Bunker Archeology
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"In 1958, Virilio conducted a phenomenological enquiry into military space and the organization of territory, particularly concerning the Atlantic Wall—the 15,000 Nazi bunkers built during World War II along the coastline of France and designed to repel any Allied assault. In 1975 he co-organised the Bunker Archeologie exhibition at the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris, a collection of texts and images relating to the Atlantic Wall. " --Sholem Stein |
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Bunker Archeology: Texts and Photos (1975, French: Bunker Archéologie : étude sur l'espace militaire européen de la Seconde Guerre mondiale) is a book by Paul Virilio. In 1958, Virilio conducted a phenomenological enquiry into military space and the organization of territory, particularly concerning the Atlantic Wall.
The result was published in French in 1975 by the Pompidou foundation as Bunker Archéologie.
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From the American publisher
The Atlantic Wall has never been as famous as the Maginot or Siegfried line. Built in less than 4 years on the entire French coastline to forestall an Allied landing, this system of fortification designed by General Todt is composed of almost 15,000 separate constructions including 4,000 major structures and 9,000 artillery batteries which linked the fortified ports. On 6th June 1944, the Allied landings put it out of commission once and for all.
In the aftermath of the War, the author started the research of this defence system from a new standpoint, beginning this study which combines the objectivity of the historian, the awe with which the structures inspired in him as a boy, and the aesthetics and philosophy of the modern mind.
This is a photographic and historic study of one of the great lines of fortification of World War II, including a strategic and design analysis of each type of structure - bunkers, observation posts, etc. --from the publisher
From the German publisher
1992: Bunkerarchäologie. München, Hanser
English translation
Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1997)
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