Due to the increasingly frequent Allied air raids on the city of Hamburg, the National Socialist authorities decided to start building bunkers and anti-aircraft protection shelters. Near the central train station, next to the Berliner Tor, or the old Berlin gate, one of those civil protection air-raid shelters was built in 1940.
The circular construction in the form of a medieval tower was divided into three floors. Around 450 people could take refuge in its rooms. This would be just one of many similar constructions that would be created throughout the city.
After World War II, the construction remained abandoned for a while. however, in 1960 it was recovered and converted into an atomic bunker. Due to the border situation of Hamburg during the Cold War, several similar shelters were built throughout the city. By the end of the cold war, the city's shelters had a capacity for around 80,000 civilians, which was 10% of the population.
The bunker of the Berliner Tor still exists today and can be visited. To be able to visit its interior, it is mandatory to do so with a guided tour of the Foundation under Hamburg (Unter Hamburg).
How to get to the Berliner Tor bunker
The bunker of the Berliner Tor is located in the square of the same name. It is a very important communications hub in the east of the city of Hamburg. To get there, we must go to the Berliner Tor station by taking the U2, U4 or U4 metro lines or the S1, S2, S11, S21 or S31 train lines.