Hinterbrühl in southern Lower Austria is the site of the largest
subterranean lake in Europe. It was also a satellite camp of the
Mauthausen KZ and housed a gigantic underground war factory.
In 1912 a botched underground blasting operation of the local gypsum
mine caused 20 million litres of water to gush forth from behind the
rock, flooding the lower level galleries and adits, putting a definite
stop to production.
image: screenshot from www.seegrotte.at
The lake, result of the flooding of a subsequently abandonded mine is described as a "natural monument" on the website (definition of natural monument).
The mine remained closed for years, but gained public interest in
1932, when it opened as a tourist attraction after an international
team of cave explores ventured to make it accessible to the general
public as a show mine.
image: www.seegrotte.at
image: www.seegrotte.at
The 'Seegrotte Hinterbrühl' has been visited by more than 10 million
people. It boasts 'Austria's first Barbara-Museum', venerating St.
Barbara, the patron saint of miners. It was one of the film locations
of Disney's "The three Musketeers" (1993).
Tours are held everyday in several languages and include a 'romantic motor boat trip on the largest subterranean lake of Europe' – if navigating through a flooded former weapons factory/work camp, between the plastic waterlilies, past grotto walls lit in garishly bright colours and a pimped out gondola well fit for Lohengrin is your idea of romance, that is.
click for panorama of underground boat tour
The 'Great Lake', 60 meter underground after passing a labyrinth of tunnels and halls, has a water surface area of approx. 6200m2, and an average depth of 1.20m with the deepest point being a 12m shaft. The lake is fed by seven subterranean springs, but has no natural drain. Each night 50-60 000 liters of water are pumped to keep waterlevels at 1.20m.
image: screenshot from www.seegrotte.at
The subterranean location protected against targeted bomb raids and was consequently requisitioned for the Nationalsocialist wareffort. Under the codename "Languste" the German 'Heinkel Werke' operated an underground aircraft factory deep in the tunnels and adits that were kept dry by continous pumping.
One of many satellite camps of Mauthausen concentration camp was opened in the caverns. At first 800, then 1800 forced labourers and prisoners slaved away in 24-hour shifts, producing parts for the Me 262 jet fighter aka Schwalbe and the 'Heinkel HE 162 Salamander' akaVolksjäger, one of the first jet fighters and also one of the secret weapons of the Luftwaffe.
image: parts of planes produced in the underground factory exhibited in the tunnel. source.
The camp was dissolved in the last days of the war. Seven bombs were intentionally set off inside the mine, destroying the interior.
The 1800 prisoners of the camp were sent on a death march back to Mauthausen, only few survived.
About 50 prisoners remaining in the camp's hospital ward were killed by an injection of petrol because of their inability to walk.
Sources:
"Die Seegrotte und ihre verdrängte Vergangenheit als Konzentrationslager" http://no-racism.net/article/2268/
wikipedia-article in German with info conc. a boat accident with four drowning victims in 2004: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seegrotte
http://www.geheimprojekte.at/t_hint.html
the lake grotto´s homepage www.seegrotte.at
An interview (in German) with one of the last surviving Me262 pilots of Jagdverband 44
1932, when it opened as a tourist attraction after an international
team of cave explores ventured to make it accessible to the general
public as a show mine.
image: www.seegrotte.at
image: www.seegrotte.at
The 'Seegrotte Hinterbrühl' has been visited by more than 10 million
people. It boasts 'Austria's first Barbara-Museum', venerating St.
Barbara, the patron saint of miners. It was one of the film locations
of Disney's "The three Musketeers" (1993).
Tours are held everyday in several languages and include a 'romantic motor boat trip on the largest subterranean lake of Europe' – if navigating through a flooded former weapons factory/work camp, between the plastic waterlilies, past grotto walls lit in garishly bright colours and a pimped out gondola well fit for Lohengrin is your idea of romance, that is.
click for panorama of underground boat tour
The 'Great Lake', 60 meter underground after passing a labyrinth of tunnels and halls, has a water surface area of approx. 6200m2, and an average depth of 1.20m with the deepest point being a 12m shaft. The lake is fed by seven subterranean springs, but has no natural drain. Each night 50-60 000 liters of water are pumped to keep waterlevels at 1.20m.
image: screenshot from www.seegrotte.at
The subterranean location protected against targeted bomb raids and was consequently requisitioned for the Nationalsocialist wareffort. Under the codename "Languste" the German 'Heinkel Werke' operated an underground aircraft factory deep in the tunnels and adits that were kept dry by continous pumping.
One of many satellite camps of Mauthausen concentration camp was opened in the caverns. At first 800, then 1800 forced labourers and prisoners slaved away in 24-hour shifts, producing parts for the Me 262 jet fighter aka Schwalbe and the 'Heinkel HE 162 Salamander' akaVolksjäger, one of the first jet fighters and also one of the secret weapons of the Luftwaffe.
image: parts of planes produced in the underground factory exhibited in the tunnel. source.
The camp was dissolved in the last days of the war. Seven bombs were intentionally set off inside the mine, destroying the interior.
The 1800 prisoners of the camp were sent on a death march back to Mauthausen, only few survived.
About 50 prisoners remaining in the camp's hospital ward were killed by an injection of petrol because of their inability to walk.
Sources:
"Die Seegrotte und ihre verdrängte Vergangenheit als Konzentrationslager" http://no-racism.net/article/
wikipedia-article in German with info conc. a boat accident with four drowning victims in 2004: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seegrotte
http://www.geheimprojekte.at/t_hint.html
the lake grotto´s homepage www.seegrotte.at
An interview (in German) with one of the last surviving Me262 pilots of Jagdverband 44
