Augarten Flak Towers, Vienna, Austria

Flak towers (Flaktürme) were eight complexes of large, above-ground, anti-aircraft gun blockhouse towers constructed by Nazi Germany in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna from 1940 onwards. The towers were used by the Luftwaffe to defend against Allied air raids against these cities during World War II. They also served as air-raid shelters for tens of thousands of local civilians.

In Vienna military authorities chose the Augarten as one of several places to erect massive buildings for anti-aircraft defence to protect the inner city from Allied bombing. During summer 1944 the construction of a 55 metre high tower with platforms for anti-aircraft guns and nearby also a 51 metre high control tower was begun but not finished. Their remains are still visible in the middle of the park. Moreover during the war hundreds of cubic metres of rubbish were dumped on the site whilst armoured vehicles criss-crossed the garden and - as it is supposed - common graves were dug for hundreds of war victims.

References:

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Miscellaneous historic sites in Austria

User Reviews

Arnek Osem (7 months ago)
Very ipressive but lost to history and unusable. Still worth checking out if you like history. --> for every WWII enthusiast

Kalliope Tsouroupidou (8 months ago)
Historical landmark gun tower remain from the WWII era, located in the heart of a very large leafy park. If you visit here make sure to visit its twin tower on the north side of the park too (as well as the other two Flak tower pairs across the city).

Paul Heller (12 months ago)
Very interesting site, the flak tower from WW2 is still in great shape. There are actually 2 in the park. These are the few remaining such towers in Europe. Closed to the public, you can only see from the park. Recommend visiting.

Shane Dunne (2 years ago)
A large piece of history in the heart do Vienna WW2 defensive structures No tour available - just walk around and admire the size and scale

David Dancey (2 years ago)
A grim reminder of a darker past. Across Vienna are the remains of flak towers. These were gigantic constructions of steel and concrete, built to house anti-aircraft guns to shoot down Allied aircraft in World War II. They were built like fortresses, and were almost impregnable. After the war, these hulking monstrosities were too difficult to safely demolish and so many of them have been left standing. A number of them still stand in Vienna, with the tower in Augarten being one of the best preserved. You cannot enter this one, however, it still stands as a memory of darker times that should never be repeated.

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Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians. The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.

The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.

From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace. From 1479, the Counts of Foix became Kings of Navarre and the last of them, made Henri IV of France, annexed his Pyrrenean lands to France.

As seat of the Governor of the Foix region from the 15th century, the castle continued to ensure the defence of the area, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Richelieu (1632-1638).

Until the Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison. Its life was brightened with grand receptions for its governors, including the Count of Tréville, captain of musketeers under Louis XIII and Marshal Philippe Henri de Ségur, one of Louis XVI's ministers. The Round Tower, built in the 15th century, is the most recent, the two square towers having been built before the 11th century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.

Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.

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