Berlin Underworlds - Bunkers, Subways and the Cold War

Hoping to hit the town and see more of Berlin? Join one of our Mid-Conference Tours! Explore the city's rich attractions, from its turbulent past to its present charm. Survey the city from a flak tower or descend into Berlin's underground bunkers and subways. Enjoy the German capital from the water with the historic City Boat Tour or explore the iconic Berlin Wall at Bernauer Straße. Walking tours from the Brandenburger Tor or Rotes Rathaus offer the authentic atmosphere of historical and alternative Berlin. Welcome to Berlin!

Berliner Unterwelten (Berlin Underworlds): Bunkers, Subways and the Cold War

This tour follows the traces of the Cold War in the underground. In West Berlin, civil defence shelters were reactivated or newly built in preparation for a possible nuclear war. Particularly after the building of the Berlin Wall, the West German government and the West Berlin senate invested millions in these projects. Some of these were built as »multi-purpose structures« and are currently used as underground stations, parking garages and storage facilities. By explaining the practical preparations made to help people survive, this tour attempts to make the realities and horrors of such conflict easy to comprehend.

First we visit the civil defence shelter, »Blochplatz«, an air-raid shelter from WWII that was renovated in the early 1980s. In an emergency, 1,318 people were to shelter here for up to 48 hours. After a short ride via the U-Bahn to Pankstrasse station, we offer a glimpse into the workings of a »modern« bunker, which was intended to protect the citizens of West Berlin in case of a full-blown nuclear war. This »multi-purpose« facility, built in 1977 along with the northbound extension of the U8 underground line, serves not only as an U-Bahn stop for commuters but also, in an emergency, it could have sheltered 3,339 people for up to two weeks. Here, we try to give you an idea of what it could have been like, had World War Three broken out.

Sturdy footwear is obligatory (no sandals or flip flops!).

(From: Berliner Unterwelten)
Image © Soroush Karimi Unsplash