Engelberg tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Engelberg Tunnel is a motorway tunnel on the German
A81 Autobahn (motorway) just to the west of Stuttgart
on the outskirts of Leonberg
. During World War II
it was used as a Nazi forced labor factory for the manufacture and storage of aircraft parts.
The name is sometimes used to refer to the Old Engelberg Tunnel - which was Germany's first ever motorway tunnel - and sometimes used to refer to its successor, the completely rebuilt lower Engelberg Tunnel. Both travel under the Engelberg hill to the east of Leonberg on the Stuttgart
to Heilbronn
A81 motorway.
The original Engelberg twin tunnel was opened to traffic on 5 November 1938 after three years' construction. The 318m long twin tunnel stood on 'Route 39' of the network of motorways built during the German Reich and was Germany's first ever motorway tunnel.
both tunnels were closed to traffic in 1944 to be used as a Messerschmitt
factory. Nazi slave labourers
were brought to work in the factory from the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
in Alsace
. In shifts lasting between 12 and 18 hours, "Zwangsarbeiter" [forced workers] assembled wings for Me 262 type aircraft. To provide extra production area, an extra floor was built in the tunnels. Total production area was 11,000m².
Around 3000 people were forced to work in the Engelberg factory. 374 died there.
Shortly before the end of the Second World War all the machinery was removed and the tunnels were blown up.
The first tunnel was returned to full working order between 1946 and 1950. The second was completed in 1961.
Each tube of the old tunnel was only wide enough to accommodate two lanes of traffic (with no hard shoulder). As traffic volumes rose, the tunnel became a bottleneck, especially for heavy goods vehicles. Traffic jams were not so much caused by the restriction to two lanes as the steep approach to the tunnel. Vehicles approaching from the north had to overcome a 6 per cent ascent. Lorries slowed significantly before reaching the tunnel causing long tailbacks.
In 1999, a new twin tunnel was opened to replace the old tunnels. The old west tunnel remained in place, with the south entrance still open. The old east tunnel was filled in with rubble from construction of the new tunnels. The State handed over control of the old west tunnel to the Leonberg authorities who were considering using it as a bypass
. Eventually the south exit to the old west tunnel was turned into a memorial to victims of the concentration camp. The other entrance was filled in. The issue of a bypass for Leonberg has still not been resolved by town councillors.
The area where the old motorway once stood became green belt
land and is popular among walkers and people sledging in winter.
In October 2004, the regional authorities
expressed concern about the stability of the old tunnels beyond the blocked entrances. An engineering survey was carried out on both tunnels. Experts found that the old tunnels were in danger of collapsing so both were entirely filled in using compressed materials in late 2007/early 2008 at a cost of around 1 million euro
s. The last 20 meters of the southern entrance of the west tunnel were left in place as part of the memorial.,
The new "Lower Engelberg Tunnel" enters the Engelberg hill 60 meters under the old tunnel. The approach from the north is almost level. Each tunnel (west and east) is 2530 metres long and has tunnel transmitter
s for uninterrupted car radio and mobile telephone reception.
The cost of the new tunnel was 435 million euro
s, financed through private funds. By the time the state of
Baden-Württemberg
has covered interest costs and allowed for inflation the total tunnel costs will be 720 million euros. As a result, the financing of the tunnel was heavily criticised for stealing funds from other major projects.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
A81 Autobahn (motorway) just to the west of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
on the outskirts of Leonberg
Leonberg
Leonberg is a town in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg about 10 miles to the west of Stuttgart, the state capital. Approximately 45,000 people live in Leonberg, making it the third biggest borough in the rural district of Böblingen .Leonberg is most famous for its picturesque market...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used as a Nazi forced labor factory for the manufacture and storage of aircraft parts.
The name is sometimes used to refer to the Old Engelberg Tunnel - which was Germany's first ever motorway tunnel - and sometimes used to refer to its successor, the completely rebuilt lower Engelberg Tunnel. Both travel under the Engelberg hill to the east of Leonberg on the Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
to Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
A81 motorway.
The Old Engelburg Tunnel
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
both tunnels were closed to traffic in 1944 to be used as a Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
factory. Nazi slave labourers
Forced labor in Germany during World War II
The use of forced labour in Nazi Germany and throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II took place on an unprecedented scale. It was a vital part of the German economic exploitation of conquered territories. It also contributed to the mass extermination of populations in German-occupied...
were brought to work in the factory from the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Natzweiler-Struthof
Natzweiler-Struthof was a German concentration camp located in the Vosges Mountains close to the Alsatian village of Natzwiller in France, and the town of Schirmeck, about 50 km south west from the city of Strasbourg....
in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
. In shifts lasting between 12 and 18 hours, "Zwangsarbeiter" [forced workers] assembled wings for Me 262 type aircraft. To provide extra production area, an extra floor was built in the tunnels. Total production area was 11,000m².
Around 3000 people were forced to work in the Engelberg factory. 374 died there.
Shortly before the end of the Second World War all the machinery was removed and the tunnels were blown up.
The first tunnel was returned to full working order between 1946 and 1950. The second was completed in 1961.
Construction of the "Lower Engelberg Tunnel"
In 1999, a new twin tunnel was opened to replace the old tunnels. The old west tunnel remained in place, with the south entrance still open. The old east tunnel was filled in with rubble from construction of the new tunnels. The State handed over control of the old west tunnel to the Leonberg authorities who were considering using it as a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
. Eventually the south exit to the old west tunnel was turned into a memorial to victims of the concentration camp. The other entrance was filled in. The issue of a bypass for Leonberg has still not been resolved by town councillors.
The area where the old motorway once stood became green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
land and is popular among walkers and people sledging in winter.
In October 2004, the regional authorities
Stuttgart (region)
Stuttgart is one of the four administrative districts of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the north-east of the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwestern part of Germany.It is sub-divided into the three regions Heilbronn-Franken, Ostwürttemberg, Stuttgart.- External links :*...
expressed concern about the stability of the old tunnels beyond the blocked entrances. An engineering survey was carried out on both tunnels. Experts found that the old tunnels were in danger of collapsing so both were entirely filled in using compressed materials in late 2007/early 2008 at a cost of around 1 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s. The last 20 meters of the southern entrance of the west tunnel were left in place as part of the memorial.,
The new "Lower Engelberg Tunnel" enters the Engelberg hill 60 meters under the old tunnel. The approach from the north is almost level. Each tunnel (west and east) is 2530 metres long and has tunnel transmitter
Tunnel transmitter
A tunnel transmitter allows wireless reception in tunnels. It consists of a receiving antenna which receives the signal to be radiated in the tunnel, and a transmitting antenna installed in the tunnel, which is either a Yagi antenna or a line antenna...
s for uninterrupted car radio and mobile telephone reception.
The cost of the new tunnel was 435 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, financed through private funds. By the time the state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
has covered interest costs and allowed for inflation the total tunnel costs will be 720 million euros. As a result, the financing of the tunnel was heavily criticised for stealing funds from other major projects.