Literally Unknown & Abandoned WWII Munition Factory in the Middle of a Wood (image heavy)

Lucjan Sens

The factory complex DAG Alfred Nobel in Krzystkowice (Alfred Nobel Dynamit Aktien-Gesellschaf Christianstadt) are now just remnants and ruins.

This German munition factory was built most probably in 1939 (the exact date is also unknown) in the area of 35 km² (~8650 acres), and a huge part of it is inaccessible due to being used by the Army as a military facility and some other part was adapted as a penitentiary facility.

The complex was built as a branch of IG Farben conglomerate. Their production profile isn’t well known even today because of the lack of documentation.

“The Casino” building, first one to see.
“The Casino” building, first one to see.

On the very strict guarded territory of the DAG Alfred Nobel complex were living quarters, casinos, an independent fire brigade and railway network with loading ramps, even their own CHP plant. On the place was also working a branch of the concentration camp Gross Rosen and the prisoners of it were the main workforce of the whole project.

Around 25000 prisoners were working there as forced laborers. The factory stopped production just a few days before Red Army arrival.

Germans evacuated some of the most valuable equipment shortly before the Soviet offensive in February 1945, the rest of it were dismantled and transferred by Russians after the war. Today remained only concrete constructions, ruins of production halls, giant silos covered with few meters dirt layers on which trees began to grow.

There are still visible remnants of infrastructure such as roads, railways, and bunkers (in a case of air raids or explosions during the production). The area, currently not guarded is a local attraction. How many objects are out there? Certainly over 500, the role of most of them is unknown.

Foundation for metal tanks with chemicals.
Foundation for metal tanks with chemicals.

 

Production building no. 217
Production building no. 217
Sewage treatment plant
Sewage treatment plant

 

Sewage treatment plant
Sewage treatment plant

 

Tunnel to the sewage treatment plant
Tunnel to the sewage treatment plant

 

Ruined central building of the sewage treatment plant
Ruined central building of the sewage treatment plant

 

Ruins of unknown building
Ruins of unknown building

 

Building no. 252
Building no. 252

 

Interior of the building no. 252.
Interior of the building no. 252.

 

Building no. 229.
Building no. 229.

Interior of the building no. 229.
Interior of the building no. 229.

 

Heat power station
Heat power station

Location

The complex was built on the Nazi Third Reich territory, but after territorial changes of Poland after the World War II, the entire facility became a part of Poland as well.

Of course, under the Soviet rule. Some local legend says there is also a hidden tunnel which leads all the way to Berlin, though that info is unconfirmed. To see all buildings out there it takes at least one day and extreme caution. If someone is very curious about the very specific location data, here are the coordinates – 51°49’3″N 15°11’4″E.

Interior of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station

 

Interior of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station

 

Toilets of the heat power station
Toilets of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station
Interior of the heat power station

 

Heat power station.
Heat power station.

 

Heat power station.
Heat power station.

 

Heat power station no. 3.
Heat power station no. 3.

 

Interior of the heat power station no. 3.
Interior of the heat power station no. 3.

 

Interior of the heat power station no. 3.
Interior of the heat power station no. 3.

 

Railways and a loading ramp between heat stations.
Railways and a loading ramp between heat stations.

 

Railways and a loading ramp between heat stations.
Railways and a loading ramp between heat stations.

 

The ramp and a part of heat power station.
The ramp and a part of heat power station.

 

Another heat power station.
Another heat power station.

 

One of the production halls.
One of the production halls.