Hamburg's bunker: From evidence of war to tourist hotspot!

Hamburg's bunker: From evidence of war to tourist hotspot!

The days of the dark bunkers from the Second World War are long gone. In Hamburg, many of these rigid concrete colossuses have now found a new purpose and are attracting people from all over the world as sights. A prime example is the St. Pauli anti-aircraft bunker, which once provided shelter for 18,000 people during the bombed nights. Today he impresses with a roof garden and the “Reverb by Hard Rock” hotel, a place that has quickly developed into a tourist center. Since it opened a year ago, around 2.3 million visitors have visited the bunker, and on some days over 20,000 people treated themselves to a view of the impressive Hamburg skyline, which is visible from the 560 meter long "mountain path", as T-Online reported.

Another notable example is the energy bunker in Wilhelmsburg, which was converted to house a 20-meter-high thermal storage tank capable of storing up to two million liters of water. Visitors can enjoy the view over the city in the “Café vju” on the roof terrace. At the same time, the Steintorwall underground bunker, which was originally equipped as an NBC protection bunker during the Cold War, is astonishing. There is a constant temperature of 12 degrees, which is an unexpected experience for many.

Various conversions

In total, more than 1,000 bunkers were built in Hamburg during the war. Today many of them have been revived, such as the historic tube bunkers in Hamburg-Hamm, in which historian Stephanie Kanne vividly explains people's everyday life during the war. This transformation from former shelters to cultural institutions and tourist attractions shows a remarkable change in the perception of these places.

• August-Lütgens-Park: Ehemaliger OP-Bunker, heute ein Kletterturm.
• Holstenstraße 79: Ehemals ZVS-Bunker, steht derzeit leer.
• Finkenau 35: Ehemaliger OP-Bunker, nun als Lager genutzt.
• Süderstraße 30: Wurde 1981 an das Bezirksamt übergeben.

The list goes on and many bunkers have already found their purpose or have been converted into apartments. While some bunkers were demolished to make way for new housing, others were preserved as part of the monument protection.

A look into the future

What happens next with these heavy witnesses to history? The people of Hamburg seem to have a good knack for integrating these monuments into urban life and at the same time keeping the memories of dark times alive. Initiatives to repurpose and maintain the bunkers help ensure that they remain not just relics of the past, but as diverse facilities in the heart of Hamburg.

Whether as a musical bunker in Hamm or as a home for modern climbing halls - the transformation of the bunkers shows that there is new life in every wall. And that makes Hamburg a remarkable example of successful change.

Those interested can find further details about the many bunkers in Hamburg in this comprehensive Wikipedia list or on FromPlaceToPlace.