75 Years Operation "NORDWIND"
The forgotten offensive between Saare and Rhine
Contribution to the inititiative "75 Years End of Second World War in Fortresses, 2020" of the European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network
In January 2020 is the 75th anniversary of an event, which lead between Saar and Rhine to many Alsatian villages being liberated twice in 1945. The operation “Northwind”. It was the very last try of the German Wehrmacht to remain at least in parts at the top of the game in the West. After initial success the forays were stopped dead and the targets Strasbourg and Saverne were never reached. The hard battles in ice and snow claimed the lives of many people not only from soldiers on both sides but also from civilians, who could not be evacuated before the battles started. The villages in that areas as Achen, Rimling Wingen, Hatten, Rittershofen, Herrlisheim, Gambsheim and Kilstett were only left to be ruines after the battles from house to house.
Schedule operation "NORDWIND" 1945
The remembrance weekend is held to commemorate and remember the victims of the Operation Northwind in 1945. Its part of the network initiative "75 Years End of Second World War in Fortresses".
More than 15 fortress buildings in the Upper Rhine region inform on 11th and 12th January 2020 inform in special tours, exhibitions and commemorative events about the dramatic events in January 1945.
Participants of the commemorate initiative 75 years operation "NORDWIND"
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Military History Museum Rastatt: Herrenstraße 18, D-76437 Rastatt | ||
10.01.2020 | Opening event: speech „operation NORTHWIND – The forgotten offensive between Saar and Rhine“ and presentation of participants | |
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Casemate Achen Nord: rue du Fort, F-57412 Achen | ||
11.01.2020 | 13:00-21:00 o'clock | visit of Casemate, exhibition „NORTHWIND“ in part Achen, Kalhausen, Singling (with documents, historic items and video projections) at the Mairie de Achen, 7 rue de Wiesviller, F-57412 Achen |
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Fort Casso: Route départemantale 84, F-57410 Rohrbach-lès-Bitche | ||
12.01.2020 | 14:00-16:00 o’clock | guided tour in historic uniforms, photo exhibition |
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Ouvrage du Simserhof: Rue André Maginot, F-57410 Siersthal | ||
11.01.2020 | 10:00-16:00 o’clock | above-ground inspection of the surface around the block 5 |
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Westwall Museum Festungswerk Gerstfeldhöhe, In der Litzelbach, D-66955 Pirmasens | ||
11.01.2020 | 13:00-17:00 o’clock | open tour 14:30 o‘clock, special exhibition about operation „NORTHWIND“ in connection to fortification Gerstfeldhöhe |
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Espace Mémoire WW2: 57 rue St. Sébastian, F-57230 Bitche | ||
11.01.2020 | 14:00-18:00 o’clock | exhibition about battles during operation “NORTHWIND” in Bitche region |
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Casemate de Dambach-Neunhoffen: 19 rue principale, F-67110 Dambach | ||
12.01.2020 | 14:00-17:30 o’clock | Opening day: the Maginot line as part of the operation “NORTHWIND” |
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Ouvrage du Four à Chaux: Route départemantale 65, F-67510 Lembach | ||
11.01.2020 | 14:30 o’clock | guided tours in German and French |
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Fort de Schoenenbourg: Route du Commandant Reynier, F-67250 Hunspach | ||
11.01.2020 | Opening day | each 09:30-11:00 o’clock and 14:00-16:00 o’clock |
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Casemate Rieffel: rue de l´herbe, F-67250 Oberroedern | ||
12.01.2020 | 10:00-12:00 o’clock | Opening day: The operation „NORTHWIND“ in Hatten - Rittershoffen |
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Casemate Esch: Route de Seltz, F-67690 Hatten | ||
11.01.2020 | 10:00-17:00 o’clock | „NORTHWIND“ all around the casemate, tour through casemate |
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Fortress Germersheim: D-76726 Germersheim | ||
11.01.2020 | 18.00 o’clock | speech: „The railway bridge of Germersheim“, further details to be followed by local press |
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Westwall-Museum Bad Bergzabern Kurfürstenstraße 21, D-76887 Bad Bergzabern | ||
11.01.2020 | 14:00-17:00 o’clock | Opening day |
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Regelbau 32 (hospital shelter): Ruchenstraße 9A, D-76706 Dettenheim-Rußheim | ||
12.01.2020 | 14:00-17:00 o’clock | Opening day |
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Regelbau 10: An der L 75 (bus stop Merceau), D-76437 Rastatt | ||
12.01.2020 | 10:00-16:00 o’clock | guided tours through west wall bunker, exhibition about „NORTHWIND“ |
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History friends Rheinau-Freistett: D-77866 Rheinau-Freistett | ||
09.01.2020 | further details followed by local press | |
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Camouflage bunker: Elsässer Straße 18, D-77694 Kehl-Neumühl | ||
12.01.2020 | 14:00-17:00 o’clock | Opening day |
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Museumsbunker “Emilie”: Ulmenweg 6, D-77742 Neuried-Altenheim | ||
12.01.2020 | 12:00-16:00 o’clock | Opening day: exhibition boards „NORTHWIND“ and „SOLSTICE“ |
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Casemate Kilstett: rue de la Foret, F-67840 Kilstett | ||
11.01.2020 | 10:00-17:00 o’clock | Opening day in cooperation with municipal Kilstett |
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“Battlefield-Tour”: in the area of the bridgehead Gambsheim | ||
11.01.2020 | separate announcement follows | |
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List for download (pdf):
The supervisors of each fortification reserve the right to change the opening hours depending on weather. The organisers of the remembrance weekend “NORTHWIND” and single supervisor teams of fortifications exclude liability for any personal, material and financial damage before during and after the event. The participation in the remembrance weekend “NORTHWIND” will be at own risk.
We thank all partners of the remembrance weekend “NORTHWIND” for their support and the Musée de l’Abri in F-67690 Hatten for the possibility of holding the press conference remembrance weekend “NORTHWIND” on 07.01.2020.
