About this Event
Berlin by Foot in cooperation with Berliner Unterwelten e.V.*
As the Cold War reached its détente in the 1990s, the face of civil defence changed. It became an integral part of comprehensive disaster control, focused less on preparing for war and more on addressing the pressures of climate change, pandemics, terrorism, cyber-attacks and blackouts. In the political climate of today, civil defence must adapt again.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made civil defence more relevant than ever, and there’s a lot we can learn from Berlin’s underground.
The outwardly humble Pankstraße U-Bahn station holds a secret: it was designed to be one of Berlin’s most sophisticated and fourth-largest civil defence shelters. Capable of keeping 3,339 people safe for two weeks, the Pankstraße station is fully equipped. It has huge, reinforced concrete gates designed to hermetically seal the building, an independent power supply driven by a 465-horsepower diesel generator and an underground waterworks system that could ensure a constant supply of drinking water. In the case of a catastrophic event, shelter residents would have endured unimaginably tight quarters, stacked in four-tier bunk beds, until it was safe to emerge.
This multi-purpose facility was built in 1977 and, since 2010, has remained a protected historic monument.
On a tour within this original atomic fallout shelter, we will explore the ever-evolving landscape of civil defence from its origins to the modern era. During the Cold War, Germany sought to defend the people of Berlin against a nuclear emergency by building bunkers and setting up emergency infrastructure.
We will tackle the pressing questions head-on:
Should Cold War-era civil defence facilities still be operational today?
Are there still enough shelters left in the city?
And, most importantly, what should the civil defence of the future look like?
The tour includes:
- Access to the original Nuclear Bunker Pankstraße
- Cold War civil defence infrastructure and emergency systems
- Historical context on Berlin during the nuclear age
- Discussions on contemporary disaster preparedness and urban resilience
Important:
As this tour takes place in an original nuclear fallout shelter, participants should familiarize themselves with the visitor information, accessibility before attending.
About Berliner Unterwelten e.V.:
Founded in 1997, Berliner Unterwelten is dedicated to researching, preserving and documenting Berlin’s underground architecture and hidden historical infrastructure. Through guided tours, exhibitions and archival work, the organisation explores bunkers, tunnels and forgotten spaces that reveal the city’s complex history – from the Second World War and the Cold War to everyday urban life beneath Berlin’s streets.
We will meet at Badstraße 50, 13357 Berlin, In front of St. Paul’s Church, near U Pankstraße. Please arrive on time. The tour will begin promptly and will take place entirely on foot.
What are you waiting for? Don’t just see Berlin – experience it. Step beneath the streets of the city and discover a hidden world shaped by Cold War fears, underground infrastructure and the question of how societies prepare for crisis. The tour also includes a complimentary copy of The Berliner magazine.
Stay in the loop! Join our WhatsApp channel for live updates, meetup info and insider tips before the tour:
photos:
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V./Holger Happel
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V./Isabella Scheel
*This tour is originally titled 'Nuclear Bunker Pankstraße' and is a permanent fixture in the regular booking portfolio of Berliner Unterwelten e.V.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Badstraße 50, Badstraße 50, Berlin, Germany
EUR 20.00
