History and culture: Regional specialists have found the best preserved German fort in Kaliningrad

The Kaliningrad regional specialists have found during the large scale inspection the best preserved German fort near Kaliningrad. This object is recognized as fort № 11 or fort Dönhoff located in the Dzerzhinsky street in Kaliningrad, said to the REGNUM correspondent a historian, who specializes in fortifications, the chief expert at the Center for protection of Monuments of the Kaliningrad region Avenir Ovsyanov.

According to the regional specialist, the fort № 11 includes the most fixed elements of military architecture, preserved since 1945. “For example, at Fort №11 there were preserved in a pristine form openwork forged staircase leading to a patio on the combat shaft, things to observe and even armored riveted doors - said Ovsyanov. - Everything is scrapped at other forts”.

The Dönhoff Fort № 11 was built in 1877-1882, covering the railway to Insterburg. Originally the fort was called “Zeligenfeld” – by the name of nearby communities, but in 1894 it was named in honor of representatives of the famous family Denhof, whose descendant Marion Denhof was born in Konigsberg and who participated in the plot of the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944. During the April battles of 1945 the fort № 11 did not have stiff resistance advancing units of the Red Army, and the garrison surrendered. In 2007, the fort № 11 has received the status of a cultural heritage of regional importance.