Poland Wants Hitler’s Lair to Become a Tourist Attraction

Set deep in Poland’s northeastern woodlands, sits Wolfsschanze (the Wolf’s Lair)— the military complex used by Hitler and his Nazi henchmen from 1941 to 1944 for Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa. The Polish Forestry Service, which now owns the bombed-out site, is hoping to find an investor who will make it a major tourist attraction.

"We are waiting for offers, but so far we have none. The requirements are quite high because we want a new leaseholder to invest a lot, particularly in a museum with an exhibition that could be open all year long," said Zenon Piotrowicz, a local forestry official to Reuters.

The Wolf’s Lair, named for Hitler’s nickname “Wolf”, once boasted 80 buildings spread over 13 hectares, including a railway station and power plant. Retreating Nazi forces demolished the complex in January 1945, as the Red Army advanced on the area. The site is the location of the famed “20 July Plot”, the 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. The incident was immortalized in the 2008 film, Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise.

The ruins are open to the public, yet they attract few tourists what for the remote location and inaccessibility.