You enter like a mill. You can climb them, stand on them, tag them, start a fire inside without really worrying. While we can repaint a blockhouse with complete peace of mind, it is more risky to create graffiti on public property. This tolerance contributes to the destruction of Atlantic Wall bunkers: “50% of their disappearance is due to land development, 25% to erosion and 25% to looting. You must be interested in him. These are the last witnesses we have of the Second World War”, insists Théo Aubry, archaeologist from the Charente-Maritime Departmental Council.
In early August, a tourist broke a concretion in the Maxange cave at Buisson-de-Cadouin in the Dordogne. Unlike the prehistoric site of the Dordogne, which is classified as a national heritage, the blocks, especially those on the coast, are rarely protected.
Hazards, weapons and toxic gases
The appropriation by the population of these concrete blocks is not a bad thing. It still has to be for the right reasons. “When I started excavation of the Belmont Bunkers in Royanpeople rushed. They were all ready to go in,” recalls Karine Robin, head of the archeology department for Charente-Maritime. Breach of location may involve risks. “These places were used as ammunition depots, some of which did not explode. They have not been ventilated for decades, there may be toxic gases. »
Blocks are in better shape “when we touch them as little as possible to preserve them over time.” Nothing surprises Karine Robin anymore. “Some people open a door, others remove a ventilation grill using a grinder. » But for what purpose? “They are passionate people who absolutely want something. And then there are the looters who visit the site with metal detectors, sometimes on private land without any permission, and resell on eBay. Obviously, all these actions remove traces. It limits what we can see. »
Bury to protect
To avoid any damage, the Belmont site was put back underground after it has been studied and excavated, waiting to decide how to make use of it. An exception.
On the Charente coast, bunkers open to the four winds have not contained any nuggets for a long time. “They are freely accessible, we cannot prevent this. » In Chef-de-Baie, north of La Rochelle, a block was built for security reasons. For the rest, we let erosion and passages do their work. In January 2024, in Nieul-sur-Mer, a block loose on its perch ended up falling onto the beach. Théo Aubry was one of the first to enter. It was until now inaccessible, half buried. The archaeologist found unique graffiti there, an eagle with a swastika signed “OT”, which means “Todt Organization”, painted by those who built it. It is no longer visible. And it is not man's fault. The ocean and sea spray made it disappear.
(1) Urbex: Anglicism, refers to an activity that consists of exploring abandoned places normally off limits to the public.