Description

Essentials about Alcatraz in brief

It is the most notorious prison island in the world and its name still sends a cold shiver down most people’s spines: Alcatraz. The approximately 8.5-hectare island in the entrance to San Francisco Bay is already visible from afar and, along with the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cable Cars, constitutes the third world-famous landmark of San Francisco.

The history of Alcatraz

The history of Alcatraz began quite innocently. In 1775, Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala sailed into San Francisco Bay and gave the neighboring island, now called Yerba Buena Island, the name “Isla de Alcatraces” (Engl. “Island of the Pelicans”) because of the many pelicans living there. The name was transferred to today’s Alcatraz only in 1826 by the British naval captain and geographer Frederick William Beechey.

In the mid-19th century, the island became the property of the U.S. federal government and has remained so to this day. As a result of the rush of ships, triggered by the gold rush in California in 1848, and the many ships that sank due to insufficient visibility and heavy fog, a lighthouse was finally built in 1852. The lighthouse on Alcatraz was the first in the entire American Pacific region.

Military use of the island began with the construction of Fort Alcatraz between 1853 and 1859. Alcatraz was finally used as a prison for the first time in 1861. A group of Confederate soldiers and the crew of a Confederate merchant ship were interned here during the American War of Secession. More prisoners of war would follow in the years afterward. By 1903, however, the prison had fallen into such disrepair that it had to be closed. Plans for a new building began in 1906, but were set back by the severe earthquake that same year. The new prison building finally lasted from 1906 to 1911. The reinforced concrete building erected at that time as a cell wing can still be visited today.

The prison on Alcatraz

The fort on Alcatraz was abandoned in 1933 and in the same year the conversion into the notorious penal institution of the USA finally began. Because of the icy cold water in the bay and the treacherous current, the so-called “The Rock” was ideally suited for a prison, as escape seemed impossible. From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz served as a maximum security prison, housing prisoners who were considered incorrigible and difficult in other prisons. Among them were such well-known gangsters as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. In the 29 years that Alcatraz served as a prison, a total of 1,576 prisoners were incarcerated on the island, but never more than 250 at a time. In addition to the inmates, about 300 prison guards and other civilians lived on Alcatraz.

Detention conditions on Alcatraz

Not surprisingly, the stay on Alcatraz was not particularly luxurious. Cells were 1.52 ×2.74 meters, with a sink, toilet and bed. Prisoners stayed here between 18 and 23 hours a day; everything else was special privileges granted only for good behavior. Only once a month prisoners were allowed a one-hour visit. Participation in the work program also counted as a special benefit. If they broke the rules, inmates were placed in solitary confinement. They had to spend 18 days in a solitary cell, either every night with constant lighting or every day in darkness. Amazingly, the prison was the only one in the country to have hot water showers. However, this was not for humanitarian reasons, but solely so that the prisoners could not get used to the cold sea water for any escape attempts.

Escape attempts 0f Alcatraz

Speaking of escape attempts: In its 29 years as a maximum security prison, there were 14 escape attempts by a total of 34 prisoners, but no known successful escape. Twenty-five escapees were captured alive, six were shot during their escape, and five escapees have disappeared to this day, presumably drowned in the cold sea.

In 1962, two spectacular escapes from the prison occurred. In June 1962, three inmates dug their way through the ventilation grates of the cells because the mortar, which had been severely attacked by salt and moisture, had become brittle and was therefore easy to scrape away with solid steel eating utensils smuggled into the cells. They finally got outside via the ventilation shaft and the roof of the cell block, and then disappeared in an inflatable boat they had made themselves with the help of raincoats and glue. Their disappearance was not noticed until the next morning, when they already had a head start of over nine hours. Parts of their inflatable boat and flotation devices washed ashore or were recovered by fishermen. The FBI investigation of the case, completed in 1979, suspected that the fugitives died by drowning. However, the bodies themselves were never found, though this is not unusual for the bay with its strong currents out to the open Pacific. Nevertheless, the rumor of a successful escape persists to this day. The story was later used as a template for the movie The Escape from Alcatraz starring Clint Eastwood.

In December 1962, another escape took place. A prisoner swam through the icy water for over an hour with the help of inflated rubber gloves. He was found half-frozen on the mainland, had to be resuscitated, and was subsequently brought back to the island. Alcatraz’s reputation as an escape-proof prison was thus shaken once again. The cost of the prison – even the drinking water had to be brought to the island by ship – and the severely deteriorated fabric of the building due to the salt attack ultimately led to the closure of The Rock in 1963.

An attempt by the television series Mythbusters also showed that, contrary to what was believed at the time, an escape from Alcatraz was theoretically possible. The re-enacted escape used the historical idea of an inflatable boat made of raincoats and actually had three people land at the Marin Headlands north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Galileo program also attempted to recreate the escape in its “Galileo extrem” series. A reporter swam the distance to the mainland without any aids in 37 minutes. It is questionable whether prisoners could have done the same, as they were often in poor physical condition and not used to cold water.

The occupation of Alcatraz

In 1964, a year after the prison closed, about 40 Sioux Indians occupied the island to demonstrate for enforcement of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which promised the Indians use of former federal land if it was no longer needed. They offered to take the island for 47 cents per acre. This was the price California was offering Indians at the time as compensation for unlawful land grabs in the previous century.

In 1969, there was another occupation attempt by the so-called Indians of All Tribes, an activist group of young Indians who occupied Alcatraz with nearly 80 people from 20 tribes. The occupation action generated a great deal of media coverage and some influx of people who came to Alcatraz for a few days to a few months in support. Ideological and material support came from the musicians of the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, among others. In 1971, the U.S. government decided to forcibly evacuate the island. The remaining Indian activists were taken to the mainland without offering any resistance.

Alcatraz as a sight

After that, there were attempts to convert Alcatraz into a casino; however, no investor was found. The island was finally opened to the public in 1972 as part of the newly created Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today, Alcatraz is one of California’s most popular tourist attractions, with over one million visitors per year. The cell block, dining hall, library and prison yard can be visited. In addition, a small prison exhibit can be viewed in the former guards’ housing block. Visitors are guided through the actual cell block with the help of audio players in different languages.

Website

nps.gov/alca

alcatrazcruises.com

Opening hours

The ferries to Alcatraz run at seasonally different times (usually from 9 am to 4 pm). However, evening trips after 4 pm are also offered. For more information see the website.

Eintrittspreise

Eintrittspreise Tagestour:

Erwachsene (18 – 61): $38,00

Jugendliche (12 – 17): $38,00

Kinder (5 – 11): $23,25

Kleinkinder (0 – 4): frei

Senioren (ab 62): $35,75

Für Informationen zu anderen Touren siehe die Website.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Ferry lines: Stop Alcatraz Island Ferry Terminal

By car:

The nearest parking facilities near the ferry terminal Pier 33 (from where the Alcatraz ferries depart) are Waterfront Plaza, 55 Francisco Parking and 50 FRANCISCO Parking.