LivingTravelHitler's bunker in Berlin

Hitler's bunker in Berlin

As visitors to Berlin roam the city, reaching all of its landmarks, they may wonder what happened to one of the most influential figures in German history. Adolf Hitler left an undeniable stamp on the capital of Germany, both in its history and in its architecture. He moved the famous Siegessäule, designed the illustrious Olympic Stadium and designed the Holocaust.

Other sites exclusively related to Hitler are harder to find. Germany has been careful to avoid making these pilgrimage sites.

One such site is Hitler’s bunker where he committed suicide along with some of his most ardent followers. The bunker was largely destroyed during WWII and has since been covered up and forgotten for many years. The site of the disappearance of one of the most sinister villains of the 20th century is now just a parking lot and a plaque.

Find out the background to this infamous site and how and if you should visit Hitler’s Bunker in Berlin.

Brief history of Hitler’s bunker in Berlin

Before Hitler died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bunker below the city he left, the Führerbunker was established in 1936 as a bomb shelter below the Reich Chancellery.

At the time of its construction, it cost 250,000 Reichsmark and was 15 meters underground, reinforced by at least 3.5 meters of concrete. It was expanded in 1944, and finally consisted of 27 meters of tunnels and 30 rooms. The bunker featured a sophisticated ventilation system to allow fresh air, filtering out potentially deadly gas. It ran independently of the city with its own massive diesel generator.

As the war escalated and raced to its final climax, Hitler took up residence full time in the bunker on January 16, 1945. The bunker became the headquarters of the Nazi regime as Hitler and his military desperately tried to change the course during the war. last weeks of the Second World War in Europe. On March 20, Hitler honored the last of his soldiers before cameramen and photographers and descended into the bunker for the last time.

In the last week of April, it became clear that the war had been lost to the Germans. Hitler married his longtime partner, Eva Braun, and together with her entourage, they committed suicide in the bunker on April 30, 1945. Shortly after, the place was stormed by Russian troops where they discovered the grisly scene. Although it was only one of the Führerhauptquartiere (Führer’s Headquarters) used by Hitler, it is undoubtedly the most famous.

What happened to Hitler’s bunker in Berlin?

The bunker and many Reich buildings were destroyed by the Soviets and Allied bombing after the war. A bomb was detonated and the intricate canals and rooms of the bunker complex were buried under their own rubble in 1947.

That does not mean that it was completely destroyed. The underground complex was left in ruins, partially intact, until 1988-9 when the city undertook some reconstruction. The bunker was excavated, but still closed to the public. Above ground, the site remained unmarked and covered mainly by nondescript parking.

This was part of German policy to prevent neo-Nazis from making pilgrimages to major Nazi landmarks. This changed in 2006 when a small plate with a diagram of the space below was installed in time for the World Cup.

The East German residential buildings surrounding the lot were prized dwellings under the German Democratic Republic, and still have a prime location near the main attractions in Mitte (central neighborhood).

Today, a simple information panel provides details about the history of the site. Installed by a tour company, Berliner Unterwelten, you might discover the site by tour companies who stop here to give information about Hitler’s bunker.

Finding Hitler’s bunker in Berlin

The easiest (and very appropriate) way to approach the site is from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe between Potsdamer Platz and Brandenburger Tor. From its easy, well-marked location, walk to what was once the Reichskanzlei which was at Wilhelmstraße 75-77, now at den Ministergärten down Gertrud-Kolmar-Strasse at 10117 Berlin. A map of the bunker and other relevant sites can help you locate what remains of Hitler’s bunker in Berlin. The closest U-Bahn / S-Bahn is Brandenburger Tor.

Despite the bunker being off limits to the public, several images have been released from inside the bunker.

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