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Tunnels in Wetzlar , WW2


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So to begin with...1-Tunnels were not used to rescue jews and were absolutely not "an escape route" as stated. Work conditions inside were orrible.
2-German weapons V1, V2 and V3 were never  produced in these tunnels...

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Found this documentary on the Wetzlar tunnels, used by Leitz during the WW2

See the link:

 

http://untappedcities.com/2014/07/24/the-tunnels-in-wetzlar-germany-used-by-the-leica-company-to-rescue-jews-in-wwii-germany/

 

Jacques

 

Merci - ou thank you - Jacques. Truth or not, I got this text I had never heard of in my Leica library

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Yes, it's a ludicrous article to suggest that there is a connection between these tunnels and the Leitz "freedom train" story (itself badly misnamed) or that V weapons were built in them.

 

Indeed! We understand that there is even a sort of captious operation behind.

Starting from the name "Freedom train",  pure marketing in american sauce (don't forget that Mr. Dabba Smith studied in the USA) .  

There is a mix of  "Mythos und Fakten" as Mr. Karsten  Porezag (researcher and author of various book) wrote.

The only genuine  "Freedom trains" we know about are two: the first (I report):"...was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early-to-mid 19th century, and used by African-American slaves to escape into free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause..." (see for ex. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad).

The second "Freedom train" is this, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Train.

Nothing to do with Leitz co. IMHO

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I agree that this is a very imprecise mix of facts, real things (tunnels are there by sure, I'd say), unproven connections, and fiction : surely some historician military-specialist about WWII did investigate in deep on the development of Vx Flying bombs... was Leitz factory someway involved into ? Can be ... all the industrial concerns of Germany were engaged in the effort in a war that required more technology than any other before... but not pretending to be an expert, I think that  the technologies which Leitz mastered ( optics and precision mechanics) were not so related with the flying bombs: lot of other military gear was much nearer to the capabilities of Leitz factory.

Also the relation with the well known "freedom train" is weak and far from consistent... timing is different... seems to me just a touch of "politically correct" added from an organization ("untapped cities") who likes to elaborate on the "misteries of underground" (*). 

All in all... the existence of tunnels is interesting... the article is nothing to care much about.

 

(*) In my town, very ancient (+2000 years) , there are lot of remnants of underground structures, channels, passages... from Roman ages to hydro works of 1900... a voluntary group (Brixia Underground) arranges visits to some approachable sites : interesting and well managed... and time to time you also read/hear big baloney on what did happen into our underground... ;) everything is "deep and obscure" titillates fantasy..

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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I did not think this thread was going to be so big. I sincerely regret having put this link. Initially, I was looking for information about Wetzlar on Google in order to study a possible car trip and found this info on the city. If moderator deletion is possible, OK

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(*) In my town, very ancient (+2000 years) , there are lot of remnants of underground structures, channels, passages... from Roman ages to hydro works of 1900... a voluntary group (Brixia Underground) arranges visits to some approachable sites : interesting and well managed... and time to time you also read/hear big baloney on what did happen into our underground... ;) everything is "deep and obscure" titillates fantasy..

 

I cannot recall properly, but I think it was in Nancy, France in 1964 where they were building anew into a bluff above existing shops  over the street shops and they exposed Roman tunnels. To my very young mind it was fascinating, revealing, unwinding history. I heard the merchants below were not enthusiastic - they were using them.

 

Then, in a town South of ours in Minnesota which was built against bluffs, we found the residents had built homes touching the bluff and were using pre-existing tunnels in the cliffs which were so long ago used to store beer. Living in an old beer tunnel seems cool to me especially in Summer.

Edited by pico
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I did not think this thread was going to be so big. I sincerely regret having put this link. Initially, I was looking for information about Wetzlar on Google in order to study a possible car trip and found this info on the city. If moderator deletion is possible, OK

Don't be; It gives an opportunity to set the record straight and to discuss this obscure corner of history.

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The article is perhaps a bit 'light' on hard facts and the chronology is more than a bit mixed up. The author does, however, say that " The role of the tunnels, as both military industrial site and escape routes, could benefit from further research". I have sent the link to the article to somebody who knows Rabbi Smith who I imagine has already seen this article.

 

William

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Then, in a town South of ours in Minnesota which was built against bluffs, we found the residents had built homes touching the bluff and were using pre-existing tunnels in the cliffs which were so long ago used to store beer. Living in an old beer tunnel seems cool to me especially in Summer.

 

Appealing indeed ....  :p

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The article is perhaps a bit 'light' on hard facts and the chronology is more than a bit mixed up. The author does, however, say that " The role of the tunnels, as both military industrial site and escape routes, could benefit from further research". I have sent the link to the article to somebody who knows Rabbi Smith who I imagine has already seen this article.

 

William

 

"escape routes" seems rather uneven to me... while the usage as refuge has imho more sense (during WWII) there were many in any urban centre. 

I remember to have read that a woman of the Leitz family (Else ? Not sure of the name) was jailed for some days by Gestapo under the accuse to have "helped" a person of the Palmos family (Jew) , who had an optical company in Wetzlar  (probably "Germanized - seized" as all the Jewish-owned business in that era) ... could "helped" be interpreted also as "hidden" ?  This could be an interesting field of research... maybe related to those tunnels ?  

Edited by luigi bertolotti
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I suggested elucidation because otherwise the mix of "Mythos und Fakten" remains in the minds of readers on this forum. It is salutary to remind ourselves that we never do manage to completely separate the two. Enough of that! Back to Leicas.

 

Stuart

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