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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Kronprinz shelter, originally a military pavilion, was built by the 18th German Infantry Division in the early 20th century. Its ingenious architecture concealed it in the landscape: dug on a hillside, it was protected from French fire thanks to its counter-slope position. The cut stone facade, with a central forebody and prominent wings, masked a rectangular two-storey building, with thirteen rooms on the ground floor. The ceilings, reinforced by metal rails and reinforced cement, were covered with woodwork for relative comfort.

The upper terrace, shielded by two metres of reinforced concrete, housed about fifteen chimneys. The shelter included rooms, a command room and a relaxation area. Abandoned in March 1917 by the Germans, he was reoccupied from May to August 1918, during which time the Kronprinz of Bavaria would have stayed there. It was finally taken over by the French on 19 August 1918, marking the end of its military use.

Ranked Historic Monument in 1999, the shelter illustrates German camouflage and fortification techniques during the First World War. Its state of conservation and its history make it a rare testimony of military strategies of the time, although its exact location remains approximate (map precision estimated at 5/10).

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