More than ten bunkers were built in and around Park den Brandt in Antwerp during WWII. They were built for the headquarters of the 89th Army Corps of the German army. This staff was in charge of the tens of thousands of men who defended the Atlantic Wall from the French-Belgian border to Walcheren in the Netherlands. 

History of the Antwerp Bunkers

The largest bunkers, the very rare type “SK1” (Sonderkonstruktion), served as “Gefechtsstand des Generalkommando” where all departments could continue their tasks under 2.5 m of reinforced concrete in case of danger. It was under control by the experienced General van Gilsa, who regularly checked the positions in his sector. Field Marshal Rommel regularly made inspections on the station. 

The sector at the Scheldt estuary would play a decisive role from 1944 as access to the port of Antwerp, but eventually the defence was then controlled from another place. At the end of August, the corps had moved to France trying to stop the Allied advance, but on September 4 they already reached Antwerp. However, the end of the German occupation would prove far from the end of its war for the city.

Since the Allied advance had largely passed the Atlantic Wall from behind, many ports remained in German hands while the need for supplies only increased. 

In 1944, the port of Antwerp was one of the largest and most modern in the world. It was captured almost intact, thanks to the resistance, but it would be their worst logistical nightmare for the Allies. 

Hitler also realized the importance and, even after the bloody but hopeless defense of the Scheldt estuary, did everything he could to reclaim her from invent. 

From October 1944, Antwerp would become the the main target of both the V1 and V2. They were originally referred to as “Vergeltungswaffe” against England. 

The port of Antwerp was also the target when sacrificing its last reserves in the Ardennes offensive from December 16. Although this offensive fortunately failed, the “V-weapons” continued to attack the city until the end of March 1945. The allied anti-aircraft defence around Antwerp, united in operation “Antwerp X”, achieved good results against the V1, but these flying bombs continued to kill until the end. 

There was no defence against the 14 meters long V2 rocket, which landed at more than twice the speed of sound. One could only hope that as many of the approximately 1,600 launches missed their target in and around the city. This depressing record inspired Time magazine to describe the city as “the City of Sudden Death” during this period, taking a heavy toll on its pivotal role.

The Antwerp Bunker now!

The volunteers of Bunker and Airplane Archeo are committed to transforming the currently protected bunkers into a living monument. They are restoring the history of the bunker as much as possible. They achieve this through the conservation and restoration of bunkers. They managed to collect an extensive collection of artefacts from the Atlantic Wall and air war. The bunker is packed with a comprehensive treasure of information. They managed to get so much work done through the collaborations with the versatile re-enactors of Frontleven vzw. 

The City of Antwerp has also been an important partner as the owner of the monuments from the very beginning. 

Thanks to all and current volunteers, involved authorities and especially visitors, the project has achieved its purposeful focus in the last 20 years.

 “Let’s never forget”.

OIivier Vilain

Secretary-treasurer, v.z.w. Bunker & Airplane Archeo Antwerp. 2021