Wolf's Lair whose the original name is Wolfsschanze, was the chosen code name for one of the several headquarters that Adolf Hitler had during World War II in various parts of Europe.
The decision on the construction of the complex was made in the Autumn of 1940 considering several factors:
- appropriate location to coordinate operations in the Soviet Union (after the German offensive during Operation Barbarossa) given its proximity to the border with the Soviet Union;
- East Prussia was one of the zones most fortified in the Reich;
- location away from main roads;
- isolation thanks to closed forests of Masuria and the lakes of that region that served as a natural barrier against ground troops.
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Sperrkreis 1 (Security Zone 1)
- contained the Fuhrer's bunker;
- 10 camouflaged bunkers and protected by 2 meters of reinforced concrete;
- concrete shelters for the inner circle of Hitler such as Hermann Goering, Martin Bormann, Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl.
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Sperrkreis 2 (Security Zone 2)
- military barracks and housing for important ministers of the Reich like Albert Speer, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Fritz Todt;
- Hitler's escort battalion was also staying in the area.
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Sperrkreis 3 (Security Zone 3)
- security area of the complex with minefields, special forces troops and control towers.
The complex had its own power plant and was served by an air base and train lines.
Wolfsschanze was first used by Hitler on the night of June 23, 1941.
When he was there, the routine was to take a walk with his dog around 9 or 10 am and at 10:30 check the arrived mail. At noon, Hitler would have a meeting in the Keitel's and Jodl's bunker for a briefing which usually would take two hours. After that meeting, Hitler would have its lunch and always in the same place (between Jodl and Otto Dietrich and ahead of Keitel, Martin Bormann and Goering aide, General Karl Heinrich Bodenschatz).
Coffee was served at 5 pm, followed by a second meeting to review the situation with military Jodl at 6 pm. The dinner would begin at 7:30 pm and was followed by the viewing of films, monologues by Hitler for his entourage and, on occasions, Hitler and the rest of the entourage listened to symphonies of Beethoven, Wagner or other operas or even German music.
- June 24, 1941 - July 16, 1942;
- November 1, 1942 - November 7, 1942;
- November 23, 1942 - February 17, 1943;
- March 13, 1943 - March 19, 1943;
- May 9, 1943 - May 21, 1943;
- July 1, 1943 - July 18, 1943;
- July 20, 1943 - February 27, 1944;
- July 14, 1944 - November 20, 1944.