Take a sobering tour, that shows you the complicated heritage of World War II and its lasting impact on the province. Visit the former German Nazi concentration camp of Gross Rosen known for its deadly work conditions in the granite quarry. Find out about the German strategy of extermination through labor. See the mysterious legacy of World War II - the Riese Complex in the Owl Mountains. Enter into the tunnels, find out about potential hypotheses of its purpose, see the guardrooms and spacious hall excavated in stone

The tour starts in the state museum and a former German Nazi concentration camp of Gross Rosen. Originally a sub-camp of Sachsenhausen, from 1941 it became the largest fully autonomous camp in the Silesian province and was known for its deadly work conditions in the granite quarry. Find out about the German state’s machine of brutal forced labor and human annihilation. Experience the sobering feeling of visiting the former SS Cantine building, field crematoria, and memorial site while taking some time to reflect upon approximately 40,000 victims of Nazi terror.

The last sad and at the same time mysterious legacy of World War II is the Complex in the Owl Mountains. The program known under the code name Riese, which means giant in German, was a huge construction endeavor conducted from Autumn 1943 by the famous paramilitary organization Todt. The inmates, mainly from the Gross Rosen camp, worked in deadly conditions excavating the system of tunnels and shafts. Visit a part of the program in Walim, enter into the tunnels, find out about potential hypotheses of its purpose, see the guardrooms and spacious hall excavated in stone. Please note that there is a stable temperature of approx. 5-7 degrees Celsius and humidity of 98% through the whole year inside the tunnels, so please do not forget to take closed shoes and warm clothes with you. The visit in the complex takes approximately 1 hour.

HIGHLIGHTS

Take a sobering tour, that shows you the complicated heritage of World War II and its lasting impact on the province
Visit the former German Nazi concentration camp of Gross Rosen known for its deadly work conditions in the granite quarry.
Find out about the German strategy of extermination through labour
See the mysterious legacy of World War II – the Riese Complex in the Owl Mountains
Enter into the tunnels, find out about potential hypotheses of its purpose, see the guard rooms and spacious hall excavated in stone