Bunker Koehoal

The Koehoal Position was constructed around 1943 as part of the northern Atlantic Wall defences. Its location on the seawall offered a strategic view over the Wadden Sea and the air corridor used by Allied bombers on their way to Germany. From Koehoal, the Germans could detect enemy aircraft early and coordinate with anti-aircraft units elsewhere in Friesland.

The complex measured roughly 300 by 200 metres and consisted of four reinforced concrete bunkers, three brick barracks, a large wooden barracks, ammunition storage, several watchtowers and gun emplacements. The position was surrounded by a triple barbed-wire barrier with a total length of more than three kilometres. Around it lay machine-gun positions, shelters and communication trenches.

The heart of the complex was the command bunker, which still survives today. Inside were the telephone exchange, communication rooms and observation points with a direct view over the seawall. From this bunker, reports of enemy aircraft were forwarded to higher command posts and anti-aircraft batteries in the area.

After the war

After 1945, the position was largely dismantled. The wooden barracks and brick buildings disappeared, but the large bunker remained, partly because it was firmly anchored in the seawall. In the decades that followed, the site became overgrown and covered with soil until local volunteers rediscovered the structure and began restoration work.

Education and preservation

Thanks to the efforts of the Bunker Koehoal Foundation, the bunker has now been partly restored and serves as an educational visitor site. Inside, original components, remnants of ammunition, personal finds and documents can be seen that offer insight into life within the position.