Meeting point: Badstraße/corner Böttgerstraße, 13357 Berlin
Duration 90 minutes
Subways, Bunkers, Cold War
During the Cold War, Berlin's underground also became a volatile hotspot where Western and Eastern powers clashed head-on. We vividly review important events from this conflict-ridden era at the authentic location – the underground structure at Blochplatz.
The Blochplatz facility, originally a product of underground railway construction, was converted into a public shelter during the Second World War, presumably by forced labourers. At the height of the Cold War, after years of neglect, the facility was provisionally repaired between 1981 and 1983 as a civil defence shelter. In connection with the history and function of this unusual building, we reflect on the various stages of escalation during the Cold War: dealing with the fear of the atomic bomb – when the world stood on the brink of destruction, the division of Germany and Berlin, the Berlin Airlift, the spectacular Rudow spy tunnel, the Berlin Wall, sewer escape routes and guarded ghost stations. The special atmosphere and soundscape of the facility, as well as photos, authentic exhibits and informative models, such as the true-to-scale replica of a devastating atomic bomb with massive destructive power or the reconstruction of a walk-in sewer pipe, bring the history of the Cold War underground to life.
As an ideological East-West conflict, the Cold War dominated the second half of the 20th century. The tour of this historic site illustrates how the conditions of that time still have an impact today in light of current wars and the continuing threat of nuclear danger, and asks the question: What have we learned from this?