Construction of hospital 1942-1943 (≈ 1943)
Edited by the Germans in 8 months.
septembre 1944
German use
German use septembre 1944 (≈ 1944)
During the fighting in Le Havre.
1945
Reuse by Allies
Reuse by Allies 1945 (≈ 1945)
Post-liberation care for soldiers.
1er mars 2017
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 1er mars 2017 (≈ 2017)
Official registration of the entire site.
19 février 2022
Reopening to the public
Reopening to the public 19 février 2022 (≈ 2022)
Resumed guided tours.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total, the German underground hospital, i.e. the rising parts, and the underground parts with their facilities and equipment, with the ground of the plots on which it is located, sis rue de Trigauville, as indicated on the plans attached to the order (cad. CN 328, 382, 384, 402, 283 and 284): inscription by order of 1 March 2017
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any specific actors related to this monument.
Origin and history
The German underground hospital in Le Havre is an exceptional vestige of the Second World War, located on Rue de Trigauville, on the site of an old brewery whose cellars were reused. This site, unique in France, was built between June 1942 and early 1943 as part of the fortification of the Atlantic Wall by German forces. It was an integral part of the fortress of Le Havre, designed to withstand sieges and support military operations on the Normandy coast.
The underground building, located 12 metres deep, was equipped to accommodate up to 234 patients. It included a full medical treatment chain: physician offices, radiology room, operating room and rooms. The original equipment, still in place today, illustrates its operation during the war. Used by the Germans during the fighting of September 1944, it was then taken over by the Allies in 1945 to treat their own soldiers.
The architectural complex, including the uplifting parts (blockhouse, bunkers) and underground galleries, was listed as historical monuments by order of 1 March 2017. This classification covers the entire site, including the soil of the parcels concerned, as delimited on official plans. Today owned by a private company, the underground hospital is visited by reservation, offering a rare testimony of military health strategies during the occupation.
The reuse of the cellars of the former brewery to build this hospital highlights the adaptation of local infrastructure to the needs of war. Comparable to the Jersey Underground Hospital, this Norman work is a unique example in France of underground military medicine. Its preservation allows us to study German construction techniques and conditions of care in times of conflict.
The visits, organized by the association Mémoire et Patrimoine Le Havre 1939-1945, resumed in February 2022 after a period of closure. The site, although located in urban areas (approximate address: 39 rue Henri IV), remains a major place of memory to understand the impact of the war on the city of Le Havre and its region. GPS coordinates and cadastral plans (CN 328, 382, 384, etc.) specify its exact location in the havre historical fabric.
