The Winterberg tunnel was built by the Imperial German Army through a ridge near Craonne, France during World War I.
The 300 m (980 ft) underground passageway, which connected the German frontline to its rear echelon areas, was used to mitigate French artillery on this part of the line when moving troops and equipment into trenches.
In 1917, more than 250 German soldiers were buried alive when the French launched a targeted barrage at both ends of the Winterberg tunnel.
[2] The destruction left hundreds of German soldiers from the Baden Reserve Infantry Regiment 111 buried deep within the ridge near Craonne.
In 2021, French and German organisations opened up the tunnel to give a proper burial to the soldiers who had died years before.