Anyone walking from Anhalter Bahnhof toward Schöneberger Straße finds themselves facing a windowless concrete block that defies any attempt at beautification. Between the ruins of Anhalter Bahnhof and Potsdamer Platz stands one of what were once 360 Berlin bunkers.
Anhalter Hochbunker: From War Shelter to Berlin Story Bunker
Berlin: Eintrittskarte für den Berlin Story Bunker
31 October 2026 00:00 + more dates
Potsdamer Platz
The bunker was built in 1942 by forced laborers as part of the “Führer’s Emergency Bunker Construction Program” and for the civilian population. A tunnel connected it to Anhalter Station, allowing travelers to find quick shelter in the event of an air raid. (The tunnel between the bunker and the station still exists today, but it is sealed off.)
Behind the walls, which were up to four and a half meters thick, 3,500 people were supposed to find refuge. But by the end of the war, 12,000 people were crammed shoulder to shoulder in the bunker. According to reports, there was a shortage of food and sanitary facilities.
The war is over, but the tension remains
During the Cold War, following the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift, the Western Allies required the West Berlin Senate to stockpile supplies. These were intended to sustain normal life in the city for at least 180 days in the event of an emergency, thereby rendering a new blockade pointless.
The Anhalter Bunker was one of the storage facilities in this Senate reserve, where, among other things, canned fish was stockpiled. After the fall of the Wall and the end of the Cold War, the reserve was dissolved.
What does a unified Germany do with a bunker?
After German reunification, in the mid-1990s, a privately operated haunted house moved in, where actors scared visitors. Those guided through the eerie parts of the bunker could hear the screams coming through the ventilation system.
The final renovation began in 2014. Since then, the building has housed the Berlin Story Bunker. It has three above-ground and two underground floors, totaling approximately 6,500 square meters. This was not without controversy. In 2016, the museum unveiled a replica of part of the Führer’s bunker, a project that did not meet with universal approval. A spokesperson for the neighboring Topography of Terror criticized it as sensationalism; curator Wieland Giebel disagreed and emphasized that they were not staging a “Hitler show.”
Form your own opinion at the Berlin Story Bunker
The exhibition “Germany 1945 to the Present” traces the reconstruction from the rubble to the present day. Special exhibitions on Ukraine address the current war. Another exhibition explores the question of how enthusiasm for Hitler arose and how Germany became radicalized.
How to get there: The museum is located at Schöneberger Straße 23a in Kreuzberg, just a few steps from the Anhalter Bahnhof S-Bahn station. Opening hours and admission prices change occasionally, so it’s worth checking the website in advance. Precisely because the bunker feels so massive, cool, and cramped, it’s well worth a visit.
31 October 2026 00:00 + more dates
Potsdamer Platz
