Secret Underground Cities that Date Back to WWI Finally Resurface

Beneath the fields and forests of Picardy, France, lay a collection of underground cities. They were once alive with purpose and movement but these World War I relics have long since been abandoned and now sit silent. They're located just a short drive north of Paris, but unlike the crowded, well-known streets of the “city of love” the streets of these areas have gone virtually unrecognized and unseen.

The “cities” were originally used as stone quarries, but were repurposed during World War 1 as an underground escape. Subterranean life in the old quarries was far better than life in the trenches for several reasons. They offered shelter from the elements, temperatures remained relatively stable year-round and those coming back from a long day of fighting could utilize the furniture and fireplaces situated around the space.

Eventually, the basic creature comforts expanded into an entire underground community. They had wiring for electric lighting and communications equipment, as well as spaces for command centers, post offices, altars for religious services and even small theaters the soldiers used to create their own entertainment. The complexes became so vast some put up street signs and maps to eliminate potential confusion in the labyrinth of passageways.

Occupancy varied as the front lines of the war shifted. French, German, American and English troops all occupied them at some point and quite literally left their marks. The bedrock is made up of chalk and soft limestone so bored soldiers spent hours carving various phrases and images into the soft walls. The carvings range from plaques memorializing French miners, to German slogans praising Hitler, to the U.S. flag. Images of women also proliferate on the quarry walls, including many sentimental and idealized portraits.

The land under which the complexes lay is primarily privately owned real estate. In order to protect the historically significant spaces from looters and vandals, owners typically keep the location of the entrances a secret. However, American doctor and photographer Jeff Gusky has gained access to many of them over the course of several years and is sharing his photographs with the public both online, and in an exhibition that premiered at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum earlier this month.

"The War to End All Wars" may be over but the memory of those who lived and breathed and fought for freedom more than a hundred years ago is still alive within the walls of these complexes.