WWII German army bunker Bunker

Andris Grabčiks jau pie atraktā bunkura. Avots: Gita Memmēna, Vidzemes tūrisma asociācija
0Brankšas29_08_19441.jpg
0aBrankšas_mežasag1.jpg
1Garsmuizasbunkurs_M1.jpg
2Garsmuizasbunkurs_M1b.jpg
3Garsmuizasbunkurs_M3.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M10.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M11.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M12.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M4.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M5.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M6.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M7.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M8.jpg
Garsmuizasbunkurs_M9.jpg
 Gāršmuiža, Sējas pag., Saulkrastu nov., Latvija
52

It was located near the house in "Brankša" on a grain field.

On September 2, 2021, under the guidance of Andras Grabčiks, a history enthusiast of the Saulkrasti region, and in coordination with Ines Karlova, the tenant of agricultural land, excavation works of the German army bunker of the Sigulda defense line of World War II took place.

"77 years have passed since the bunker was built, experienced both the attack of the Soviet Army and the driving of agricultural machinery over it. Only 3 years ago, it partially succumbed to the heavy machinery. To prevent the floor from being flooded, a drainage system was developed with a water storage reservoir at the entrance, which, if necessary, exhausted. The floor of the bunker is made of round logs 10 cm in diameter and was covered with straw. This bunker is not one of the big ones, but quite enough for about 6 people. This bunker is not the only one in the area, but one of the few that is well preserved." - this is what Andris Grabčiks says about the bunker.

After the information was published on the Internet, 2 scanned historical photographs were received from the historian and owner of the Saulkrasti Bicycle Museum, Jānis Seregins, with the inscription "29.08.44, Saulkrasti, Vidrižu parish" and the comment: "The photographs were obtained from a Saulkrasti resident, who is now dead. According to her story, refugees from Pskov and Leningrad region, who were driven out of their homes by the retreating Germans, had settled in Saulkrasti. They were employed in digging trenches in the defense line near Ķīšupe. One of the pictures shows people in forest works. In this way, the logs that we can see now in the bunker near Brankša were obtained. The second picture shows how they are fed at a distribution point near the house or in the kitchen. I think it's the Branch Mill."

The bunker has been preserved from WWII on the defensive line of Sigulda.
The site of the first rezi bunker was surveyed in April 2021, but due to the high ground water, excavation work could not take place.

The bunker is located on agricultural land and after excavation and exploration, it was filled in so as not to interfere with agricultural work.

Used sources and references:

Research work of Andra Grabchik, Gita Memmena
Historical photographs from the private collection of Jānis Seregins

Related stories

About the events of the children's colony "Dwarfs" during the pre-war and World War II

The families of the guerrilla supporters were deprived of their children. In March 1943, there were 1,100 children in the Salaspils camp. About 250 children died due to measles, typhoid and other diseases, several hundred children were transferred to the farms of the surrounding parishes, about 300 children ended up in orphanages in Riga's Jurmala, Igate and Saulkrasti.
In Saulkrasti, the children ended up in the children's colony "Rūķīši" of the Latvian Children's Aid Society.