Abandoned German Wehrmacht Panzer Tank and Soviet Russian Armored Combat Vehicle After Battle. Black And White Photo. (grigory_bruev (123RF))
During World War II, Germany secretly worked on a nuclear program that is far less known than the American Manhattan Project. In the small town of Haigerloch, located in the Swabian Jura, a secret nuclear research facility was established where German scientists, led by Werner Heisenberg and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, studied the potential of uranium for energy production and possibly the development of an atomic bomb.
The German nuclear program began in 1939 following the discovery of nuclear fission by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann. The German Army Ordnance Office recognized the military potential of this discovery and commissioned a group of leading physicists, including Heisenberg, to explore the possible applications of nuclear energy for weapons or other purposes. As large research centers became vulnerable to Allied bombings, research was increasingly moved to remote locations.
Haigerloch, a small town with a natural rock cave, was chosen as the site for the uranium project in 1944. In a bunker beneath the castle church, scientists built an underground laboratory where they experimented with a reactor made of uranium cubes and heavy water. Their goal was to achieve a controlled chain reaction, but the German research lagged behind the American efforts—due in part to limited resources and strategic missteps.
In April 1945, shortly before the war ended, American troops advanced and discovered the secret laboratory. The scientists were arrested, and the heavy water and uranium were confiscated. The key researchers, including Heisenberg, were taken to England as part of “Operation Alsos” and interned at Farm Hall. Only through the news of the Hiroshima explosion did they realize how far the Americans had progressed with their nuclear program.
Today, the Atomkeller Museum in Haigerloch commemorates this chapter of German scientific history. Visitors can explore the original site of the laboratory, view models of the reactor and learn more about the research conducted during that time. The museum provides fascinating insights into the scientific and ethical dimensions of the German nuclear project.
Address and Admission Fees
Atomkeller Museum Haigerloch Oberstadtstraße 16 72401 Haigerloch
https://www.haigerloch.de/Atomkeller
Adults: €4.00
Reduced (students, seniors): €3.00
Children under 6: Free
Group tours: Available upon request
The German nuclear project in Haigerloch remains a fascinating yet little-known chapter of history. The Atomkeller Museum allows visitors to delve into the secrets of German nuclear research and understand the historical background of this scientific endeavor.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
