The West Wall, part III

To keep the grass short and the shrubs away the keepers of the West Wall use a lawn mower mark 1, also called sheep. Around the areas that have been cleared, so it's now possible to see the old bunkers, the sheep are kept free ranging. These creatures are cheap, reliable and friendly to both environment and visitors alike, even though they tend to be a bit inquisitive. They also have the advantage of being able to "cut" the grass on the steep slopes of the ravelins.

The West Wall, part II

All along the fortification ran a road behind the lines, at strategic places ammunition bunkers and barracks were placed and in front of the lines the area was kept free so there were clear lines of fire out to 1.000 m. To man these fortifications along with the other forts and batteries around Copenhagen a total of 40.000 men were needed.

The West Wall was never tested in combat as the Danish government managed to keep Denmark neutral during WWI and the fortifications were abandoned in 1920. Tomorrow I'll show you the low tech way of keeping the greenery at bay on the ravelins.

The West Wall

In a great arch around Copenhagen 10 km from the city center lies a green belt. When exploring this you'll suddenly be confronted with a sight like this bunker. This is the remains of the greatest Danish fortification, the West Wall around Copenhagen, built in the late 19th century to defend Copenhagen against an attack.


The fortifications are 13 km long with ramparts, ravelins, bunkers and gun positions with a moat in front of it and a lot of overlapping fields of fire. It can be a bit difficult to see large parts of the wall due to growth but in some areas the old bunkers and their surroundings have been cleared, so it's now possible to take a closer look at this piece of history. More about the West Wall tomorrow.