Gizycko, Poland June 4, 2006 Shannon: Chances are, you’ve never heard of Gierloz, Poland or even the larger town near it, Gizycko. Today these are placid little towns in the rolling hills of the Great Masurian Lakes district. With over 2,000 lakes in the area, these days many people come here to ply the waters in sailboats and canoes or to spend their days hiking in the green forests. So it’s hard to believe, amid all this tranquility, that the heart of the Nazi war machine once beat from a 2.5 square kilometer compound nestled just outside this obscure little town. Sean: Wolfsschanze, German for Wolf’s Lair, was the location of Hitler’s principal headquarters and residence from June 1941 to November 1944. Here, in what used to be known as East Prussia (now northeastern Poland), lies
... read more