Uetliberg Fortress

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The three-kilometer-wide section of the Limmat position between Uetliberg , Uitikon- Waldegg and Urdorfer Senke, which was prepared by the 6th Division of the Swiss Army according to the modern concept of dynamic defense in World War II , was called the Uetliberg Fortress (also Uetliberg defense position) .

"Glasses" shelter A 4921

prehistory

Prehistoric fortress Uetliberg

Early historical fortifications Uetliberg

The strategic importance of the Uetliberg was already in the 5th century BC. ( Prince's grave mound Sonnenbühl ) was recognized by the Celtic Helvetians , who protected their oppidum on the summit plateau ⊙ of the Uto Kulm and its foreground with a mighty, deeply graduated wall system. The first wall secured the entire width of the Uetliberg, which rose gently in the west, and was around two kilometers wide ⊙ . The second wall fortified the Aegerten plateau ⊙ in front of the summit area ⊙ and the third wall secured the summit plateau ⊙ . Uetliburg Castle was built on the Kulm in the 10th century .

Limmat position

Due to the operational order No. 2 of October 4, 1939, the Swiss Army occupied the Limmat position in order to be able to stop an attack from the north and a bypass of the Maginot Line through Switzerland. The city of Zurich and its surroundings were to be defended as part of the Limmat position by the Zurich city command and the 6th Division.

Since too few funds had been approved for the necessary modernization and maintenance of weapons, equipment and fortifications in the interwar period , construction of the Limmat position could only begin at the beginning of the Second World War. One advantage - this dangerous situation for Switzerland - was that the new developments of the war (lightning war, tank battles, airborne troops) could be continuously taken into account (dynamic and deeply staggered defense, use of the obstructive terrain) when building the defense lines.

For ten months (October 1939 to August 1940) preparations were made to become the main battle line in a German attack.

Uetliberg Fortress in World War II

commander

Herbert Constam (1885–1973), Colonel Division and Commander of the 6th Division, was considered one of the most capable troop leaders in the Swiss Army and was also the highest-ranking officer of Jewish origin. Promoted to corps commander in 1943, he commanded the 3rd Army Corps until 1951 .

Army command

The order for the defense of the Limmat position of the commander of the 3rd Army Corps on February 15, 1940 was as follows for the 6th Division:

Defense concept

In contrast to the neighboring divisions, Herbert Constam chose a modern, dynamic defense using the steep, wooded terrain on the Uetliberg due to the recent developments in the war. He was ahead of his time. The conception of a flexible deployment of forces with situation-appropriate heavyweight training, while renouncing a nationwide deployment, only became the new defense doctrine of the Swiss Army in 1995 with the Army Reform 95 as “dynamic spatial defense”.

On the Uetliberg, bulletproof shelters and caverns were supposed to protect the soldiers during an artillery or air attack and keep them ready for action so that they could defend themselves against the enemy infantry attacks expected immediately after the fire. Destroyed field positions could have been replaced by bomb holes. Constam promoted the agility required for this type of fight through close combat exercises, construction work and physical training (gymnastics, marches). The infantry battalions 70, 62 and 166 were supposed to prevent the Uetliberg from bypassing the positions in the Urdorfer Senke.

In the run-up to the Uetliberg, bases in Altstetten (“Dachslern”, “Kappeli”, “Panama”), Oberurdorf and Dietikon ( fortress Dietikon ) as well as the lock points Wollishofen , Urdorf and the city of Zurich were set up for anti-tank fighting and all-round defense . In the village core, the houses were converted into fireplaces, the spaces in between were connected by walls, concrete, iron posts and reinforced with barbed wire.

Behind these bases, an enemy breakthrough with obstacles, iron barriers and tank ditches should be stopped. The Waldegg blocking point was a delimited target area for concentrated artillery fire that would have been directed into this cage by artillery observers posted on the ridge.

The artillery was set up in the area of Ringlikon (Brand), Birmensdorf (Haslen, Maas, Ramerenwald, Risi, Egg, Schüren, Löffler), Bonstetten (Hörglen) and Oberlunkhofen (Matteried) in a loose, chessboard-like form and well camouflaged. The 18 batteries with a total of 72 pipes could reach Zurich, Wallisellen , Rümlang , Dielsdorf and the warehouses via the Urdorfer Senke and Waldegg . You were also responsible for artillery fire protection at the Limmat crossings from Wipkingen and Dietikon.

Artillery positions Uitikon and the surrounding area

  • Observation station Donner A 4881 ⊙
  • Artillery observation bunker “Stauffacher” A 4902: Gugel Schlieren ⊙
  • Artillery observation bunker «Winkelried» A 4903: Berg Schlieren ⊙
  • Artillery observation post "Tellsplatte" A 4904 Herrenbergli (Zurich-Altstetten) ⊙
  • Small shelter “Tellsplatte” A 4905 (Zurich-Altstetten) ⊙
  • Observation post «Laura» A 4945 Schürhof Urdorf: Bunker for two observers ⊙
  • Artillery observation bunker Löwenbräustübli A 4965 ⊙
  • Artillery shelter "Oel" A 4967: Brandweg, Ringlikon ⊙
  • Artillery shield “Im Brand” A 4968: Brandweg, Ringlikon ⊙
  • Artillery shield “Im Brand” A 4969: Brandweg, Ringlikon ⊙
  • Shelter «Ella» A 4979 Zopfstrasse Ringlikon ⊙
  • Gun stand «Chleibtel» A 4980 12 cm field howitzers FHb, Zopfstrasse Ringlikon ⊙
  • "Bartlos" shelter A 4981 Langwiesstrasse, Ringlikon ⊙
  • Gun stand «Kiesgrube» A 4982 12 cm field howitzers FHb, Langwiesstrasse Ringlikon ⊙
  • Gun stand 7.5 cm field gun Im Stocken A 4983 Stallikerstrasse ⊙
  • Artillery shelter "Stöck" A 4984: Haslen, Birmensdorf ⊙
  • Artillery shield «Maas» A 4985: Haslen, Birmensdorf ⊙
  • Artillery shelter "Bickel" A 4992: Maas, Birmensdorf ⊙
  • Artillery shield «Mooswald» A 4993: Maas, Birmensdorf ⊙
  • Artillery shelter "Paula" A 5007: Rameren, Birmensdorf ⊙

  • Artillery observation bunker Löwenstübli A 4965

  • Schürhof double observation bunker, Urdorfer Senke

  • Artillery position Brand, Ringlikon

  • Artillery position Schüren, Birmensdorf

Fortress construction

The entire area on the Uetliberg was declared a restricted military area and was kept secret even from senior officers. Neighboring positions and the camouflaged artillery locations were not known to them either. The area was criss-crossed by trenches and barbed wire entrenchments , and large areas of it were cordoned off. All streets and paths were provided with barriers and concrete shelters for the guards.

Existing locks

  • Terrain tank obstacle (GPH) Birmensdorferstrasse below T 2507 ⊙
  • Armored barricade on Birmensdorferstrasse below T 2507.01 ⊙
  • Tank barricade Uetlibergbahn below T 2507.02 ⊙
  • Panzer barricade at Buchrainweg below T 2507.03 ⊙
  • Barricade depot Lärchenweg ⊙
  • Tannenweg barricade depots ⊙
  • Explosive objects depot Herrligmoos-Lärchenweg Buchhoger B 1681 ⊙
  • Terrain tank obstacle tank ditch Birmensdorferstrasse Waldegg T 2510 ⊙
  • Off-road tank obstacle Pulverhausstrasse T 2512 ⊙
  • Tank barricade street Pulverhausstrasse T 2512.01 ⊙
  • GPH Uitikon ⊙

  • Tank trench Waldegg T 2510

  • GPH Pulverhausstrasse T 2512

  • GPH Uitikon

  • Ban on the Birmensdorf embankment

The sapper company II / 6 of the 6th Division under Captain Kollbrunner employed over 10,000 soldiers at times. Each sapper soldier in this sapper company had to lead a construction team of around 100 soldiers day and night as a site manager or foreman. A military road, the so-called Polenweg, from the SZU Ringlikon stop to Arthur-Rohn-Strasse was laid out by Polish internees on Uetliberg .

The three-kilometer-wide section between Uetliberg, Waldegg and Urdorfer Senke consisted of a deep system of alternating positions that began on the Limmat and ended behind the Reppisch. Instead of bunkered weapons positions, over 100 concrete shelters and rock caverns were built for the troops and command posts, artillery positions and artillery observation bunkers, medical tunnels and ammunition stores (powder house) and a large number of trenches were dug for changing positions. Only through the open Urdorf depression ran a tank barrier with 18 concrete gun stands.

Objects still available Buchhoger, Uitikon

The Armasuisse has begun to cover individual shelters with earth to avoid controls and accidents.

  • Fuchs shelter A 4897 Bröggen, Schlieren ⊙
  • Shelter Himmel A 4898 Länxelmoos, Schlieren ⊙
  • Margrit shelter A 4899 Schlatthölzli, Schlieren ⊙
  • "Herdler Ost" shelter A 4900: 10 men ⊙
  • "Slope" shelter A 4901: Strength ⊙
  • Small shelter Reh - Rosshau A 4906 ⊙
  • Small shelter Steiss Lyrenweg A 4907 ⊙
  • Small shelter Bach - Friedhof A 4908 ⊙
  • Small shelter Blick - Im Gubel A 4909 ⊙
  • Small shelter Bruch - Emmet A 4910 ⊙
  • Small shelter Platte, Waldegg 1 A 4911 ⊙
  • Small shelter border, Waldegg 2 A 4912 ⊙
  • Small shelter Glatze, Buchhoger 1 A 4913 ⊙
  • Small shelter Sumpf, Buchhoger 2 A 4914 ⊙
  • Half-train shelter Buchhoger 3 A 4915 ⊙
  • Small shelter pipe - Buchhoger A 4916, today Ouellwasseraufnahme ⊙
  • Train shelter stairs, Buchhoger A 4917 ⊙
  • Small shelter Sempach, Buchhoger A 4918 ⊙
  • Small shelter Frosch, Buchhoger A 4919 ⊙
  • Small shelter Totenkopf, Buchhoger A 4920 ⊙
  • Small shelter glasses - Buchhoger A 4921 ⊙
  • Shelter / KP system glasses A 4921 emergency exit ⊙
  • Small shelter Habsburg - Buchhoger A 4922 ⊙
  • Small shelter Kaktus - Buchhoger A 4923 ⊙
  • Small shelter Kropf - Buchhoger A 4924 ⊙
  • Small shelter Opium den - Buchhoger A 4925 ⊙
  • Small shelter Moos - Buchhoger A 4926 ⊙
  • Small shelter Kyburg - Buchhoger A 4927 ⊙
  • Small shelter Jungholz - BuchhogerA 4928 ⊙
  • Cavern and KP system "Hals" A 4929 Chapf ⊙
  • Cavern Medical Aid Station “Nevertheless” A 4930: West Chapf entrance, planned as a war hospital, used as a war armory from 1940 (Reduit) ⊙
  • Cavern Medical Aid Station “Nevertheless” A 4930: Exit Nord Chapf ⊙
  • Cavern Medical Aid Station “Nevertheless” A 4930: Entrance East Chapf ⊙
  • Cavern "Charlotte-Rudolf" A 4931: Entrance east Chapf, command post, switchboard, shelter for 60 men ⊙
  • Cavern "Charlotte-Rudolf" A 4931: Entrance West Chapf ⊙
  • Cavern "Charlotte-Rudolf" A 4931: venting of the explosive chamber ⊙

  • Half-move shelter Buchhoger 3 A 4915

  • Train shelter stairs, Buchhoger A 4917

  • Cavern and KP system "Hals" A 4929 Chapf

  • Cavern Medical Aid Station “Nevertheless” A 4930

  • Team shelter cavern “Unterbruch Waldrand” A 4935

  • Shelter / KP system «Jakob» A 4932 Asp ⊙
  • Shelter / switchboard “Marlis” A 4933 Asp ⊙
  • Team shelter cavern "Edge of the forest" A 4934: Sandloch 1, command post F Art Abt 17 ⊙
  • Team shelter cavern “Unterbruch Waldrand” A 4935: Entrance south Sandloch, 100 meters tunnel ⊙
  • Team shelter cavern "Unterbruch Waldrand" A 4935: Entrance north Sandloch ⊙
  • Team shelter cavern “Reserve Waldrand” A 4936: Entrance north Sandloch ⊙
  • Team shelter cavern “Reserve Waldrand” A 4936: Entrance south Sandloch ⊙
  • Tunnel, shelter «Schlitz» A 4937: Schlierenwald ⊙
  • "Spalt" shelter A 4938: Schlierenwald ⊙
  • “Wasserloch” shelter A 4939: Schlierenwald ⊙
  • "Ring" shelter A 4940: Kleibermättelistrasse ⊙
  • Shelter «Murks» A 4941: Kleibermättelistrasse ⊙
  • "Lichtung" shelter A 4942: house route ⊙
  • Shelter "Rutsch" A 4943: house route ⊙
  • "Cowslip" shelter A 4944: Forrenstrasse, Urdorf ⊙
  • ASU 01 F 20044: Schwandenweg ⊙
  • ASU 02 F 20045: Chriegholz, Uitikon ⊙
  • ASU 05 F 20046: Hohensteinstrasse, Waldegg ⊙
  • ASU 03 F 20047: indoor swimming pool, Uitikon ⊙
  • ASU 08 F 20048: Buechhoger Ed.-Gut-Str. ⊙
  • ASU 09 F 20049: Asp Waldhütte ⊙
  • ASU 13 F 20050: Forrenstrasse wood storage ⊙
  • ASU 06 F 20051: Schlierenwald ⊙
  • ASU 12 F 20052: Schürhof, Urdorf ⊙
  • ASU 11 F 20053: Gugelweg ⊙
  • ASU 10 F 20054: Hausstrasse ⊙
  • ASU 16 F 20055 Bröggen, Schlieren ⊙
  • ASU 15 F 20056 Schlattwis, Schlieren ⊙
  • ASU 14 F 20057 Schlierenstrasse, Schlierenwald ⊙
  • Water reservoir 2 rods W 00603 ⊙

  • Small shelter glasses A 4921

  • "Spalt" shelter A 4938 Schlierenwald

  • Cavern "Edge of the Forest" A 4934 Sandloch, command post F Art Abt 17

  • Small shelter Totenkopf A 4920

Objects still available Hohenstein, Uetliberg

  • Small shelter area Hohenstein Feld - Waldegg A 4946 ⊙
  • Small shelter Süsi - Hohenstein 13 A 4947 ⊙
  • Small shelter Berli - Hohenstein 15 A 4948 ⊙
  • Small shelter Emma - Hohenstein 14 A 4949 ⊙
  • Small shelter Walter - Helene Hohenstein 17/18 A 4950 ⊙
  • Small shelter Knall - Hohenstein 19 A 4951 ⊙
  • Small shelter Hans - Hohenstein 20 A 4952 ⊙
  • Small shelter Mü - Hohenstein 16 A 4953 ⊙
  • Small shelter Lump - Hohenstein 11 A 4954 ⊙
  • Small shelter Spunwald - Hohenstein 10 A 4955 ⊙
  • Small shelter Landwehr - Hohenstein 12A 4956 ⊙
  • Small shelter ETH - Hohenstein 9 A 4957 ⊙
  • Small shelter Effi - Hohenstein 7 A 4958 ⊙
  • Small shelter Mösli - Hohenstein 8 A 4959 ⊙
  • Small shelter Loch - Hohenstein 6 A 4960 ⊙
  • Small shelter Immergrün - Hohenstein 5 A 4961 ⊙
  • Small shelter Ratz - Hohenstein 4 A 4962 ⊙
  • Small shelter sausage - Hohenstein 3 A 4963 ⊙
  • Small shed Schnaps - Hohenstein 2 A 4964 ⊙
  • Cavern / KP «Jurablick» A 4966: East entrance ⊙
  • Cavern / KP «Jurablick» A 4966: West entrance ⊙
  • "Passage" shelter A 4973 Bühlstrasse Ringlikon ⊙
  • Cavern / KP «Grotte» A 4975: Bühlstrasse ⊙
  • "Burg" shelter A 5001: Entrance, Schlössli ⊙
  • "Burg" shelter A 5001: exit, Schlössli ⊙
  • Shelter “Hell” A 5003: Schäflibach ⊙

  • Switchboard Helene A 4950

  • Small shelter Effi A 4958

  • Small shelter Mösli A 4959

  • Small shelter Ratz A 4962

Forward bases

In the advanced bases in Altstetten, Dietikon and Schlieren, as well as in Uitikon-Waldegg (Uetliberg) and the Urdorfer Senke, the city of Zurich and in Wollishofen , from 1938 concrete weapon positions, bunkers, explosive objects and ground armor obstacles were built according to the latest military criteria.

  • Dietikon Fortress

  • Oberurdorf base

  • Schlieren base

  • Urdorf Valley

Adjacent locking points

After the retreat into the Reduit , the field positions on the Uetliberg were abandoned. The Wollishofer and in 1944 the Birmensdorfer anti-tank barrier were built as a preliminary to the Reduit.

  • Lock Birmensdorf

  • Shelter in Birmensdorf

  • Entlisberg bunker

  • Block of Bruchstrasse

Association fortress works of the Limmat position

The Military History Society of the Canton of Zurich is today (2018) the owner of ten smaller and larger facilities on the Limmat position. The Limmat Fortress Works Association is responsible for the regular inspection and maintenance of these fortifications and conducts guided tours for groups on request.

The field positions and shelters are mostly, the trenches partially still preserved, but mostly overgrown and forgotten. Former trenches are now used as part of the bike trail . Individual rock caverns are used for fire-fighting exercises or for data backup. The “Polenweg” still exists, but is no longer signposted.

While building the caverns in the “Sandloch” Uitikon, geologist Hans Stauber discovered two remains of giant tortoise shells that lived here 15 million years ago. The spectacular fossil finds from the upper freshwater molasse of Zurich are exhibited today in the Paleontological Museum of the University of Zurich .

literature

  • Karl Schori: The Uetliberg defensive position in World War II . Swiss Society for Military History Study Trips, Wettingen April 2000.
  • Werner Gassmann: The defensive position Üetliberg in the Second World War and in the post-war period. Concrete military installations as of 2007 . 2nd revised edition 2007.
  • Robert Gubler: Field Division 6. From the Zurich Militia to the Field Division 1815–1991 . NZZ Verlag, Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-85823-323-4 .
  • Walter Schaufelberger: Zurich threatened. The history of the city command 1939/40 . Orell Füssli Verlag, Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-280-02026-3 .
  • Memories of the war years 1939-1945 . Christmas courier 1998, published by the municipality of Uitikon.
  • Edmund Wehrli: Letters from active service 1939–1941 . GMS series no.12, 1993.
  • Walter Lüem u. a .: The position of the Limmat in World War II , Baden-Verlag, Baden 1997, ISBN 3-85545-105-2 .
  • Max Rudolf, Andreas Steigmeier : Guide to the Limmat position from the Second World War. Baden-Verlag, Baden 1998, ISBN 3-85545-114-1 .
  • Military monuments in the canton of Zurich, inventory of combat and command structures. Edited by the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport . Bern 2004.
  • Local history commission of the Aussersihl-Hard neighborhood association: Military in the Sihl area. 2007.
  • Carl M. Holliger, Ludwig A. Minelli : The brave soldier K .: Experiences of the Captain Kollbrunner in active service . Reich-Verlag, Lucerne 1980, ISBN 372430188X .

Web links

Commons : Uetliberg Fortress  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NZZ of May 27, 2004: Legacy of an active duty worker - The defensive positions on the Üetliberg in the Second World War
  2. ↑ Limmat Front - City of Zurich in a State of War (PDF; 1.2 MB)
  3. ↑ «Wherever it is ordered to hold, every fighter, even if he is dependent on himself, makes it his conscience to fight in the place assigned to him. (...) As long as a man still has a cartridge or is still able to use his bare weapon, he will not surrender. " Army order of May 15, 1940, The General: Guisan.
  4. ↑ Alt-Zueri: The Poland Way
  5. ^ Bunkers / shelters for the Limmat position in the Uetliberg / Urdorf area
  6. ^ Military History Society of the Canton of Zurich: Annexes Limmatstellen
  7. ↑ Natural Research Society in Zurich (NGZH) 2/2016: The giant tortoises of Zurich
  8. ↑ Military monuments in the canton of Zurich, inventory of combat and command structures, Bern 2004 (PDF; 2.9 MB)

Coordinates: 47 ° 20 '59.9 "  N , 8 ° 29' 28.5"  E ; CH1903:  679 534  /  244880