Case file · Secret facility (alleged)
Project Riese tunnels
From 1943 Nazi Germany used thousands of prisoners and forced labourers to dig vast tunnel complexes in the Owl Mountains of Lower Silesia, whose purpose was never fully documented.
1943 CE · 50.68, 16.37 · status: official
The account
The Riese ('Giant') project included seven underground complexes and works under Książ Castle; thousands of workers died. Suggested purposes include a Führer headquarters and protected arms factories. The gaps in the record fed later legends of wonder weapons, hidden gold and the 'Bell'.
The sceptical view
The tunnels are real and partly open to visitors; the legends attached to them are not supported by documents.