• Wilczy Szaniec | Wolfsschanze | Wolf's Lair

Hitler’s stay in Wolf’s Lair

Hom much time Hitler spent in Wolf’s Lair?

 

Hitler came to the Wolfsschanze with his entourage on June 24, 1941. He spent over 800 days here. The life of all the residents of the quarters focused around him. In 1944, the HQ was inhabited by over two thousand people, of whom only 20 women lived there (Ewa Braun never visited Wolf’s Lair).

The residential buildings were relatively modest but functionally furnished. Small work rooms, mostly illuminated by daylight, had wood-paneled or plastered walls. The basic equipment included wooden cabinets, file shelves, tables, chairs and stools. Most of the living rooms had parquet floors.

 

swietlica-boazeria-szaniec

The Führer’s working day began with the receipt of reports from the fronts.

From 9.00 am till 10.00 am Hitler went out with his dog for a walk, which no one could disturb without a necessity.

 

Hitler spaceruje z psem w Wilczym Szancu

Around 10.30 Hitler began browsing the morning mail, which was provided by airplanes or courier trains.

Marszałek Chorwacji Slavko Kvaternik z wizytą u Adolfa Hitlera w kwaterze głównej 1941

At 12.00 the afternoon council began. After the council, Hitler ate dinner. Until September 1942, he ate meals in the dining room of casino I, and later in his bunker. The number of regular guests during the meal in the casino was limited to the closest vicinity of Hitler.

Gierłoż. Narada Adolfa Hitlera z generałami 1942

At 18.00 the so-called evening talks took place, during which the problems of the air war were dealt in the first place. These meetings lasted about one hour and were usually held in Hitler’s working room.

Pokój Hitlera w Wilczym Szańcu

 


The dates of Hitler’s stays in Wolf’s Lair:

  • 24 June 1941 – 16 July 1942,
  • 1 November 1942 – 7 November 1942,
  • 23 November 1942 – 17 Ferbruary 1943,
  • 13 March 1943 – 19 March 1943,
  • 9 May 1943 – 21 May 1943,
  • 1 July 1943 -18 July 1943,
  • 20 July 1943 – 27 Ferbruary 1944,
  • 14 July 1944 – 20 November 1944.

Some of the Fuhrer’s visits in the Headquarters lasted literally a few days, and the longest one were 1 year and 4 months. In total, Hitler spent approximately 800 days in Gierłoż. Shortly after the German prominents left the Wolf’s Lair, the quarters were almost completely destroyed.