Giessen




Eight air-raid shelters of a unique style can be found in Giessen. These so-called Winkeltürme (Winkel Towers) were cone-shaped concrete towers designed by Leo Winkel of Duisburg. Winkel patented his design in 1934 and began construction in 1936. Eventually some 98 Winkeltürme of five different types were built. The towers were intended mainly as protection for factory workers and railroad personnel, and they appeared most often in areas of heavy industry and rail centers. The Giessen towers were installed on Wehrmacht posts - the one above was on the Artillerie-Kaserne, which the U.S. Army used as Pendleton Barracks after the war. The tower is now located on public property and is used as a climbing tower (hence the brackets added near the top and the knobby projections on the side). the Verdun-Kaserne was to train Nachrichtenhelferinnen - female auxiliary signals specialists. This concrete bunker building was part of the "Amt Gisela" communications complex, located at the rear of the Kaserne. This bunker complex (including the nearby "Hansa" bunkers) included underground components - protected ventilation inlet/outlet for the underground portion beneath the building.