Demolition of the buildings

In the autumn of 1943, the Germans decided that almost all the houses on the west side of the fortress had to be demolished. They were too close to the German defense line and could provide protection to the Allied combat units in the event of a successful Allied landing.

Some houses were also within the firing range of the artillery.
190 homes, 24 shops and 8 businesses were demolished. This caused a lot of misery for the people who had to move.