Zoutelande’s defence consisted of two constructions named after the Meistersinger and Lohengrin operas made by composer Richard Wagner. There is a type 502 troopbunker and a type 143 observation bunker in the dunes of Zoutelande, part of the ‘Stützpunkt Lohengrin’. The observation bunker was built on a high dune, from which the Germans not only had an excellent view of the Schelde estuary and the beaches, but also over the entire island of Walcheren. The Zoutelande Bunkermuseum is located in both bunkers.
The observation bunker had a 20-tonne armoured-steel observation dome integrated into the roof. The surrounding area could be viewed using a periscope in the dome. During an Allied invasion, the locations of enemy troops were worked out in the calculation room and passed on by telephone or radio to the batteries further inland.
