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On the trail of World War II

With Kultourissimo on historical trails along the border
The former border ramparts - “Maginot Line” and “Westwall”

We discover obvious traces of World War II in places where these days wanderers and wine lovers come together. To this day, tank bollards and bunker ruins mark the “Westwall”, which was erected between 1936 and 1940. They are memorials made of concrete,  reminding us of the terrible war events.
We will take you to the German, but also to the French side of the former border ramparts, guide you to the “Otterbach section” of the “Westwall” as well as selected sections of the “Maginot Line”. Although it was only 20 kilometres long, there were 650 small bunkers at the “Otterbach section”, and 14 out of 32 “B-works”. These were the largest and best equipped bunker facilities in the front are of the Westwall. Along the entire border rampart was “Red Zone”. The villages were evacuated, and the people resettled in sometimes far removed regions.

Our Westwall tour will take you to the remnants of bunkers and anti-tank barriers, to former anti-tank ditches and positioning systems, but also to a small museum and information signs on-site.

On the other side, on the former “Lauter fortified sector” of the “Maginot Line”, six artillery blocks, four infantry blocks and 112 casemates bear witness to the madness of the war. Ten intact or restored fortifications, mainly erected in 1936,  can be inspected. We will also take you to see an artillery block and the former large dugout near the Alsation border town Wissembourg. Here too, exhibitions and documentation offer an idea of the extent of the battles along the border, but also of the fate of the people “between the borders” as well as the “ Malgrè-nous“, the Alsatians compulsorily drafted into the Waffen-SS or the German Armed Forces, the Wehrmacht.

During our tours, based on various themes, we will tell you about the history of the border region – starting from 1936 to 1945. Focal points are the situation and role of the women, the rift within the population, the failed offensive “Northwind” and the liberation of the Alsace. We also won't forget the technology and history of the border rampart structures.

Upon request, Kultourissimo will also accompany you to the little known Struthof concentration camp, south west of Strasbourg. 

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Kultourissimo
Inge Hoffmann-Vaz
Bismarckstraße 20
D-76870 Kandel

Ph: +49 (0)7275/ 61 81 34
Mobil: +49 151 708 484 05
post@kultourissimo.com
www.kultourissimo.com