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Map showing the locations of the Führer Headquarters throughout Europe.

The Führer Headquarters (Führerhauptquartiere in German), abbreviated FHQ, is a common name for a number of official headquarters used by the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and various German commanders and officials throughout Europe during World War II.^[1] Perhaps the most widely known headquarters was the Führerbunker in Berlin, Germany, where Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. Other notable headquarters are the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) in East Prussia, where Claus von Stauffenberg in league with other conspirators failed in an attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944, and Hitler's private home, the Berghof, at Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, where he frequently met with prominent foreign and domestic officials.

Introduction

At the beginning of World War II there were no permanent headquarters constructed for the German supreme leader, the Führer. Hitler visited the frontlines by using either airplane or his special train, the Führersonderzug; thus, the Führersonderzug can be considered as the first of his field headquarters. The first permanent installation which became a Führer Headquarters was the Felsennest, which was used by Hitler during the Battle of France in May, 1940. Hitler actually spent very little time in Berlin during the war, and the most frequently used dwellings of his were without comparison the Berghof and the Wolfsschanze.

The Führer Headquarters were especially designed to work as command facilities for the Führer, which meant all necessary demands were taken into consideration; communications, conference rooms, safety measures, bunkers, guard facilities etc. were prepared accordingly. Even Berghof and the Obersalzberg complex were modified and extended with considerable defense facilities (bunkers, guard posts etc.).

The Führer Headquarters can not be considered as strict military headquarters;(Wehrmacht) had their own, distinctly located in other places, yet often in the vicinity of the FHQ:s. Nevertheless, since Hitler infamously very frequently intervened in the military command structure, the FHQ:s more than often became de facto military headquarters. In reality, the Führer Headquarters consisted of Adolf Hitler and his entourage; including the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) (directly controlled by Hitler), liaison officers and adjutants.

Notes on the term

Every place Hitler ever stayed at can not be considered as Führer Headquarters, and he did not stay at every official FHQ. Furthermore, some sources may not refer to the Berghof and the Führerbunker strictly as official German Führerhauptquartiere at that time in history, but both of them became de facto Führer Headquarters; thus, they are historically often referred to as such. The Berghof was modified in much the same way as other FHQs,^[2] and Hitler had daily conferences on military matters here at the latter part of the war ^[2]. The "Eagle's Nest", i.e. the Kehlsteinhaus, was rarely used and may not be considered a FHQ as such alone; however it was associated with the Berghof and part of the Obersalzberg military complex.

The Führerbunker, located under the garden of the old Reich Chancellery, became a de facto Führer Headquarters during the Battle of Berlin, and ultimately, the last one of headquarters ^[3].

Headquarters locations

The Kehlsteinhaus ("Eagle's Nest") (top), and the tunnel leading to it. It was associated with the Berghof which became part of the Obersalzberg military complex near Berchtesgaden. Photographed in 1945, Berchtesgaden, Germany.

The location of the Führerbunker and Vorbunker in Berlin, 1945.

There were about 14 known completed Führer Headquarters (of about 20 planned)^[4]:

The Special Train (Führersonderzug)

The Führer's Special Train (Führersonderzug in German) was a train which was frequently used by Hitler to travel between various headquarters throughout Europe^[1]. It also served as headquarters itself; it was called FHQu Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) when it was located at Mönichkirchen, Austria during the Balkans Campaign in the spring of 1941. The train was named Führersonderzug "Amerika" in 1940, and later, Führersonderzug "Brandenburg". After the Balkans Campaign the train was never again used as a Führer Headquarters, but Hitler used it throughout the war when he travelled between Berlin, Berchtesgaden, Munich and other headquarters.

The exact components of the Führersonderzug are not known, but some details were revealed by the departure information "Bln 2009", when the train departed Anhalter Bahnhof in Berlin on 23 June 1941, arriving at Wolfsschanze on 24 June 1941;

The individual 17 components (locomotives and cars) in order were^[4]:

• Two locomotives in tandem, behind them were:
• a special Flakwagen (armoured anti-aircraft train), armed with 2 anti-aircraft guns
• a baggage car
• the Führerwagen, which Hitler personally used
• a Befehlswagen (Command car), including a conference room and a communications center
• a Begleitkommandowagen, for the accompanying Führer-Begleit-Kommando
• a dining car
• two cars for guests
• a Badewagen (Bathing car)
• another dining car
• two sleeping cars for personnel
• a Pressewagen (car for the press)
• another baggage car
• and finally, another Flakwagen

There were other special trains (Sonderzug in German) as well, used by prominent German officials^{[5] [6]};

• Ministerzug (Ministers' Train) was used by Joachim von Ribbentrop and Heinrich Himmler
• Sonderzug "Afrika" (also called ""Braunschweig"), used by the chief of the Armed Forces High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW))
• Sonderzug "Asien" (also called "Pommern") was used by Hermann Göring
• Sonderzug "Atlantik" (also called "Auerhahn"), used by the supreme commander of the Navy (Kriegsmarine)
• Sonderzug "Atlas" (also called "Franken"), a command train used by the Armed Forces Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstabes)
• Sonderzug "Enzian", a command train used by the chief of the Intelligence branch of the Luftwaffe (Nachrichtenwesens der Luftwaffe)
• Sonderzug "Ostpreußen" (also called "Sonderzug 4"), used by the Army General Staff (Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH))
• Sonderzug "Robinson 1", used by the chief of the Command Staff of the Luftwaffe
• Sonderzug "Robinson 2", used by the chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe
• Sonderzug "Steiermark" (also called "Heinrich" and "Transport 44") was used by Heinrich Himmler
• Sonderzug "Westfalen", used by Joachim von Ribbentrop
• Sonderzug "Württemberg", used by the Army General Staff (Gen. St.d. H. - Generalstabs des Heeres)

See also

• Death of Adolf Hitler
• National Redoubt (the supposed Nazi "Alpenfestung" (Alpine Fortress))
• Nazi architecture

References

• Beevor, Antony, Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5
• Eberle, Henrik and Uhl, Matthias, The Unknown Hitler
• Hansen, Hans-Josef: Felsennest - Das vergessene Führerhauptquartier in der Eifel. Bau, Nutzung, Zerstörung. Aachen 2006, Helios-Verlag, ISBN 3-938208-21-X.
• Kuffner, Alexander: Zeitreiseführer Eifel 1933-45. Helios, Aachen 2007, ISBN 978-3-938208-42-7.
• Raiber, Richard, Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After the Battle, No.19, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1977, London
• Ramsey, Winston G. (editor) & Posch, Tom (researcher), The Berlin Führerbunker: The Thirteenth Hole, After the Battle, No.61, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1988, London
• Pierre Rhode/Werner Sünkel: Wolfsschlucht 2 - Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers, Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte+Technik, Leinburg 1993, ISBN 3-930060-81-7
• Werner Sünkel/Rudolf Rack/Pierre Rhode: Adlerhorst - Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers, Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte +Technik, Offenhausen 1998, ISBN 3-930060-97-3
• von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag/d’Alançon, François: Mit Hitler im Bunker. Aufzeichnungen aus dem Führerhauptquartier Juli 1944 – April 1945. Berlin 2005, wjs-Verlag, ISBN 3-937989-14-5.
• Schulz, Alfons: Drei Jahre in der Nachrichtenzentrale des Führerhauptquartiers. Christiana-Verlag, Stein am Rhein. 2. Aufl. 1997. ISBN 3-7171-1028-4.
• Seidler, Franz W./Zeigert, Dieter : Die Führerhauptquartiere. Anlagen und Planungen im Zweiten Weltkrieg. München: Herbig 2000. ISBN 3-7766-2154-0.

Notes

External links

• Bundesarchiv - Der Kommandant Führerhauptquartiere