70+ years is a lifetime, literary, yet it is also the amount of time that has passed since the end of the Second World War. Nevertheless it is still a prominent feature in our collective consciousness and certainly the war and the subsequent peace (and wars) have created the world we live in now.

This is a photo-blog about one reminder of this event that will probably continue to stand for easily another 70 years, the flak towers in Vienna.

Don’t Peek – Read this First

There are lots of better sources describing the flak towers, their construction and their future. See below for a partial list of some of these but suffice to say there is not a lot that I can add to this information. Nevertheless, some details before the pictures:

These things are massive and originally there were six of them in addition to others built in Germany.
Although each tower was of a different height, the upper platforms were the same heights relative to sea level.
The walls are 3 metres thick and the structural density is such that all but the largest WWII bomb would not penetrate the structure.
During air raids, tens of THOUSANDS of people would seek shelter in these structures. Imagine being cheek and jowl with thousands of frightened, sweating and crying women, children, soldiers and a few men crammed into a small apartment block.
These structures cannot be demolished due to their strength, density, cost and potential for damage in nearby communities. As well they have also become protected historical artefacts.
While these structures continue to stand the engineers, slave and force labour have long since passed away. Hopefully for the last two groups in their own bed and many years on rather than at the site while building the tower.
So, look at the pictures of an engineering marvel created through human misery while consuming massive material that could have built homes, highways or hospitals instead.