Fichtebunker

The Fichtebunker was built in 1883–1884 as a gasometer for Berlin’s street lighting. In 1922, the gasometer was taken out of service, as electric streetlights became widespread, and stood empty until the beginning of the Second World War. In 1940, the building was put back into use as an air raid shelter. It was reconstructed by the Siemens company, which used prisoners of war and forced labourers for the fortification of the bunker. The bunker consisted of six levels with the roof, interior walls and floors reinforced with concrete, and was intended mostly for protection of women and children. Additionally, it was used as a shelter for prisoners of the nearby police stations during the bombing raids.

The Fichtebunker was equipped with an air conditioning system and a diesel engine to ensure the facility could function smoothly. Despite of the initial capacity of 6,000 people, 750 small rooms inside the bunker provided protection for more than 30,000 people by the end of the war. Many of these men and women were refugees from East German territories occupied by the Red Army. The area around the bunker was captured by the units of both 8th Guards Army and 11th Guards Tank Corps on 27 April 1945.

After the war, the bunker had several functions, among others as a shelter, a juvenile prison, and as a storage facility for the West Berlin strategic reserve. From 1990 until 2006 it stood empty until the new investors re-designed the building into living condominiums with a rooftop garden in the dome of the former gasometer. Today, the bunker itself is a museum and can be visited.