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Origin and history

The work of Schoenenburg, located on the boundary of the municipalities of Hunspach and Ingolsheim in the Lower Rhine (Great East), is one of the most impressive works of the Maginot line. Designed in 1929 and built between 1930 and 1935 in reinforced concrete, it is part of the fortified area of Haguenau. It is planned for a garrison of 600 men and consists of two entrance blocks, six battle blocks, and three kilometres of underground galleries equipped with electrified railway tracks. Its role was to resist enemy assaults thanks to a powerful artillery, including 75 mm turrets and 81 mm mortars.

The work played an active role in the fighting in June 1940, firing more than 16,000 shells in ten months, of which 13,388 in just ten days (from 14 to 25 June). Despite heavy shelling (56 420mm, 33 280mm, and 3,000 150mm and 105mm shells), he remained undefeated until 1 July 1940, only on orders from the French high command after the armistice. Damaged by German sabotage in 1945, it was repaired at the beginning of the Cold War.

The structure consists of eight blocks: six battle blocks (including machine gun turrets, 75 mm turrets, and 81 mm mortars) and two entrance blocks (one for ammunition, one for men). The fighting blocks, called "fronts", are several kilometres away from the "backs" (boxes and shops), connected by a 1,500-metre gallery. The facility has a self-contained electric plant with four Sulzer generators, a barracks, a nursing station, and a powerful ventilation system to protect against combat gases.

Ranked a historic monument in 1992, Schoenenburg's work is now managed by the Association of Friends of the Maginot Line of Alsace. Restored to reflect its 1939 state, it has been open to the public since 1982. The visits, of about two hours, allow to discover 3 km of underground galleries at 30 meters depth, with sound atmospheres evoking the fighting of 1940. In 2022, he won second place on the French Favorite Monument.

The book illustrates French military engineering of the 1930s, designed to withstand air and land attacks. Its underground architecture, its autonomous defence systems (electricity, ventilation, supply), and its weaponry are a unique testimony to the defensive strategy of the Maginot line. Despite its effectiveness in the 1940 fighting, the Maginot Line could not prevent the German invasion because of its limited scope and the enemy's strategy of circumvention.

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