Bunker 36 #07
This time, we are heading underground. We shot a relic from the Cold War: A secret nuclear bunker. Like an interactive museum, this forgotten bunker allows an unspoiled look into the time of the Cold War when the human race was facing the real possibility of extinction due to a nuclear war. For the most immersive experience, we did not only explore this facility but also slept there.
Bunker 36 #04
This is one of more than 30 telecommunication bunkers in Western Germany. Together, they formed a network and the backbone of military telecommunication at the very front of the Cold War. These expensive and technically well-equipped facilities were built to ensure that NATO troops can still communicate after a nuclear strike. In case of a hot war, personnel could have stayed underground for one month.
Bunker 36 #01
To make this a doomsday-proof fallout shelter the bunker has outside and inner walls that are several meters thick. This would guarantee operation in case of an atomic attack. The complex dates back to the 1960s when the Berlin Wall was built and the Vietnam War escalated - the Cold War had reached a critical stage at that point. As German forces constructed the underground facility, the population of the surrounding villages guessed that something was off here - but silence was ordered.
Bunker 36 #02
Even though the Cold War had already been over for some time, this telecommunication bunker was not decommissioned before the late 90s - only after the last troops of the once Soviet occupying forces had withdrawn from the country. Since there was not anything to hide anymore the former enemy came here to visit: ex-GDR soldiers from Eastern Germany, and they even brought hospitality gifts! Former Western and Eastern fighters were now all united in the Bundeswehr, which is the German armed forces. So, the bunker had no purpose anymore and was abandoned as a consequence - but not before parts of it were stripped. Luckily, there are many rooms left behind that seem to be fairly untouched.
Bunker 36 #08
For civilians, this facility is practically hidden. It is an abandoned NATO bunker dating back to the Cold War. Such structures are probably spread all over the world just waiting to get activated again in case of a major crisis. Unfortunately, still today, the nuclear menace is real. When the Cold War ended, the threat was suppressed but never removed. Just like this bunker it still exists even though it is hidden and forgotten - a dangerous combination.
Bunker 36 #06
After the Fall of the Iron Curtain, the area - including the bunker - was sold to a private citizen. In early 2021, he had to intervene and seal the underground structure because it was flooded. It seems like one of the many visitors after us messed with the pumps that should keep the groundwater away. After this was reported to the owner, he then turned the pumps back on and sealed the bunker for good. There is no way to enter it anymore. Today, it is uncertain if the owner will open the bunker for the public at some point. Right now, it does not look that way.
Bunker 36 #03
If you want to have a tour of this forgotten nuclear bunker you can watch our exploration on YouTube next:
