Travel Guide "Remembrance Connects Region Oder-Warta"

86 87 A me e t i ng and d i scovery space A me e t i ng and d i scovery space Sites of the Cold War Across Europe, abandoned sites, museums and places of remembrance serve to recall the time of the Cold War, when two systems competed against each other. Harnekop Nuclear Bunker Prötzel, Deutschland 52 ° 41 ‘ 36 . 9 “N 13 ° 58 ‘ 43 . 7 “E Bunker Kolkwitz Cottbus, Deutschland 51 ° 43 ‘ 51 . 2 “N 14 ° 13 ‘ 11 . 5 “E Book and Bunker Town Wünsdorf Zossen, Deutschland 52 ° 11 ‘ 26 . 9 “N 13 ° 28 ‘ 09 . 1 “E Drzonów Military Museum Świdnica, Polen 51 ° 56 ‘ 41 . 5 “N 15 ° 19 ‘ 06 . 0 “E Neuhardenberg Airport Museum Neuhardenberg, Deutschland 52 ° 36 ‘ 26 . 0 “N 14 ° 13 ‘ 35 . 6 “E Wołkodar Russian Missile Base/ Object 3003 Templewko, Polen 52 ° 25 ‘ 15 . 8 “N 15 ° 19 ‘ 09 . 7 “E The Oder-Warthe region was conside- red strategically important on both sides of the Oder River. The entire region was influenced by this confrontation between these two competing value systems and military alliances, between the Western demo- cratic world and the Eastern alliance, in which state socialism and a party dictatorship shaped the lives of the population. The competition between the two systems culminated in a spiral of rear- mament just a few years after the end of the Second World War. Both sides had increasingly modern weapons systems installed in their respective spheres of influence. The region‘s proximity to the Iron Curtain also had an impact on the stationing of military units and on the construction of mili- tary depots. With the collapse of the Eastern system and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many barracks and other military sites were disbanded. The troops stationed in the GDR and Poland, now Russian, were gradually withdrawn until 1994 . These sites, some of which are still abandoned, are also reminders of this chapter of recent German history. The present-day federal state of Brandenburg is considered the region in Germany with the most remnants of the GDR military system. Most of the former restricted areas cannot be entered because of contamination by munitions and due to polluted areas, and also because of the often ruinous condition of the buildings. Brandenburg took over around 100 , 000 hectares of former military land from the federal government in 1994 . In these areas, which have been sealed off for decades, nature has reclaimed a special habitat. Numerous endangered animal species populate these converted landscapes today. Moreover, huge amounts of former military land are now being used for renewable energy production. In addition to the places presented in the guidebook, other properties today bear witness to this past chapter. Lieberoser Heide Succession Park & Field Mound Schwielochsee, Deutschland 51 ° 56 ‘ 37 . 0 “N 14 ° 19 ‘ 57 . 9 “E