Until the outbreak of World War II the area
between the lakes Mój and Siercze was traditionally used as a recreational site by the inhabitants
of
nearby Kętrzyn. In 1940 while planning a military attack on the Soviet Union, the Germans decided to place Hitler’s headquarters there. The construction started in September 1940. Officially it was asserted that it would be a chemical plant Askania (Chemische Werke Askania). In June
1941 the first stage was completed and Hitler
with his entourage arrived there. The complex which
was called Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) was designed
on a rectangular plan. Along its longer side it was crossed by a railway track and a road. There were
about 80 buildings including almost 50 bunkers.
The air-raid shelter for the Third Reich dictator was made of reinforced concrete. The walls were 6 metres and the ceiling 8 metres thick. | 
