper Silesia's defensive military fortifications. It consist of 9 bunkers of 5 different types, where 8 of them make a line going through Zbrosławice village, while the last one was placed 1,5km to north, in the direction of Miedary village."














The most impressive bunker in Zbroslawice.


10 comments:

  1. Those bunkers could tell a story or two. They are all different.

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  2. sort of a sad piece of human history. thanks for stopping by my place! i appreciate it!

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  3. A very mixed up history, but interesting to know.

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    1. It is very complicated but luckily it is past no present.

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  4. It's interesting that they are still there and some if them freshly painted. They certainly look sturdy and stron.

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    1. Bunkers is a piece of history so history lovers take care of them.

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  5. What a history! I can't imagine living through all that.

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    1. So Polish history is so sad but Silesia belonged to Czech Republic Germany and Poland - it is a typical melting pot and in some way we are very similar to German people customs and traditions. So some people would like to have Silesian Nationality because we are different form typical Polish.

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  6. "Bunkers of Upper Silesia" is an intriguing and informative account. Nice Travel Apps Your detailed exploration of these historical structures sheds light on their significance and role in the region's past.

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