Hitler's HQ 1940 - Brûlis-de-Pesche (Belgium)

Historical information

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

On May 19, 1940 (9 days before the capitulation of the Belgian Army) Germans thought about the end of the Maginot line fortifications (in Longwy in the Avesnes region) as new HQ but the result of this reconnaissance was negative. Then The Reichminister Dr Todt, Colonel Kurt Thomas, Captain Engel (Chief of Hitler's "aides de camp") reconnoiter the region of Philippeville, Brûlis-de-Pesche is chosen by its ideal location: an area in the middle of a 10,000 Ha forest.

Germans chose the small village of Brûly-de-Pesche (near Couvin) on May 22, 1940 in order to install the HQ of their "Führer" (the very first "Führerhauptquartier" in Belgium on May 10, 1940 was located in the Bad Münstereifel region at 10 kilometers from the city of Bastogne). There three barracks were erected: one for the Führer, one of the operations Room and one for Dinner room. The bells of the church were removed in order to install a watertank, the church was transformed into a personnal cinema for Adolf Hitler where he could see propaganda movies. The codename of the selection of this second Hitler's HQ in Belgium was "Waldweide" (forest field). Captain Bertram was in charge of the construction works. The Map room was installed in the school of Brûlis-de-Pesche whereas the HQ of the German Wehrmacht (OKW: OberKommando der Wehrmacht) was located nearby in the city of Chimay, the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himler's HQ was located in Houyet (in the "château d'Ardenne" near Celles) and The Luftwaffe's HQ of Hermann Goering was located in Yvoir (near Dinant).

On May 28, 1940 28 villages in the area are evacuated by force to form the "forbidden zone". On June 6, 1940 Hitler entered the site from where he led with his General Staff the France campaign, he nicknamed himself the site as "Wolfsschulcht" named the "Ravine of the Wolf".

On June 6 1940, Brûly-de-Pesche was the location were Hitler was staying during the invasion of the Low Countries and France.
This location is unique. Almost nothing has changed. Two bunkers have been build. A third one was never completed.
Two reconstructed chalets are standing in the woods on exactly the same place as they were during the invasion of Belgium and France.

There -in the "Führerhauptquartier"- Hitler modified the draft of the Armistice terms when the Battle of France was won by the German Wehrmacht.

Today the site shows up vestiges of Hitler's visit more than sixty years ago:

* The Park raised up by the Todt organization;

* Hitler's air-raid shelter/bunker (600 tons, bunker's sides are 7 meters long).

Two barracks looking like those of 1940 have been reconstructed, one depicting Hitler's stay in 1940 in the region and one depicting the activities of the Belgian maquis (especially the group D of Hotton Squad).

A chapel has been erected in honour of the members of the Belgian maquis who gave their lives for their country. The architect of the chapel is Roger Bastin -born in Couvin- who also created the Modern Art Museum in Brussels.

On June 23, 1940 at 3.30 AM Hitler leaves his HQ at Brûly-de-Pesche in order to visit Paris and comes back to his HQ at 10.00 PM.
Hilter leaves definitely his HQ on June 28, 1940 at 07.30 AM to his HQ in Prussia named the "Tannenberg". The three barracks at Brûlis-de-Pesche were unsettled.

The official website of the museum stands here for more details on Hitler's HQ.
Museum’s authorities can be contacted here.

Other websites to visit about Hitler's HQ: here and there.

Location information

Place Saint-Méen | 5660 Brûlis-de-Pesche | Phone. 060 34 01 40

Photographs taken at the museum are not allowed but I had a special authorization in order to build up this section of my website.
Toilets are free.

Personal note

The entrance fee is 4€, the visit in the forest would charm families.
Hitler's air-raid shelter bunker is rather small.
Do not look for the house used as Hitler's HQ, it does not exist anymore since his barrack has been removed in 1940 at the exact location where today the barrack depicting Hitler's stay has been erected.
Let me thank the Tourism Office of Couvin (Mr. E. Manise) who organized a visit of the site especially for us.