Original subtitles

Narrator: an eerie relic festers In the backwoods of arkansas.

Janulis: there's colorful Cartoons that are slowly fading.

It's almost like you can hear The children laughing

From like 20 years ago.

Narrator: In the middle east,

An ancient bastion Shrouded in myth.

Ha: it's only very recently That we've been able to unveil

Some of the mystery Behind this place.

The closer you look into Those inscriptions,

The closer you look into Those inscriptions,

The more detailed knowledge We gain.

Narrator: And in the heart of england,

A subterranean labyrinth Hides a dark purpose.

Auerbach: Part of it's been painted white,

Part of it's been left Bare brown rock.

There has to be Some significance to this.

There's even an area That it was designed for people

To sleep like a dormitory.

It's like they were preparing For the end of the world.

*

*

Narrator: decaying relics...

Ruins of lost worlds...

Sites haunted by the past...

Their secrets waiting To be revealed.

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

*

*

The densely forested hills Of northwest arkansas

Hide an unexpected rural haven.

Meigs: the ozarks are america's Forgotten mountain range.

It's a beautiful, idyllic area That most people

Are barely aware exists.

In the middle of that, We come across

In the middle of that, We come across

This strange little outpost.

This place is gorgeous, You've got creeks and streams,

Forests, woodlands.

So, it's hard to get a handle On what this place really was.

Narrator: it could be Some kind of ghost town,

But amid the tranquil beauty,

More ramshackle ruins hint At this site's true nature.

Bell: you got broken scaffolds, Metal frames,

Bell: you got broken scaffolds, Metal frames,

Offices with paper strewn All about the place,

Buildings overgrown with weeds.

Janulis: you can just tell how Busy this place would have been.

This place is vast.

There is space for A lot of people here.

There's even A little train line,

Narrator: the railroad track Wends a course

Around this 400-acre complex.

Bell: there's definitely A certain amount

Of make-believe To this whole site.

Of make-believe To this whole site.

Janulis: Why is this place abandoned?

Because outside of it, It looks like paradise.

*

Narrator: a parched slide And forlorn watermill

Are some of the reminders Of the site's lively past,

But it seems any success Was short lived.

This is dogpatch usa,

Once one of the nation's Most unusual theme parks.

Once one of the nation's Most unusual theme parks.

Bell: You know that back in its day,

It would have been A noisy place to be --

Kids full of excitement, queuing Up, desperate to get inside.

But now that's all gone.

Narrator: eddy sisson helps to Look after what's left of this

Once-bustling amusement park.

Ever since he first Came to dogpatch,

He's been fascinated By its history.

This part of the site is where You would buy tickets

This part of the site is where You would buy tickets

And purchase memorabilia.

It would be your first place You would go to.

Narrator: for the people who Came to dogpatch at its peak,

The next stage in their journey Was a magical descent

Into an imaginary world.

So, after you buy your ticket, You would hop on this tram,

And you could see everything That awaited you.

Narrator: But what was so entertaining About this far-away funfair?

Narrator: But what was so entertaining About this far-away funfair?

Bell: this site has a theme, And that's the key

To understanding what this place Was about and why it was here.

Narrator: dogpatch usa is An amusement park

Like no other in america Before or since.

Bell: it's a theme park, So in one sense,

It's like disneyland,

But there were A few major differences.

But there were A few major differences.

Instead of mice, Fantasy castles, and big rides,

You had hillbillies, A few arcades,

And a lake full of trout.

Narrator: it's doors first open To the public on may 18th, 1968.

Sisson: In the heyday of the park,

There would be just tons Of people,

Kids going back and forth And people eating,

Kids going back and forth And people eating,

People buying tickets,

People browsing At the dogpatch memorabilia.

There were just, you know,

Maybe 800 people In this building at one time.

Narrator: but why were people So keen to come visit

These log cabins in the woods?

The story of how it came To be dates back

Three decades Before the first visitors came.

Janulis: It's sort of a landmark

To a massive cultural shift In america.

To a massive cultural shift In america.

This park was culturally related To one specific time period.

It reflected in america In which people were moving

From the agricultural And countryside into the cities.

Narrator: The park took inspiration

From an unexpected source --

A cartoon strip Known as "Li'l abner,"

Which made fun Of that change.

Today, it's hard to remember Or to even imagine

How influential Newspaper comic strips were

How influential Newspaper comic strips were

In the mid 20th century.

"Li'l abner" was one of The most popular comic strips,

And its creator, al capp, Was a huge celebrity.

He used to go on "The tonight show."

He was friends with presidents.

Narrator: "Li'l abner" was set

In the fictional Appalachian village of dogpatch.

It was an over-the-top portrayal Of rural folk

Living in appalachia.

Of course, al capp's vision Of life in the appalachians

Was a very demeaning Hillbilly stereotype,

Was a very demeaning Hillbilly stereotype,

But it was also one that people Kind of loved and embraced.

So, when they heard That there was a theme park

Based on dogpatch,

That was very appealing To a lot of people.

Narrator: at its height,

The cultural phenomenon Attracted a readership

Of over 60 million people, Yet the fact the park existed

At all was A remarkable achievement.

Meigs: now, al capp was A very difficult,

Meigs: now, al capp was A very difficult,

Cantankerous character.

He had turned down many offers To commercialize

Different aspects of his comic And to build theme parks,

But he liked this idea partly

Because it didn't seem That commercial.

Bell: it wasn't so much About the rights.

It was more about the setting And the atmosphere it provided.

This is a slightly different Take on your average theme park.

Narrator: for many visitors, This was a chance

Narrator: for many visitors, This was a chance

To be a part of a world They had grown up consuming,

From catching a fish In the trout pond

And having it cooked In the park's restaurant

To watching artisans Producing traditional crafts

In the cabins.

Guests were transported Into al capp's imagination.

Meigs: it looked just like The dogpatch in the comic.

There was a waterfall, Some scruffy hills,

There are even a few caves Where you could imagine

Maybe if someone was off Brewing up some moonshine.

Maybe if someone was off Brewing up some moonshine.

There was a waterfall, A trout farm,

There was campgrounds,

Bell: one of the largest Structures that remains here

Is the old tower standing tall With a long slide flowing down.

We've all got the fairgrounds As a kid.

You know, this is exactly What you want -- fun and games.

Narrator: In its first year,

300,000 people came to enjoy The hillbilly comic creation.

300,000 people came to enjoy The hillbilly comic creation.

Janulis: the local city council And the county all help fund

And create this park.

And when it opened, It opened to great success.

It made a lot of money.

It was a very popular Theme park.

Bell: "Li'l abner," the brand, Was going really well.

There were plans to open a chain Of themed restaurants,

And there was a tv show In the pipeline, too.

Narrator: What may seem a strange premise

Narrator: What may seem a strange premise

For an amusement park today

Somehow worked, and in time, Some of the biggest names

In show business Came to perform here.

Why then did its popularity Not last?

*

Narrator: in the 1960s, A bizarre amusement park

Hidden in the backwoods Of the ozark mountains

Celebrated rural american life.

Hundreds of thousands Of visitors

Came to enjoy the log cabins,

Waterfalls, And rides every year.

But dogpatch usa was about to go

On an economic roller coaster All of its own.

On an economic roller coaster All of its own.

Meigs: by the '70s, Things were changing.

There was the energy crisis, The price of gas went sky high,

The economy Was really struggling,

Unemployment was high, Inflation was high.

People weren't as inclined To take long road trips.

Narrator: as profits plummeted, The park was put up for sale.

The new proprietors believed

They could Turn its fortunes around,

But the odds Were stacked against them.

In the '80s, the park was sold And purchased by a company

That specializes in building And branding theme parks.

That specializes in building And branding theme parks.

Meigs: the new owners Really thought big.

They put in bigger rides. They put in a music venue.

Narrator: at first, it seemed

That dogpatch's prospects Had been revived.

Sisson: so, it's pretty insane That three dog night,

Tina turner, dolly parton All performed on the stage,

The "Dukes of hazzard" people,

They got them To come and sign autographs.

And, you know, that wasn't A normal thing in arkansas

And, you know, that wasn't A normal thing in arkansas

To have people come, You know, huge hollywood stars.

Narrator: the park's owners Even attempted

To install a ski resort

To make this A year-round destination,

But as the 1980s wore on,

No matter how hard they tried To attract new visitors,

There was one Overriding problem.

Al capp retired from making The comic character,

"Li'l abner," in 1977.

"Li'l abner," in 1977.

Meigs: so, within a few years, You don't have children

Growing up On "Li'l abner" anymore.

They're not clamoring to their Parents to go to dogpatch

Because they've Never heard of dogpatch.

A brand like disney spends Millions of dollars a year

Reminding everybody About those iconic characters.

Sisson: you know, originally, Dogpatch was over 800 acres,

Which was larger than Disney world when it started.

Disneyland has become huge, Trumping everything.

Disneyland has become huge, Trumping everything.

Narrator: unable to adapt

And keep pace With the changing times,

The park fell into bankruptcy, And in 1993,

Its gates finally slammed shut.

Meigs: it's sort of sad To walk this ground today

Because the basic idea Wasn't a bad one.

A lot of people love the idea Of being

In the heartland of america, Being in a rustic setting,

Celebrating some of The traditions of rural life

Or country life.

Narrator: Dogpatch may be gone forever,

But the area's natural beauty

Could one day Bring back the crowds.

Recently, the derelict site Has been bought by new owners

With the hope of making use Of its fish-filled lakes.

Bell: this feature is the key To all of it

If you can attract People here to fish.

And that's the starting point.

The idea can grow from there.

The idea can grow from there.

Maybe there is life left In this place yet.

*

Narrator: in central england, Near the city of birmingham

Is a quiet wilderness away From prying eyes.

*

Janulis: this place is rural. It's remote,

It seems as if there's not A lot happening here.

That's exactly What you're supposed to think.

Ha: there's this mysterious door In the middle of the woods.

Ha: there's this mysterious door In the middle of the woods.

You start to wonder if there's Another world behind that door.

Narrator: And in a way, there is.

Auerbach: this complex has Endless tunnels --

Some of them interconnect, Some of them dead end.

They also vary Considerably in size.

Ha: it's like a massive Underground labyrinth.

Dropping a trail of breadcrumbs Is not going to help you

Find your way out of this place.

Narrator: But distinctive features Soon emerge from the darkness.

Narrator: But distinctive features Soon emerge from the darkness.

Auerbach: there seems to be two Halves to this tunnel network.

Part of it's been painted white,

Part of It's been left bare brown rock.

There has to be Some significance to this.

Janulis: in the lighter tunnels, It gets a little more civilized.

There are office cubicles That have machinery

Stashed away in them.

Auerbach: There's a kitchen area.

There's even an area That it was designed for people

To sleep like a dormitory.

It's like they were preparing For the end of the world.

It's like they were preparing For the end of the world.

Narrator: with enough space To house hundreds

If not thousands of people, What was this place built for

And why plan To live down here in the dark?

For any lone visitor, The cold, empty halls

Make for an unwelcoming scene,

Even sid robinson, the man now In charge of the site,

Still finds The experience disconcerting.

Still finds The experience disconcerting.

Robinson: I find the place is Very eerie --

Such a vast space of darkness,

Especially if you're Just there with the torch.

And it has this presence.

I can't put my finger on it, But, yeah, it's not comfortable.

Narrator: but the sense Of unease is nothing new.

Robinson: Working down here,

Especially during The excavation stages,

I know from Having interviewed people,

Spoke to many worked here.

They said it was horrific, And it was the scariest time,

They said it was horrific, And it was the scariest time,

That it would take a week or two

To get used to the pitch black And the noises.

Narrator: originally built And paid for

By the british government,

The site was then turned over to A private company called rover

For use as factory space.

Auerbach: In the early 20th century,

Rover employed thousands Of people, and they built

Some pretty famous vehicles Like the rover 10,

The meteor, And the light six.

Janulis: rover made most of the Cars they manufactured in-house.

Janulis: rover made most of the Cars they manufactured in-house.

They made the chassis, The engine, even the wheels.

And in doing so, They established themselves

As a trusted british Automobile manufacturer.

But why would they put A factory underground?

Rover may have been A car manufacturer,

But they weren't making Automobiles down here.

This was a shadow factory.

Narrator: Known as drakelow tunnels,

This was once a secret facility Designed to keep britain

This was once a secret facility Designed to keep britain

In the fight against the nazis.

Now, germany didn't really have The capacity,

At least at the beginning Of world war two,

To mount a seaborne invasion Of britain.

But a necessary precursor Was control of the skies.

Narrator: After the first world war,

The government had seized The initiative

And began preparing For this looming threat.

Ha: outsourcing is a big part Of their answer.

Ha: outsourcing is a big part Of their answer.

The air ministry decided

To start co-opting Car manufacturers

In what they called A shadow factory scheme.

The government approached car Companies, companies like rover,

And they made a deal.

They would build them New factories,

And they could build Cars in them,

But if war ever came,

Those factories would get Converted to aircraft making.

Narrator: the plan was good in Theory, but sites like this were

Only built after a major flaw In the plan was realized.

Only built after a major flaw In the plan was realized.

The first shadow factories Were built right

In the shadow Of existing car factories,

And this made them vulnerable To bombing attacks.

Germany just bombed The hell out of them.

Narrator: The fate of the country

Was hanging in the balance.

To find a solution, They had to start digging.

Auerbach: so, in 1942, About halfway through the war,

Rover and its employees Were moved

To a new locale, drakelow.

To a new locale, drakelow.

Robinson: there's no caves here To start with.

This is all totally manmade.

They had at the time 2,000 people working down here

Doing the excavation for them

And creating this fabulous Underground factory.

We don't actually Go down any steps.

It's built straight into The side of the hill.

So, it's all on one level -- Made it a lot easier

For the trucks carrying The materials in and out.

Narrator: designed in A repetitive grid system,

Four quarter-of-a-mile-long Tunnels form the core

Four quarter-of-a-mile-long Tunnels form the core

Of the underground network

With rows of Perpendicular routes

Cutting through them. In total,

It offered up the equivalent Of around five football fields

Worth of bomb-proof Factory space.

Robinson: Rover was producing parts for The rolls-royce merlin engines,

Which was the engines they used In all of the aircraft

During the war period.

So, it was a very, very critical And crucial part

Of the operations Of the war effort at the time.

Narrator: but to operate The machines during the war

With men being sent out To fight on the front,

This provided a new opportunity For others.

Ha: but where was all The manpower going to come from

To build these engines?

Where else but the kitchen?

Women literally Went from cutting cloth

To make dresses to cutting steel To make bombers.

Narrator: across britain, Numerous shadow factories,

Many of which Were built underground,

Many of which Were built underground,

Made the difference.

Janulis: the battle Of great britain was won

Because they had the airplanes To fight off the germans.

Auerbach: without the products Of drakelow,

The outcome of world war two For britain

Might have been very, Very different.

Narrator: but there are corners Of drakelow's underground maze

That seem to tell A different story.

Auerbach: there are these Dormitories and what looks like

Broadcasting equipment, Which makes no sense

For a factory Producing aircraft engines.

Clearly, something else Happened here, as well.

Clearly, something else Happened here, as well.

Narrator: In the heart of england,

A vast underground factory

Once played a vital role

In keeping britain's hopes alive During the second world war.

But further clues at This top-secret site point

To another chilling use.

When you go to drakelow,

It's not just old Factory equipment.

There's a lot more Going on there.

Narrator: The use of atomic bombs on japan

Narrator: The use of atomic bombs on japan

Did more than just end The second world war.

It set in motion The reality of a new threat

To britain's security.

Just four years later, in 1949,

The soviets detonated Their first atomic bomb.

The cold war was underway.

Ha: by the 1950s,

Britain is not only testing out Its own h-bomb,

It's making extensive plans For how to carry on

With government In the event of an attack.

With government In the event of an attack.

Narrator: As the nuclear age developed

Through the 1960s and '70s,

Drakelow low was called Back into action.

The bomb proof nature of the Site was critical once again.

Auerbach: britain created A new initiative

Initially called Regional seats of government,

And the idea was you

Would divide the country Into 12 districts.

The rsgs were designed as a way For the british government

To continue to operate in The event of a nuclear attack.

To continue to operate in The event of a nuclear attack.

Auerbach: parliamentary members Would take shelter

At the headquarters Of these different regions

And would be able To govern there,

Assuming anyone actually Survived the attack.

Drakelow was going to house the Headquarters for district nine.

Robinson: we have the bbc Broadcasting suite

So that regional Government headquarters

Like this could communicate With all the other

Regional government headquarters Around the country.

Narrator: but computers and Communication equipment

Were just the final step.

Were just the final step.

More importantly, The site itself

Would need a major overhaul.

Robinson: When they updated the site,

They sealed off parts Of the tunnel system

And then they installed A new ventilation,

Air conditioning, Heating system,

They updated the wiring, alarms,

Put blast proof doors on it for The entrances.

Narrator: focusing on A smaller section of the site,

The plan was to make this area Safe from nuclear fallout.

The plan was to make this area Safe from nuclear fallout.

The sandstone rock might have Protected those inside

From a nearby detonation,

But questions remain Over the likelihood

Of survival beyond that.

Robinson: you know, you think, "Oh, it'll be sealed

In every little nook And cranny."

Well, although they bricked off The old factory area,

At the end of the main corridor Was the original factory doors,

Which were wooden.

And then they had Two little wooden doors

And then they had Two little wooden doors

Separating this bunker From the factory.

So, should the fallout

Be sort of making his way 'round through the countryside,

It was quite easy To come through

'round the edge Of the door frame

Or through the ventilation System some way.

Even though they got These special filters

To recirculate the air,

By no means was This place airtight.

Narrator: while drakelow was A vital part

Of britain's defense In the second world war,

The rush to put something In place quickly

Ahead of the next threat May not have paid off.

Ahead of the next threat May not have paid off.

Auerbach: with drakelow, you're Trying to do it on the cheap,

It's just obviously Not going to work.

But, you know, at least The tunnels got a new paint job.

Narrator: fortunately, the site Never faced the ultimate test

And was finally shut down And sold off in 1994.

Today, parts Of drakelow tunnels

Have been opened up To the public,

Offering a glimpse into Britain's underground efforts

Offering a glimpse into Britain's underground efforts

To protect the country Throughout the 20th century.

*

Among the craggy peaks of the Israeli-occupied golan heights,

An ancient structure keeps watch Over the disputed plateau.

*

Ha: it's formidable.

It sits high above One of the most fiercely

It sits high above One of the most fiercely

Contested areas On the face of the earth.

Selwood: it's an exceptionally Dramatic setting.

And wherever you look, There seem to be more tunnels,

More corridor, and walls That are extraordinarily thick.

Narrator: the imposing ruins Ramble along a precipitous ridge

For almost a third of a mile.

Wawro: Walls have crumbled,

But it's just Marvelously intact.

But it's just Marvelously intact.

Narrator: belowground, The curious maze continues.

There's a tunnel that leads In and out

Through a hidden entrance,

And then there's this Subterranean area

That looks like It's been flooded.

Narrator: guarding This geopolitical flash point,

The deserted structure Is clearly defensive.

But who built This fortress and why?

Selwood: stories are told About this place,

Of links to the bible Of the tower of babel.

Of links to the bible Of the tower of babel.

This is even today A place of myth and mystery.

Narrator: the riddle of this Commanding site dates back

To the end of the 11th century.

Local guide lior shelef

Has long been exploring this Mythical cliff top bastion.

Narrator: could the name itself Be the first clue?

This is a nimrod fortress.

Selwood: it's named after The biblical character nimrod,

Who was believed To have been the king

Who ordered the construction Of the tower of babel,

Who ordered the construction Of the tower of babel,

That extraordinary structure That stretched from earth

Right up into the heavens.

There was a legend circulating That nimrod

Had been bothered By a mosquito in his ear.

So, an act of regal arrogance, He'd cut off his own head

And replaced it With one of gold.

And that as a sort Of divine punishment

For this act of arrogance,

He'd been buried in the valley Beneath this fortress.

Narrator: Excavations at the site reveal

That whoever built it did A sterling job.

Selwood: this castle was built For military effectiveness,

Many of the details Of the military architecture

Are incredibly well preserved. There are the multiple layers

Within the castle Of fortifications,

Within fortifications To withstand

Repeated waves of attacks.

Narrator: the fort's design Betrays its specific purpose.

Narrator: the fort's design Betrays its specific purpose.

Narrator: but who or what Was this army protecting?

It's only very recently That we've been able to unveil

Some of the mystery And get to the real story

Behind this place.

*

Narrator: so, who came up

Narrator: so, who came up

With this extraordinarily Effective design?

*

Narrator: above the israeli Occupied territory

Of the golan heights, One of the largest

Medieval forts In the middle east

Lay in ruins For hundreds of years.

Exactly who built It would remain a mystery

Until the late 20th century.

Its location helped provide The answer.

The strategic significance Of this nimrod castle

Is that it lies on This high ground blocking access

Is that it lies on This high ground blocking access

From the mediterranean coast Inland to damascus.

Narrator: any invading force Would land at tire

And make their way Through the golan heights

Before taking damascus.

Selwood: damascus was a key seat Of power at the time,

And the main road to damascus

Was a fundamentally important Military highway.

Narrator: Late in the 11th century,

Crusading christian armies Came from the west intent

On recovering the so-called Holy land from islamic rule.

Selwood: the crusades were A defining part

Selwood: the crusades were A defining part

Of the medieval world And of the medieval mind.

Western christian knights Rode east,

Partly to contain islamic forces

Which were expanding In the region,

But also to retake And conquer as christian

All those holy sites From the bible.

Wawro: this whole area Was a battlefield.

And you see crusader castles Speckling this region

Where the crusaders would create These strongholds to defend

And to advance their cause.

Narrator: so, at the turn Of the 20th century,

When western archeologists First arrived,

They were quick to assume That the beautiful fortress

Had been built By their own crusaders.

Narrator: nearby castles around The golan heights

Seem to confirm Their assumption.

Narrator: but if the nimrod Fortress was not the work

Of the christian crusaders, Which religious force built it?

This was built By the islamic forces.

Narrator: in 1187, saladin, A warlord from modern day iraq,

Narrator: in 1187, saladin, A warlord from modern day iraq,

Swept across the region,

Conquering many Crusader strongholds.

Saladin and his heirs Begin building fortifications

To hold back This christian tide.

And nimrod is a islamic Designed castle.

Selwood: this castle was built By one of saladin's nephews

In anticipation Of yet another battle.

Narrator: They knew what it took

To succeed In this hostile terrain,

To succeed In this hostile terrain,

As hidden features At this site confirm.

An elaborate water cistern Kept the fortress well stocked,

Even under siege,

And that wasn't The only contingency

If the castle was surrounded.

Narrator: Nimrod fortress was built To stand up to the waves

Of warring crusaders Coming from the west.

But saladin and his dynasty

Were looking In the wrong direction.

*

Narrator: Known as nimrod fortress,

This mighty bastion was built By islamic forces

To protect the holy land From christian crusaders.

Ultimately, the fate of this Hilltop citadel

Would be determined By an act of god.

But back in medieval times,

The next new and powerful Religious force

The next new and powerful Religious force

To attack this site Came from the east.

Wawro: In the mid 13th century,

Their defenses essentially Reversed to deal

With the influx of Mongol invaders from the east.

Ha: but after years of conflict With the crusaders,

Nimrod was eventually taken

Without a single stone Being thrown.

The mongols were so feared That the occupants surrendered

And were happy to simply Be spared their lives.

And were happy to simply Be spared their lives.

Narrator: But carvings at this site

Reveal that Mongol rule didn't last long.

This lion is the sign Of more islamic invaders,

Led by a commander known As baibars.

Narrator: baibars' heirs Ruled the fortress

For more than 250 years.

For more than 250 years.

When ottoman forces Finally took over in 1517,

Nimrod was no longer In a strategic location.

Selwood: During the ottoman period.

One of the towers, A four-story structure

That was quite luxurious enough

For anybody to have Lived in normally,

Was converted And used as a prison.

*

Narrator: But the shattered remains

That littered this rocky outcrop

Were not the work Of any marauding army.

Were not the work Of any marauding army.

Ha: as if prophetic, Nimrod's fortress

Was shaken by an earthquake Just as nimrod's tower

Was toppled By the forces of god.

Narrator: Following the earthquake,

Nimrod fortress was finally Abandoned to the elements.

Nimrod fortress has stood For nearly a thousand years,

And today the bitter holy wars

That compelled its construction Are still relevant.

Selwood: for centuries, The crusades were seen

As a dusty old subject, But now you can open a newspaper

And read that very same Language, "Crusade,

Holy war, jihad, martyrdom."

Those ideas that were current At the time this castle

Those ideas that were current At the time this castle

Was built are still as relevant Today in our modern world.

*

Narrator: on a mountain In northern albania,

A complex of buildings balances Precariously close to the peak.

*

Janulis: this place is Definitely out of the way.

It's miles and miles From the nearest town.

It's miles and miles From the nearest town.

Scott: the buildings here Are established,

But the road is anything but.

It's basically a dirt road Cut through the mountains.

Narrator: There's little to suggest What this location was used for,

But at its center, An austere building

Appears to offer up some clues.

Bell: it's a very unusual place To find a building

Quite like this.

It looks like your stereotypical Baddy's headquarters.

It looks like your stereotypical Baddy's headquarters.

Narrator: there's a definite Structure to this place.

Selwood: this setup Isn't incidental.

It had a purpose. There was an investment here,

And many people several thousand Feet above sea level.

Narrator: so, what was this Sinister collection of buildings

Teetering on an albanian Mountainside?

Zanel drangu was 24 When he first arrived

At this macabre site.

At this macabre site.

Translator: I came here, and I saw people Gathered in the terrace.

And I sincerely thought, "This looks like a zoo."

Narrator: that was back in 1972

When this place had been In operation for four years.

But what was it built for?

*

Selwood: When you look a little closer,

It's clear that it was actually A mining operation.

It's clear that it was actually A mining operation.

If you've got a massive Mining operation here,

It makes sense That your workforce live here.

Selwood: We often think of mines as pits Sunk deep into the ground.

But here, thousands of feet up In the air,

There were resources so rich

That it was worth climbing up The mountain to get to them.

Bell: they were digging For iron, copper, zinc,

And if they were lucky, A bit of gold, too.

And if they were lucky, A bit of gold, too.

Zanel worked here as a miner.

He remembers the mine's Vast scale.

Translator: About 900 of us worked here.

So, three shifts, All divided in groups

That would take the ore out.

This was a huge operation. It would have needed

This was a huge operation. It would have needed

A lot of manpower To run this place.

Narrator: but there are signs Around this site

That this was no ordinary mine.

Bell: something isn't quite Right here.

It's almost like They didn't care for the welfare

Of the people who lived here.

There's lots of barbed wire And iron bars.

Narrator: it soon becomes clear That workers like zanel

Narrator: it soon becomes clear That workers like zanel

Were not here by choice.

This is spac prison,

One of the most notorious Labor camps in albania.

Translator: here at the camp,

Inside its core Where we are now,

We had five rows of fences, And every 10 meters,

There were the sentry boxes And guard posts of the soldiers.

Narrator: so, why did zanel And almost a thousand

Narrator: so, why did zanel And almost a thousand

Other prisoners end up In this unforgiving place?

*

Narrator: in the harsh mountains Of northern albania,

A horrifying gulag dates Back to 1968

And the notorious reign Of communist leader enver hoxha.

Selwood: albania had been A communist country

Since the 1940s, But after the death of stalin,

Albania's leader decided That the soviet union

Was straying too far from The core values of communism,

Was straying too far from The core values of communism,

So severed all ties with The soviet union and with china

And decided to go it alone.

The aim seemed to be for albania

To become a shining Example of communism,

Whether its citizens Liked it or not.

Selwood: all criticism Of the state was forbidden

And perhaps the very worst Example of criticism

Was trying to leave, Which was strictly illegal.

Narrator: in 1972, zanel drangu Fell foul of the brutal regime.

Narrator: in 1972, zanel drangu Fell foul of the brutal regime.

He fled from albania To neighboring yugoslavia,

But was soon extradited back To his homeland to face justice.

Translator: I was sentenced To 20 years at the age of 24,

A sentence that I served here.

Selwood: totalitarian states

Notoriously do not treat Their prisoners well,

At spac, the political Prisoners were mixed together

At spac, the political Prisoners were mixed together

With the violent prisoners, Meaning that the atmosphere

Was constantly one of brutalism And intimidation

Translator: they would do this Because they had

This big hatred For the type of people

That we were, we who stood Against that regime.

Scott: The regime relied on it

Not being questioned Or criticized,

And if you did, You ended up being put away

In places like spac For "Reeducation,"

In places like spac For "Reeducation,"

Where you were shut away From public view.

Narrator: in spac prison, zanel Suffered alongside the rest.

Translator: The situation was difficult,

Conditions were inhumane.

It's that hard In the minds gallery

Because you have all sorts Of gases, smoke, and smells,

Almost like That of rotting bodies.

It smelled acidic.

Selwood: the facility was Effectively a slave labor camp.

The inmates were forced To work inhumanly long hours

With unrealistically high Productivity quotas

For the mining.

Narrator: and the prisoners Spartan living quarters

Offered no respite,

With up to 54 men Sleeping in each room.

The rooms are very small, Almost like cages.

I mean, there's basic living, But this is something else.

I mean, there's basic living, But this is something else.

Selwood: another Terrifying aspect of life there

Was that the authorities Offered time off sentences

For those who agreed to spy On their fellow prisoners.

So, you didn't only have to Watch out for the guards

And the warders.

Translator: I said nothing to my coworkers

Because you never know what kind Of people you'd run into.

Somebody could be a good person, Or somebody else

Could easily be someone who Would report you to the command.

Narrator: But these draconian measures

Could not Break the prisoners' spirit.

May 21st, 1973, the inmates Of spac prison staged a revolt.

Selwood: the prisoners had Just had enough.

They'd had enough of being Incarcerated in dreadful

Conditions for trivial offenses, And they fought back.

They seized the wardens' guns,

They fortified the prison, And they took control.

Bell: the rebellion Was bold and brave,

Bell: the rebellion Was bold and brave,

But it had a fatal flaw.

They were stuck up the mountain With only one road down.

Waiting at the bottom Was the state police.

But they didn't need To storm the prison

And risk their own lives.

All they needed to do was cut Off the prison's water supply.

Narrator: the police could Cut off the water supply

From the bottom of the valley, And it was only a matter of time

From the bottom of the valley, And it was only a matter of time

Before the rebellion Was quashed.

Zanel had just arrived At the prison

And did not play an active role, But he witnessed the surrender.

Translator: so, after three Days, they cut the water supply

And the food, and They had nowhere to go,

And the prisoners surrendered.

They handcuffed All the prisoners.

In fact, 80 of them were given Additional 25-year prison terms.

Four of them were then executed By firing squad,

Four of them were then executed By firing squad,

And they showed us Their pictures

To stoke more terror.

Narrator: Zanel had to make a decision

About how to survive In this place.

Translator: I thought about my family.

I would not want to bring Any harm to them

Because if I had tried to escape The way many others had escaped,

They would exile my family.

In fact, they would take revenge On my family.

In fact, they would take revenge On my family.

Narrator: zanel was incarcerated In this prison for 14 years,

Spac continued to operate As a labor camp

Until the fall of The albanian communist party

In the early 1990s.

Almost 20 years later,

A private company Started to mine here once more.

*

Rather than forget his time Imprisoned at this site,

Rather than forget his time Imprisoned at this site,

Zanel drangu wants to turn it Into a national monument.

Translator: let's hope we will One day fix it

So that visitors who might come, Especially young ones,

Would know what this nation Went through.

*