Deep within Dueodde’s pine forest, a hulking mass of gray concrete emerges from the undergrowth. This is Tysk Kanonbatteri fra 2. verdenskrig – G3, a silent testament to a tumultuous past. Imagine this place in 1940. The German Wehrmacht began constructing this massive gun emplacement. It was intended to be part of a network of batteries controlling the Baltic Sea.
G3 is the best-preserved of two such structures. The other one is G4. They stand roughly 300 meters apart. Picture a 30-meter-long and 40-meter-wide construction. A 17-meter-long cannon was planned for the circular plateau in the middle. This massive gun would have weighed over 100 tons. It could fire 800-kilogram shells at 300 kilometers per hour. Any enemy in the southern Baltic would be in range.
But the cannons never arrived. The Germans planned four gun emplacements. However, only two were built. Construction was abandoned in 1941. The reasons were many. Labor shortages plagued the project. The harsh winter of 1940 brought record-breaking cold. Temperatures plummeted to minus 30 degrees.
Today, 80 years later, G3 and G4 stand almost intact. You are free to explore the entire structure. The architecture is striking. G3 blends with the natural surroundings. It rises from the sandy forest floor. It is both monumental and ephemeral.
Step inside. The sounds of the forest fade. The thick concrete walls create an odd sense of security. These gun emplacements remind us of Bornholm’s strategic importance during World War II. The southern Baltic was the last escape route for German troops. Bornholm was in a key location.
The rest of Denmark celebrated liberation on May 5, 1945. But the German admiral on Bornholm kept his grip. Devastating Soviet bombings of Rønne and Nexø followed on May 7 and 8, 1945. Soviet forces landed on Bornholm on May 9, 1945. The Russians finally left on April 5, 1946. This was after negotiations with the Danish government. Bornholm was liberated almost a year after the rest of Denmark. This undoubtedly hurt the national pride of Bornholm’s people.
Explore the many rooms of the bunker. Bring a flashlight and a warm sweater. It’s cold, damp, and pitch black inside. Watch out for holes in the floor. Be wary of exposed iron and wood. A strange silence fills the bunker’s depths. There is a smell of mold, rust, and tar.
Over time, G3’s dark rooms and isolated location have attracted various activities. Rumors tell of secret rituals and youth parties. Camping gear, books, mattresses, and nylon stockings have been found here.
The area around Tysk Kanonbatteri fra 2. verdenskrig – G3 is full of contrasts. It lies in the forest between Dueodde Strand and a large holiday home area. The gun emplacements stand in stark contrast to carefree island life. Lush green forest meets lifeless gray concrete. Light meets darkness. Freedom meets occupation. History has left heavy footprints on Bornholm’s nature. It is unsettling to think what might have happened. What if an ice winter and a series of coincidences had not stopped construction in 1941?