Šibenice, Artillery fort in Jamnice and Březová, Czech Republic
Šibenice is an artillery fort located on elevated terrain between Jamnice and Březová at 377 meters above ground. The structure features concrete fortifications built for defensive purposes along northern Czechoslovak borders.
Planning began after Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany, and the Ministry of National Defence tendered the construction in January 1938; the Lanna company started work on 30 April 1938 at a contract price of 49,779,717.30 Kč. The crew was planned for about 615 soldiers. Facing the Nazi threat, the builders deliberately buried the unfinished entrance, which has not been found since.
The name Šibenice means "gallows" in Czech, and the fort is also known by its German name Galgenberg, "gallows hill". The planned garrison numbered about 615 soldiers. The site lies on height 376 between Sádek and Milostovice, west of Opava.
The site is accessible by road connecting Jamnice and Březová, with parking available around 200 meters from the fort. The elevated location means you should prepare for sloped terrain and potentially muddy conditions during wet weather.
The fort's planned underground galleries reached about 2,800 m, plus a 420 m drainage tunnel, making Šibenice the most extensive Czechoslovak fort of its kind. The entrance was deliberately buried in 1938 and has never been found; a lookout tower built in 2018–2019 on the artillery turret site now marks the spot.
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