Combat Bunker Ringstand 67

Ringstand 67, classified as Bauform 238 in German terminology, is a combat bunker from 1944 equipped with a turret from a PzKpfw II tank armed with a 37 mm gun. It was one of the stronger defensive positions on the German defensive line along the Pilica river near Sulejów.

Armament and construction

The characteristic feature of this type of bunker is a turret from a PzKpfw II tank mounted in the concrete ceiling, armed with a 37 mm gun. This solution provided the crew with armoured protection and the ability to rotate fire, which simpler machine gun positions could not offer. The bunker walls are 40 centimetres thick concrete, intended to protect the crew from artillery fire.

The Pilica line near Sulejów

The bunker was built in summer 1944 as part of the German defensive line on the Pilica, known as Piliza-Stellung, constructed in anticipation of the advancing Eastern Front. Work continued until 15 January 1945, when the Red Army broke through the Pilica defences. Around a hundred combat and passive bunkers were built in the Sulejów area during this period, some of which survive to this day.

Other structures on the same line

More fortifications from this period have been preserved in Sulejów, including a Ringstand 58c type bunker near the town square. The city area also combines another defensive narrative – standing several hundred metres away, Baszta Opacka is part of much older, medieval walls of a Cistercian abbey. The heritage of the Pilica line is documented today as part of Sulejowski Landscape Park, which covers this section of the river valley.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Leśna 19, Sulejów. Multiple locations in the town are marked as Ringstand 67, suggesting there were several bunkers of this type there.
• Some bunkers on the Pilica line stand on private land, so public access to this particular structure is worth checking on site before visiting.
• What to expect: a small concrete structure with a distinctive tank turret in the ceiling, visible mainly from the outside.