Czech hedgehog

A Czech hedgehogs, referred to in Austria as a tank hedgehogs and Switzerland as steel spider, is a barrier that was used in the 20th century, mainly as a roadblock. It can be viewed as a further development of the Spanish rider.

Czech hedgehogs are usually of three about 1.5-2 meters long profile steel beams that are welded crosswise with each other. But there were also riveted versions, or those made ​​of concrete. In some embodiments only two substrate were welded together and the third only be screwed in order to facilitate the transport. It can be practically used any, just existing material, such as disused railway lines. Therefore, Czech hedgehogs are also very suitable for manufacturing improvised on the spot.

This form of anti-tank barrier was used in the 1930s from Czechoslovakia during the construction of the Czechoslovak Walls large scale. After the occupation of the country as a result of the Munich Agreement, the German Wehrmacht used the captured Czech hedgehogs for their own fixtures and also left a large scale make new ones. Thus, for example, was Omaha Beach secured, inter alia, Czech hedgehogs. As a result, this type of lock is also used by other countries, such as the East German borders and the Berlin Wall.