The first Siegfried Line (Siegfriedstellung) was built during the World War One, in 1916-17, as a defense line to protect Germany’s western front in northern France. It formed a section of a network of tank defenses and forts called the Hindenburg Line.
In World War Two, Germany once again erected a line of defense along her western flank. The German’s referred to this as the Westwall, but the English nicknamed it the Siegfried Line and this was the name that stuck. We’re Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line was a popular morale-boosting song among the British soldiers as they were sent off to fight in France. And by the end of the war, indeed they did.
The World War Two Siegfried Line was laid further to the east than it’s original namesake. It stretched for almost 400 miles along the border of the German Empire, from the northern-most point of country’s border with the Netherlands at the town of Kleve, down to Switzerland. Much of it ran counter to the French Maginot Line, itself an extremely formidable but ultimately ineffective defensive line.
