Underground History

Because of it's large port and oil and submarine industry, Hamburg was attacked ruthlessly during World War II. An attack during the last week of July created one of the biggest fires of the war, killing nearly 43,000 civilians and injuring 37,000. The attack was was at the time the heaviest assault in the history of aerial warfare and been called the Hiroshima of Germany. Because it was considered by Hamburg political leaders to be an especially endangered city, hundreds of bunkers were built throughout Hamburg to protect its citizens.

To get a taste of Hamburg life during the war, our club took a tour of Bunker Museum Hamburg, a small underground bunker not far from our part of town. The volunteers of the museum take pride in their exquisite restoration of this 1940-41 underground 4-room raid shelter--as well as their ability to present this important story to the world. Every aspect of this unique structure has been tastefully restored to it's original state, allowing for the building itself to serve as the central piece of this memorable exhibit.





Luckily a fellow member, who had lived through the war in Hamburg, led us to the entrance. I'm not sure I would have found this on my own as it is tucked away quietly in the yard of a church.



A short trip took us 15-feet underground where we had the opportunity to explore the shelter the way the people of Hamm saw it, including 3-feet thick reinforced concrete walls, a gas-proof lock, as well as personal memoirs and photographs.

When necessary, 100 people could fit into this room. It was common for the electricity lines to have been knocked down and that left people standed together in the dark surrounded by the sounds of war.

 

Our tour guide (and a member willing to translate) told us the story of the effects the war had on the city. A recording of an attack including screaming and sirens, while we sat in the dark, was powerful.

Beds used for childbirth

In the rare occasion that electricity was working, this radiator could be used to heat the room.

A child's gas mask

First aid kids for homes and bunkers

As I saw the pictures of the destruction and listened to the recorded sirens, it occurred to me that the people that were affected were just ordinary people. Christine, a member who was 5-10 years old during the war in Hamburg, has strong memories of the event but remembers one thing in particular: if bombing started prior to midnight the children had to attend school the following day, and if it started after midnight they had the day off. As I recognize over and over again, kids are the same all over the world.
 
This experiene is one I am happy to have had the chance to be a part of. Like so many experiences Europe has offered me, the tour of Bunker Museum Hamburg reminds me how fortunate I am to have grown up during a peaceful time in history, as well as how hard Europe has had to fight to survive.