Even before, every few kilometers from the forest emerged a concrete structure. Fragments resembled a bunker or a piece of equipment the military training ground. In Brójcach strange object that looks like a bay broken bridge leading to nowhere, stood directly on the A2 route. The area Rzepin huge gray block almost rub against the road towards the border. Today, workers, struggling with frost and snow, rises in this space a modern viaduct, which will take the highway in autumn 2011. Many similar objects architecture ceased to exist in recent months. Thus vanished the last traces and remnants of the first stage of highway construction Reich (Reichsautobahn) from Frankfurt to Poznan.
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| November 2009 |
planned bridge spans, supports and pillars dźwignęły never any flyovers. Recognized until recently characteristic embankments and embankments only approaching change in the civil engineering structures for our time. For over 60 years nothing was done, now, within two years, has built the highway to the border with Germany. "Construction is moving exactly along the route traced by the Germans" - admits Zofia Kwiatkowska, spokeswoman for the Highways Wielkopolska. Where it is currently operating heavy equipment operated by well-paid professionals, in the first years of the free world worked by forced labor. Approximately 10,000 men passed through the camps scattered along the prepared route. On the construction of the past silent archives. Historians can not even indicate the locations of most of the 20 camps where the workers once lived "Prisoners were forced into slave labor. Engaged in simple activities. Felling trees, sypali shafts. "- Explains Matthias Diefenbach and shows the overgrown grass embankments. "As in other camps, the conditions were very severe, and mortality had to be high." Diefenbach, ethnographer from Frankfurt / Oder, the last few years reveals the story of Hitler's Highway.
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| Matthias Diefenbach in the search for traces of highway construction Reich |
its construction plan was born in 1937, as part of ongoing project road connections with the Reich's eastern territories. In parallel, was created "Berlin", the spacy route which had the intention to lead from the German capital through Szczecin to Konigsberg, crossing Polish territory extraterritorial corridor. In the south, continued construction of the Berlin branch of Wroclaw in Upper Silesia. The intention of the Nazi ideologues convenient construction of roads was not only the infrastructure project, but also propaganda. Highways was to stir the East civilization. Roads "only for cars," fought in progress. The Nazis understood it as a Germanization not only humans but also wildlife. They pass by the highway travelers typically "Germanic" landscapes. At A2 achowały over the years pieces of thickets, in which the precious tree species planted. Oaks, beeches and maples were growing along the roads and to displace the ubiquitous dwarf pine and birch.
Until September 1939, the highway to the Polish border existed only on paper. With the outbreak of war and the need for rapid transportation of people and goods in the conquered eastern territories, road works started between Frankfurt and Poznan, incarnated into the Reich. Since the German Führer wanted their sons to war fronts, lacking the hands to work, especially the hardest and worst paid. Chief "road builder" of the Reich, Nazi engineer Fritz Todt had the idea of \u200b\u200bbringing the work of Jews from the Lodz Ghetto. Germany got rid of the Jews from his country and is said Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, he needed several months to agree to their employment in the Reich. "Within one year and two winters were performed on a large scale-scale work on building bridges and earthworks " - Matthias says Diefenbach.
construction stopped in 1942. The situation on the fronts of the war turned against Hitler, and there are other priorities than building highways. Besides, after the Wannsee Conference, the Nazis began the "Final Solution" and the Jews engaged in road works were sent to concentration camps. Moves witnesses and Matthias Diefenbach only on the basis of scanty resources, he can point to a few places where the permanent barracks for slave laborers. 'Camps were used to end the war as transit camps, or long-distance units of concentration camps. "- Says Diefenbach. Certainly, you can indicate the location of the camp in Świecko. In the spot, clearly visible from the border bridge over the Oder River, stands today a monument commemorating the criminal labor camp called a cynical "view of the Oder River." Camp managed by the Gestapo from the nearby Frankfurt. In January 1945, just before the Red Army arrived, the Nazis evacuated the camp. 70 most vulnerable who can not move the prisoners were placed in one of the huts and set alight ... Together with the people most likely burned the archives on this and possibly other camps, where they lived forced laborers working in the construction of the highway.
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| former camp Świeck |
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