Recent storms unearths fortifications at Baltic Shore

The hurricane Gregory, which swept through Northern Poland causing rough weather at the Baltic shore has shifted dunes at the former Hel Fortified Area, uncovering bunkers and fortifications from the Cold War era.

Unearthed bunker (by Grzegorz Elmiś)

The storm is said to have uncovered military structures which construction started in the area of the Hel Peninsula since 1950s. The structures consist of prefabricated concrete slabs and elements, and have not been used for decades. Similar structures were unearthed last year as well as in recent years. Some of them became part of the exhibition at the Muzeum Obrony Wybrzeża (The Museum of Coastal Defence). These however are said to be left on site for the sea and nature to take them apart. The Hel Fortified Area was a set of Polish fortifications, constructed in close proximity to the interwar border of Poland and the Third Reich. During World War II, in German-occupied Poland the naval base in Hel was used as a major training facility for U-boat crews. The German troops in the area surrendered on 14 May 1945. Since then the peninsula was among the most protected military bases of People’s Republic of Poland. With time all coastal batteries in Poland were decommissioned and in 1999 everything that remained was designated as military monuments.

The bunker by the sea (by Grzegorz Elmiś)

(after Grzegorz Elmiś & TVN24)

1 Comment


  1. // Reply

    they are gonna leave it in situ or take somewhere else?

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