Subways and Bunkers in the Cold War. Tour 3

Henry Gidom, Historiker und Politikwissenschaftler, studierte Deutsche Geschichte des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts an der Technischen Universität Berlin und ist langjähriges Mitglied des "Berliner Unterwelten e.V.". Er lebt oberirdisch in Berlin, forscht im Untergrund und trinkt gern Pilsener Biere.

This bochure of the 'Tour 3' of the Berlin Underworlds Association 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.The civil defence shelter Blochplatz is 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. Here, with the help of various objects and photos, we will deal with some related themes.
After a short ride via the U-Bahn to Pankstrasse station, you find 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 from 1973 to 1977 along with the northbound extension of the U8 Underground line, serves not only as an U-Bahn stop for commuters in an emergency it could have sheltered 3,339 people for up to two weeks. Here, we try to give you an idea what it could have been like, had World War Three broken out.