# Complex Wlodarz - Project Riese - Poland - Oct. 2014



## Derelict-UK (Nov 7, 2014)

I have a few Project Riese reports coming along, the following quote which I have written using various sources will be attached to each report and the specific complex details be written beneath.



> In WWII at the start of 1943, in the Sowie Mountains, Lower Silesia, the Germans started the largest underground project of the Third Reich. It was codenamed ‘RIESE’ which means ‘A Giant’.
> 
> Thousands of prisoners of war were worked to death constructing the tunnels, many only lasted a couple of months as the German guards worked them 24 hours a day. Children as young as 10 years old were put to work hauling the mining carts with the spoil out of the tunnel systems. Some of the huge tunnel networks were constructed in 6 months, my images may not show the scale of the networks, it was hard to get a photo of everything in a short space of time, there are many tunnel branches that went off into the distant darkness, seemed to go on for ever. For the time frame it was an amazing feat for the progress but at a truly horrific human cost.
> 
> ...




*Complex Wlodarz* was in the hillside above our local hotel. 

Our guide (who showed us the Fly Trap) took us on a nice walk around the outside of the complex first, showing us the exterior structures and the narrow-gauge railway levels. 

This was the largest complex we visited and the largest of the seven Project Riese complexes. Thousands of POW’s constructed it and there were massive concrete powder blocks that had solidified after being left since the war, it showed how much raw materials were used to construct these places, it was a mammoth task and an engineering master class.

The complex is on the north-eastern slope of Mount Wlodarz. There are 4 entrances although only one is available for visitors. The tunnels have had water ingress since as far back as 1945 and some areas are flooded and only viewable by boat. The damp atmosphere has led to some collapses causing natural dams blocking the water flow.

The tunnels lead for around 3,100 meters or 42,000 m3. It felt like we were walking a long way in and the corridors we didn’t go down seemed to go on and on into the abyss. There is a large cavern which was made by boring two holes, one above the other, then collapsing the ceiling. It is 10m(W) x 10m(H) x 50m(L), the cavern is now under water and is accessible by boat.

External (above ground) structures...

1. Walking into the forest...






2. It may not be obvious, but each level was a narrow-gauge railway that brought in raw materials (sand/concrete etc) for the construction.





3. Nature...





4. Bridge supports





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7. I think this was a gun platform...





8. One of the entrances with a fire-watchers sentry box...





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10. Unsure if these were original or brought in by the Polish who now run the site (Poland has an abundance of old military vehicles!)...





Underground Wlodarz...

11. Going in...





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13. This room was a show room the display items they had found during the excavation post-war...





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16. Wooden supports...





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18. This was one of the many tunnels we didn't go down but you can see it could go on for ages!





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23. The blocked bit ahead is where the flooded section starts...





This video gives you an idea of how bad the flooding has got...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeshaWyAt2c[/ame]

24. This is the large hall (or cavern) which is 10m(W) x 10m(H) x 50m(L)...





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26. Back on dry land...





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28. Here you can see how each tunnel was bored and then collapsed into each other creating the vast underground hall...





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## flyboys90 (Nov 8, 2014)

What a great trip that looked!You,ve got great photos and video,thanks for sharing.


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