Alcatraz Island

The military history of Alcatraz Island began with the construction of Fort Alcatraz in 1859. Since 1861, the fort has served as a prison for prisoners of war from the American Civil War. Three years later, citizens also began to be interned here for "high treason". After the American War, an attempt was made to modernize the fort with underground bunkers and a system of corridors. It was maintained that the fort was better suited as a prison than a defense post. It continued to be used as a prison complex during the Spanish-American War and World War I. The island's more famous form as a federal prison began in 1938 and ended with its closure in 1963.

Today the prison is a tourist attraction. From the Second World War there is still a designation for an air raid shelter.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Flickr