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The passage of a hundred years since WWI has not healed the land in certain places. These are a series of deep craters caused by high explosives strategically placed beneath the opposing army’s front line. They were placed there via offensive tunnels that were mere crawl spaces which sometimes took over a year to dig for the purpose of a single explosion. These were truly weapons of modern mass destruction and terror that had the potential to make hundreds and sometimes thousands of human beings virtually disappear, in a split second, with almost no trace of their bodies to be found.

The battle of Verdun was one of the most tragic and deadly battles of WWI. A perimeter of late 19th century forts formed a protective ring around the city of Verdun. Much of the fighting took place along this perimeter.

All but a few of these forts are closed to the public. Access can be dangerous and is strictly prohibited. Penalties for entering the closed forts can be severe with arrest of violators and confiscation of their cars and property.

I was fortunate to gain special authorization from the French defense ministry to photograph inside the closed forts.