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Hitler's Atlantic Wall ~ Should France preserve it?

Warden

One Too Many
Messages
1,336
Location
UK
The BBC have a news story about Hitler's Atlantic Wall and are asking should France preserve it?

http://bbc.in/nZc21D

They have some amazing pictures, including one of a gun emplacement which has been turned into a house.

_55304745_house.jpg
 
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Rathdown

Practically Family
Messages
572
Location
Virginia
Of course, just as Britain should preserve Hadrian's wall. It's all about history, not merely the defeat of French forces in the opening days of WWII.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
I could see why France would prefer this moment in history slip into the ether....
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,078
Location
London, UK
The BBC have a news story about Hitler's Atlantic Wall and are asking should France preserve it?

http://bbc.in/nZc21D

They have some amazing pictures, including one of a gun emplacement which has been turned into a house.

_55304745_house.jpg

Gorgeous house! Want!

Only to forget/repeat all that stupidity later I think not. I'll go with "keep".
It's of course up to them, but I'd vote keep myself. Wiping out history isn't a great idea, IMHO.

Agreed. You don't stop it having happened by pretending it never did.
 

Steven180

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
US
Absolutely they should preserve it. It is their history. Some parts of the Atlantic Wall will obviously be in such a state of ruin to be useful in any way, but being pragmatic in their endeavors will preserve and contribute much to history and the country.

Besides...you never know when it might be beneficial again.

M.
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Not exactly beautiful. I can easily understand those who want them cleared.
(These are not from France - but from Denmark)
5167096.jpg

The most intact of them should be saved and kept as museums/memorials of a time - but some of them are just in the way and ugly.
 

Steven180

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
US
Thank you Sir, I would very much like to see them the next time I'm in Denmark.

Thanks again,
M.
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
There are lots and lots of bunkers at the westcoast of Jutland. Among them a huge - dug out - fortification at Hirtshals. Now a museum.
(Check it out on GoogleEarth)
 

Alain Laterre

New in Town
Messages
13
Location
London
I posted on my blog about the French Resistance some photos of a 1944 German map of Royan in France that had been found by the Resistance and then used to mark German machine gun posts and mines before the Resistance finally pushed the Germans out of Royan in april 1945. Anyway! A French forum about the Atlantic Wall approached me about the maps and here is a link to their forum.
Alain

http://atlantikwall.superforum.fr/forum

And here is a link to my post about this 'Tres Secret' Map -
http://resistancefrancaise.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-secret-german-map-of-royan-1944.html
 
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Steven180

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
US
Alain! Thanks again for the great links and interesting reference. I wouldn't have believed that there was a forum on the Atlantic Wall until now.

Enjoying all aspects of your resistance blog...keep up the good work!

M.
 

TidiousTed

Practically Family
Messages
532
Location
Oslo, Norway
Only to forget/repeat all that stupidity later I think not. I'll go with "keep".
It's of course up to them, but I'd vote keep myself. Wiping out history isn't a great idea, IMHO.

If you're willing to forget the past your doomed to repeat it. So I go for keeping it, never erase history
 

Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
I've lived twice now in Norway and there were Jerry fortifications all over the shop. My wife's Dad's partner's family have a bunker in the back garden of their summer cottage. It's a bloody great huge thing which they were completely nonchalant about but which I got very excited about.

Our last place in Trondheim was just up from the U-boat pens which are still there and truth be told they were fantastic feats of engineering. I hope they are kept as they are a piece of history. The Norwegian navy uses the old German U-boat pens in Bergen for their subs - or at least they used to when I was last there, so they're still useful.
 

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