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German and Soviet Military Traces in Jüterbog

CarloRLeave a comment

The area around Jüterbog, about 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Berlin by car, has enjoyed a long military tradition, dating from the years of the Kaiser and WWI, through the Third Reich and all the more than four decades of the Cold War, until the departure of the Soviet Army in the early 1990s.

Almost for the entire duration of the 20th century, the area has been scattered with barracks, immense training grounds, shooting ranges, officer’s houses, army administration buildings, technical depots, airports and military academies.

The town of Jüterbog is actually much older than the 20th century, but the Soviets, who grew to a much greater population than the Germans in town after 1945, did not pay much attention to this nice medieval town. Following their withdrawal and the end of all military operations around, the town center received substantial money for restoration from the Government of reunified Germany, and the result is really remarkable – Jüterbog is today possibly one of the most lively and nice-looking centers in the region, with medieval towers, gates and churches, hotels, restaurants and bright-painted houses all around.

However, one hundred years of military activities in this province could not be wiped out at once, and despite nature is now invading the old army premises after operations ceased, to a careful eye the heritage of the German and Soviet Armies stationed there can be spotted quite easily, immediately out the lovely historical town.

Perhaps the most prominent witnesses of the past activities are the old flight academy, installed in the Third Reich years and later employed also by the Soviets, who got control of the area after they arrived in 1945, and kept it even after the foundation of the GDR and the corresponding Armed Forces (i.e. the Nationale Volksarmee, or NVA). The flight academy is today a listed building, despite in a state of partial disrepair. Another example is the big airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager, which went on operating as an NVA and Soviet airbase until the very end of the Cold War, and is now being used as a sport airfield, a kart circuit track, an event venue and a solar power plant.

Both these two items are covered in another chapter.

In the following report, more locations in and around Jüterbog are pinpointed, photographed during two visits, partly guided by the knowledgeable Dr. Reiner Helling, in the Summer seasons of 2021 and 2022.

Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?

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Sights

The material in this post covers ‘Shelter Albrecht’, a one-of-a-kind private collection of items from WWII and especially from Soviet times, more views of the former airfield of Altes Lager, with a Granit bunker still in very good conditions, an abandoned military hospital with evident traces of Soviet operations, a Soviet cemetery, and a few more items, silent and overlooked witnesses of a recently bygone era.

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Shelter Albrecht

The airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager was selected by the Soviets for further development with the arrival of jets in the late 1940s-early 1950s, and grew to be a prominent attack aircraft and helicopter base in the territory of the GDR. Now reduced in size to the point that some taxiways have been turned into public roads, some of the incredibly many aircraft shelters originally in place in the peripheral parts of the base – mostly AU-16 – have been wiped out. However, a set of two to the east of the runway have been spared this fate, and have been redeemed by a private business. One has been turned into a venue for events, whereas the other has been employed to showcase a great collection of WWII and Cold War memorabilia. Actually, the two hangars are located inside a somewhat larger perimeter, with an original technical building and room for even more exhibits.

A first impressive sight is the original Soviet scheme of the base. Similar signs were typically put close to the gate of any Soviet base (as seen for instance here in Ribnitz/Damgarten), and with their Russian writings today they witness the Soviet tenancy of the base.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

On the apron, an original military version of the ubiquitous Trabant, in army green color, is on display together with a field kitchen and a gigantic roadwork machine. The latter is Russian made, with tank tracks, and powered by a 12-cylinder Diesel engine.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A Mil Mi-2 helicopter, which for some hard-to-imagine reason had ended up on the Adriatic coast of Italy in a private collection, where it sat almost derelict, has been brought back to the other side of the Iron Curtain, and restored in a camo coat and placed in a prominent position. Not far, a wing from an old Lavochin La-5 Soviet aircraft can be found.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Still on the open air exhibition are a decorated panel once gracing a Soviet hospital – possibly the one described later (here) – and another celebrating the Warsaw Pact. But the exhibits are really countless, and include propaganda posters, and canisters for ordnance.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

To the side of the main exhibition hangar, in the area of an interred fuel tank once serving the base, is an incredible set of Soviet panels, originally from this or other Soviet bases around. These panels are partly decoration/celebration signs, with portraits of Soviet soldiers and emblems.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other are technically-themed, with explanations concerning driving habits and rules, hand-to-hand combat, and more. Similar items, including fake targets for assault training, can be found for instance in Forst Zinna, an abandoned Soviet base not far from Jüterbog (covered here).

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Also part of the collection is a rare mural, apparently retracing the push to the west of a Soviet division (?) during the Great Patriotic War.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Inside, the aircraft shelter is stuffed with interesting memorabilia. From WWII, exhibits include remains of downed aircraft, including damaged engines, propellers and canopies. Among them are remains of an Avro Lancaster, a Focke-Wulf 190, a Junkers Ju-87 and the canopy of a pretty rare training (two-seats) version of the Messerschmitt Bf-109.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Four large scale models cover as many interesting sights around. The first is the former flight academy of the Third Reich (mentioned above and covered here), north of the Altes Lager airbase premises. Also on display are books and furniture originally from the library of the academy.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A second model portrays the entire area between the academy (north) and the airfield (south), including the latter. This area, now largely shrouded in the trees and partially in private hands, used to host technical installations and even factories connected with warfare business – all linked by an extensive network of roads and railways.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Another model is that of two airship hangars from the years of German tenancy. These had to be really huge, but are today completely gone. Among the factories in place in the area, were those for supplying gas for the airships.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Finally, a fourth scale model represents the older airfield of Jüterbog/Damm. The latter is not far from Altes Lager, and is today in private hands for some cattle breeding business. It features very peculiar concrete hangars, an interesting specimen of Third Reich construction engineering. Some aerial pictures can be found here. That airfield was not selected for further development by the Soviets, due to the limited potential for runway lengthening, in turn due to the proximity with Jüterbog town.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Soviet-related items on display range from painted tables, originally gracing the walls of the base, to technical signs in Russian, to a full array of personal and military items, all belonging to the Soviet staff stationed in Jüterbog. These include an interesting overall map of the Soviet airfields on GDR territory, with basic technical data.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Among the highlights, an official printed portrait of Stalin, and one of Brezhnev in a military uniform, parachutes and parts from attack aircraft, many direction signs and instructional panels for low-ranking military staff. Also very interesting is a radar scope with the three air corridors to West-Berlin and the position of Altes Lager printed on it!

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Of special interest for aircraft enthusiasts are many pictures from the days of operation of the airbase, with many exotic Soviet aircraft seen landing, departing or taxiing around.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other panels tells about the presence of rocket forces in the area of Jüterbog – in particular the 27th R.Br. of the NVA. They operated the SCUD-B system.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Back outside, the exhibition is completed by an original monument from Altes Lager, often employed as a background for official ceremonies, and more personal memorabilia of the owner of the museum, formerly serving within a tank division of the NVA.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Reconstructed shops and schools are on display, with much original furniture and everyday items of Soviet make.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Getting there and Visiting

The place is really worth a visit for everybody interested in memorabilia items from Soviet times, or for those looking for tangible traces of the military past of Jüterbog. The location is easy to reach by car, with a convenient internal parking. The address is Niedergörsdorfer Allee 4, 14913 Niedergörsdorf, Germany.

An updated official website with opening times is apparently not available. However, Mr. Helmut Stark, the owner of the place, may be contacted beforehand (in German only) to inquire about opening times and plan a visit – try Googling his name and that of the site for updated contacts. The place is regularly open at least in the weekends in the warm season. A visit to this site will be likely with Mr. Stark following you and giving explanations in German. This will take about 45 minutes.

Granit Bunker and Hangars in Jüterbog/Altes Lager

Some views of the Altes Lager airbase are provided in this chapter, and some aerial views can be seen here. The huge, flat-top hangars date from the Third Reich era, and similarly the control tower with its annexes. Some of the hangars were reportedly dismounted by the Soviets and taken to the Soviet Union soon after the end of WWII.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Besides all the aircraft shelters scattered all around the runway, a relevant and pretty secluded Soviet addition north of the airfield is a Soviet Granit-type bunker. This type of bunker was among the lightest in Soviet inventory, and could serve multiple purposes, e.g. storing movable radar trucks, tanks, other machinery, or weapons. Actually, its presence on an airfield may suggest the purpose of storing special air-dropped weapons, maybe tactical nuclear, high-explosive or chemical ordnance.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Bunkers of Granit-type are possibly the most frequent special constructions in former Soviet bases (see for instance here or here), but the one in Jüterbog is interesting since it is very well conserved, and its massive metal doors are still perfectly in place, providing a nice impression of how this technical item should have looked like in the days of operation.

Getting there and Visiting

The airport of Altes Lager is today pretty busy, with several companies having taken over much of its original premises now open for business. Multiple access points are available, and chances of looking inside the original installations are many. Given the still exceptional state of conservation of the Granit bunker, in order to protect this rare historical artifact from the impressive hordes of catatonic idiot spoilers and writers out there, no indication is provided on its exact location.

Military Hospital

Among the buildings now shrouded by the overgrown vegetation in the area between Jüterbog/Altes Lager airfield and the town of Jüterbog is a sizable military hospital. Totally invisible from the road, the hospital is basically made of a single, building featuring three long interconnected rows.

It is made of the typical German dark-red brick, a design which is way too elegant for Soviet occupants. The arrangement of the facade and the nice railings suggest a construction date from the years of the Kaiser and the German Empire, maybe early 20th century.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

However, the years of Soviet use are witnessed by a big mural, portraying Lenin with some Soviet soldiers in the background, with a black and yellow striped ribbon and a red star, emblems of the Red Army.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

To the more careful eye, a few graffiti in Russian can be found here and there, with a date as usual.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

The aura is very silent and mysterious, and as such, this location is a mecca for urban explorers. Actually, the only noise came from a fast spinning ventilation fan in a window frame! This was pushed by an air stream however, not likely by a motor…

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

Some more buildings complete this complex, and original GDR-style lamps can still be seen around – the tall trees now surrounding the building were likely not in place when the hospital was closed, presumably in the early 1990s.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Getting there and Moving around

Not difficult to find in the trees between Jüterbog and the airfield of Altes Lager, there is no clear interdiction sign to access this complex from behind, yet vibration sensors planted in the ground can be spotted around, and some security cars can be seen sometimes parked on the main road. A walk around the hospital is not especially dangerous nor difficult, and may take about 25 minutes taking all the pictures. The building is architecturally nice and possibly listed. Yet it is in partial disrepair and largely sealed, and getting in is obviously not advisable.

Soviet Cemetery

The only relic of the years of Soviet occupation which is immediately visible to the general public in Jüterbog is the Soviet military cemetery. This is located to the back of the Liebfrauenkirche, in the historical center of Jüterbog.

Actually, a monumental part, with railings embellished with hammer and sickle emblems and a monument with writings in German and Russian to the back, is detached from the church yard.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof

However, possibly in later times, the limited space available in the lot originally planned for the monument meant some graves were dug right in the church graveyard, side by side – but not mixed – with German graves.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Getting there and Visiting

The exact address is Am Dammtor, 14913 Jüterbog, Germany. The place is well-kept, being part of the historical city center of Jüterbog. Parking opportunities all around on the street. A visit may take 10 minutes.

Railway Yard, School and Command Building

The town of Jüterbog acted as a ‘local capital’ for the many Soviet troops and their families scattered in the corresponding district. The hospital (see above) was not the only large installation in place. A district school was also installed, which served not only the very town of Jüterbog – with a Russian-speaking population of more than 70.000, greater than the German nationals – but also the residing Soviet population of smaller technical installations in the area. A notable example is the impressive nuclear depot in Stolzenhain (see here), where a dedicated staff and their families occupied four residential blocks now gone. Their children reportedly attended school in Jüterbog.

The school is today largely abandoned, and a quick tour around reveals typical Soviet decorations in the large sporting hall.

Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic

The school building is geographically close to the railway station. The latter had a passenger terminal dedicated to the Soviet population, which was completely segregated from the German one.

Furthermore, the railway in Jüterbog had also a primary logistic function, connected with the military activities going on in the area. Besides transporting tanks, vehicles and other material, also nuclear warheads arrived by rail from Belarus or Ukraine (both in the USSR at the time), for storage in the Stolzenhain Monolith-type bunkers (see here). A special railway track with a dead end in the trees featured a special interchange platform, allowing to move the sensitive warheads in their controlled canisters to trucks, and by road to Stolzenhain – usually at night. Since warheads were also sent back for maintenance or overhaul, the transport operated also in the opposite direction.

Jüterbog Railway Track Station
Jüterbog Railway Track Station

Very close to the railway station and the school is also a large grassy area, surrounded by a nice, old-style metal fence. This area is that of an older training ground, dating to the years of the Kaiser. A command building, now in disrepair, betrays the same origin, featuring decorations in a typical old-German style.

Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Getting there and Moving around

The school can be found in Jüterbog here. Cross the street from the school, the old training grounds and command building are immediately spotted. Walking north past the command building, you get access to a pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks, with a nice view of the station. An exploration of the railway tracks has to be considered extremely dangerous, since the railway line there is today a high-speed one, with bullet-fast trains appearing in just seconds. A walk around this spot in Jüterbog may take 15 minutes. Parking opportunities ahead of the command building.

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Soviet and East German Relics North of Berlin

CarloRLeave a comment

For the full span of the Cold War, the communist German Democratic Republic has been a highly militarized region.

Due to its position right on the European border between NATO countries and the USSR-led eastern bloc, this relatively small state was kept in high consideration by the Soviet military staff in Moscow. In the re-organization of Soviet forces following the end of the Great Patriotic War (i.e. WWII), of the four Soviet groups of forces stationed in all satellite countries outside the Soviet border, one was specifically named ‘Group of Soviet Forces in Germany’. This group was headquartered in Wünsdorf, the former location of the German OKW south of Berlin (see this post), and had under its command a force of some hundred thousands troops, divided in two tank armies, an entire air army, three mixed armies and a supplementary artillery division. Supplies were in no shortage either, with some tens of fully operational airbases/tank polygons, academies and housing for all the troops and respective families.

Despite the very significant Soviet presence, the GDR invested a huge capital of its own in the development of a full-scale military strength. The East-German National People’s Army (NVA) received top-tier technology from the USSR, and did of course manufacture military supply of all sorts. Sustaining this army, together with the enormous para-military organization of the internal Ministry of Security – the ill-famed STASI – and other governmental organizations, military expenses undoubtedly contributed to the economical crisis hitting the GDR in the 1980s, setting the scene for its final demise.

The region north of Berlin was particularly rich in military and governmental installations, some of them highly classified, their history shrouded into mystery. You can find some information in dedicated posts on this website (see this post, also here and here).

In this chapter, some more items of interest are featured. Four of them are abandoned tokens from Soviet occupation. A nice belle-epoque villa on the shore of the Röblingsee in Fürstenberg, where the headquarters of the 2nd Guard Tank Army was headquartered since Stalin’s era to the withdrawal of Soviet forces in the 1990s, is the first of them. The second is a unique, forgotten Soviet monument, to be found less than two miles south of Fürstenberg. Two more are memorials and cemeteries, for Soviet troops who perished in the last stage of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) around Berlin.

Other three points of interest are instead GDR-related. The first is the former academy for future leaders of the communist party, established in Wandlitz in the years of Stalin, and initially led by Erich Honecker, later to become the omnipotent leader of the GDR for two decades. In the same area north of Berlin – and precisely in Waldsiedlung, today a nice clinical campus in the countryside – are the former private houses of the members of the central committee of the communist party of the DDR – personalities like Walter Ulbricht, Erich Honecker, Erich Mielke and Egon Krenz lived here with their families. Finally, you will find a glimpse from the so-called ‘Honecker bunker’ in Prenden. This big and highly classified installation was prepared in case of war, to protect the leadership of the GDR and ensure safe communication with Moscow.

Photographs were taken in summer 2019 and 2021.

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Sights

Soviet 2nd Guard Tank Army Headquarters, Fürstenberg/Havel

Among the Soviet forces permanently stationed in the GDR in case of war, there used to be two entire tank armies, the 1st and 2nd. The former was headquartered in Dresden, whereas the 2nd – named ‘Red Banner’ – in Fürstenberg/Havel.

The headquarter in Fürstenberg is basically an old villa, possibly dating to the late 19th century or a slightly more recent time. The villa is somewhat unusual in the panorama of todays Fürstenberg. This is a nice and lively touristic town, where many Berliners come to find a retreat in nature, less than 1 hour driving from home. Thanks to tourism-related activities, the area has got rid of the Soviet/East German grayness, and is now a typical village in the German countryside, graced with a creek and a small lake, where canoes and small boats are always roaming around.

In stark contrast with this, the villa is today completely abandoned, with overgrown vegetation almost hiding it from the main road. Access to the premises is easier from the back, where you first meet a typical Soviet prefabricated wall, and service buildings with evidence of a communist design – the usual yellow paint and railings on the windows with the stylized ‘radiant dawn of communist revolution’.

2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue

Getting closer to the house, you meet an access door, possibly going to a bunkerized area underneath. The house is in a really bad shape, with rotting walls, plants growing on the balconies and roof. The inside has been made completely inaccessible. A typical East German light is still hanging from the back wall.

2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue

To the front, a temple-like decoration contours the main door. It is difficult to say whether this decoration was there since the beginning, since it appears rather different in style from the rest of the villa.

2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue

A highlight of this site is the statue of Lenin still standing ahead of the front facade. The statue is in a relatively good shape. It looks like the man was portrayed during a discussion.

2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue

The concrete sculpture was accurately made, as witnessed by the facial expression and details in the embroidery of the tie.

2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue
2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Soviet Headquarter Furstenberg Havel Berlin Lenin Statue

On the front side, the villa used to be reachable with a large flight of steps climbing uphill, with Lenin on top. Today this perspective is gone, for vegetation has totally invaded the steps, and the front of the house is not visible from the street.

Getting there and moving around

The villa is located in central Fürstenberg on Steinförder Strasse (possibly) 44, on the southern side of the road. The house and its large garden estate are abandoned, but all other houses around are not. Getting closer without being spotted is easier from the backstreet. Technically speaking, the latter is accessible for residents only, so you may park somewhere else and come closer by foot. Visiting may take about 30 minutes with time for the pictures, for the house is not accessible inside.

It should be remarked that this site is probably not public, and at an unpredictable time it may be either restored or demolished – so checking it out may be not possible for long.

Soviet Monument, Fürstenberg/Havel

A rare example of Soviet commemoration monument can be found very close to Fürstenberg. Apart from the monumental sites in Berlin (see here), a number of smaller Soviet monuments are to be found around the GDR – impressive ghosts of a bygone era.

Among the best preserved are that in the former tank base of Zeithain (see this post), and this one in Fürstenberg.

The monument is composed of two parts, basically two concrete curtains facing each other on the sides of a small apron.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

The smaller panel to the south is the most intriguing. It is apparently a celebration of an economic plan of the Soviet Union. It is all about the growth in production in several areas of industry and farming, likely resulting from careful planning by the top of the Soviet government.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

Between a citation from Lenin and a stylized image of the Kremlin, several panels cite one by one the increases in production of anything from oil to weapons, from milk to corn.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

To the back of the monument, the only remaining feature is a remarkable head of Lenin, with yet another citation. It is likely that other features have been removed by vandals, as empty frames can be seen aligned along this face of the monument.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

The larger panel to the north is a celebration of the march to Berlin during the Great Patriotic War, likely related to specific actions of the Guard Tank Armies. The central slab features an image of the Soviet monument in Treptower Park, Berlin – one the most famous commemorative monuments in the Soviet Union, as witnessed by numerous images to be found still today in many museums in the former USSR (see for instance here).

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

Close by, reproductions of decorations and captions of what happened on some days of 1944 and 1945 are reported.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

On the left panel you can see a reproduction of the march to Berlin, from the battlegrounds in the USSR, through central Europe and Germany. It is likely that some metal parts of the monument once used to connect the ‘points of interest’, but these have disappeared due to vandalism.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

On the right wing of the monument the names of Heroes of the Soviet Union possibly from the Guard Tank Armies are cited one by one. Close by, the image of the ‘Soviet Motherland Calling’, pretty usual in Soviet war iconography, can be found together with other typical emblems.

Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory
Soviet Memorial 2nd Guard Tank Army Red Banner Abandoned Furstenberg Havel Berlin Victory

Getting there and moving around

This monument is not maintained nor protected. It is open air, unfenced and freely accessible. It will be hopefully restored or moved to a museum, as the weather and vandals are taking their tolls. It can be reached along the road 96 about 1 mile south of Fürstenberg, immediately to the west of the road. A small unofficial parking area can be found ahead of it, making a quick visit really easy.

Soviet Memorial and Cemetery, Rathenow

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The Soviet memorial in Rathenow is one of a number of smaller military cemeteries for Soviet troops in the region around Berlin. Soviet soldiers perished in the area in the thousands in the final stage of WWII (1945), when the Red Army entered the northeastern part of todays Germany from Poland, pushing towards Berlin and fighting against the agonizing but still fierce German Wehrmacht.

Apart from the gigantic and formal monuments in Berlin (see this chapter), more modest shrines are scattered around the German capital city, all built roughly in the same period, between the end of the war in Europe and 1950, in the years of Stalin.

The Rathenow site is a small town cemetery, a proportionate, down-scaled version of its larger counterparts in Berlin – especially Schönholzer Heide (see here) – and can be found in the center of the sleepy town of Rathenow. A central obelisk with a commemoration plaque is topped by a golden five-pointed star, the symbol of the Red Army.

Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow

A number of soberly designed grave stones for as many Soviet troops are aligned in rows, creating an elegant perspective. Most of the graves bear complete names, as well as the birth and death years. Similar to the war cemeteries dating also from WWI (see for instance here and here), the very young age of most of the troops in the final struggle around Berlin is readily apparent.

Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow
Soviet Red Army Memorial Rathenow

Despite being fenced and of course not left in a state of disrepair, the green areas immediately outside of the perimeter of the monument in Rathenow are somewhat neglected, perhaps reflecting a fading interest for this monument.

Getting there and moving around

The Soviet monument in Rathenow can be reached at the crossing of Ferdinand Lassalle Str. with Friedrich Ebert Ring, in central Rathenow. The monument is very compact and can be toured in a few minutes.

Soviet Memorial and Cemetery, Blumberg

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The monument in Blumberg, in the northern outskirts of Berlin and really close to town, is smaller than the one in Rathenow (see above), but shares the general arrangement with it.

A central pillar with a commemoration slab is surmounted in this case by a statue of a Soviet soldier, holding a Red Banner flag.

Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg

Ahead and around the pillar, gravestones put flat on the ground are aligned in a perspective. However, the overgrown vegetation is basically hiding these lines of tombs, so that even from a small distance the central monument appears as an isolated item, put in the middle of a grassy area.

Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg
Soviet Red Army Memorial Blumberg

Actually, the major difference with other monuments of the kind lies in the rather remoteness of the one in Blumberg. It is a listed historical landmark, and therefore at least minimally cared for, but on the other hand, it is located relatively far from todays nearest settlement, hidden in the trees, and out of sight for anybody except people going there specifically for it. This makes it rather mysterious, a silent memento of old memories.

Getting there and moving around

The monument is conveniently located just out of the A10 highway (the external ring of Berlin), in the settlement of Ahrensfelde. You may reach Chausseedreieck and drive to its western dead end, where you can conveniently park. From there a grassy path points south into the trees, and in less than 150 yards you will find the monument. The size of the monument is small, hence no further walking is needed. A mosquito repellent is highly recommended in the warm season.

Free German Youth Academy & Joseph Goebbels Manor, Wandlitz

Deep in the countryside about 25 miles north of Berlin, about 3 miles from the small touristic village of Wandlitz, you can find a couple of highlights from the troublesome past of Germany, sitting side by side, close to the small Bogensee lake.

The first is the country estate of Joseph Goebbels, the famous minister for education and propaganda in the years of the Nazi dictatorship. This villa has been built in the war years, and often used by its owner, also for receiving guests. Goebbels obtained the estate as a birthday present from the Nazi Party.

Incredibly, the manor, built in a typical German country style, was not demolished after the war – so unlike other residences belonging to Hitler or his fellows, it is still there to see. It survived denazification, Soviet occupation and 40 years in the GDR as part of a school (see below).

The outside is the only part you can see. The appearance is sober, with simple lines and not much vertical elevation – it nicely integrates in the natural setting.

Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present

Access to the courtyard is from a small road, now part of the inner network of the larger complex surrounding the manor.

This complex is actually the other peculiar item you can find in Wandlitz. This enormous academy was built in 1951, on behalf of the Free German Youth (FDJ), a youth-training organization founded and originally run by Erich Honecker, later to become the general secretary of the communist party of the GDR in the 1970s and 1980s.

The academy was designed by Hermann Henselmann the same architect who designed Karl-Marx-Allee in the Soviet sector of Berlin – one of the most iconic ‘Stalin’s-style’ perspectives in the world. The complex is composed of two large opposing buildings, on the short sides of an internal courtyard. These hosted common areas, lecture rooms and a theater.

German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann

Along the longer sides of the courtyard are buildings with bedrooms and services for around 500 students.

German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann

The academy was for the future staff of the communist party, and in later years of the Cold War it was attended also by international students from communism-leaning nations, or sometimes even from NATO countries.

German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann

Following the collapse of the GDR, the building went on hosting educational institutions until the early 2000s, owned by the regional government. It was then mostly shut off, with some ancillary buildings still hosting institutions connected with the administration of the natural preserve around. It was put up for sale, for a while, but all potential customers failed to present satisfactory conversion plans. An expensive and inconvenient ghost from a forgotten era, as of 2019 its fate has not been sealed yet.

Today the place is not completely abandoned. Basic preservation works are being carried out, thus avoiding the roof to collapse or the walls to rotten. The names of the blocks are likely not from the GDR years. Similarly, a board with notices and maps dating from later than 1989 can still be seen, a witness of the post-GDR activity.

German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
Joseph Goebbels Manor Nazi Leader Bogensee Wandlitz Hitler Present
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann
German Communist School Academy Bogensee Wandlitz FDJ Jugendhochschule Jugendleiterschule DDR Honecker Henselmann

The garden is not growing totally wild, and some architectural addition must have been tried in a recent past – like a small modern fountain ahead of the common building to the southwest of the complex. The buildings are still supplied with electrical power – there are lit lights above some doors – and it is discretely guarded to avoid vandalism.

Getting there and moving around

Accessing the area is possible following the L29 from Wandlitz. About 1 mile from the village, the road changes its name to Wandlitzer Strasse. There is a local road with limited access taking to the east. You may park there, and proceed along the road by foot for about .5 miles to reach the heart of the complex. This is surrounded by private houses. There is no fence, but there are proximity sensors which trigger an inspection. I was reached by a warden on a car soon after my arrival. He spotted me, but did not come close, likely noticing I was just taking pictures outside.

The site is rather mysterious and well worth a quick visit for interested subjects. Touring the site will not take more than 45 minutes, taking all the pictures.

Private Homes of the Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the GDR, Waldsiedlung

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Similar to other top-ranking figures in the Soviet chain of command – like Stalin and others in his communist entourage, who did not spend much of their time in public or close to crowded places in central Moscow – the masters of the communist party in the GDR had their homes in the trees north of Berlin, relatively far from the city center and from the governmental buildings.

Actually, many of them lived together in a rather compact residential district, called Waldsiedlung. Access to the area was obviously controlled, but once inside the place was somewhat similar to a holiday settlement, with smaller single or two-family houses located along quiet alleys in a rural setting. The architecture is far from lavish – all houses are very similar to one another, and are designed in a plain typically East-German style from the post-WWII era.

Today, the settlement in Waldsiedlung has been converted into a campus for clinical studies. However, the original architecture of the place has been left mostly untouched, and explanatory panels telling quick information about the history of the residence have been planted ahead of most of the housing once occupied by old communist big brasses.

The office by the gate, and the metal gate itself, are totally original, as can be seen from historical pictures.

Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes

Among the first buildings past the gate is a former congress center/clubhouse/gathering facility for the inhabitants of the residence.

Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes
Waldsiedlung – GDR Communist Party private homes

Moving on to the northern part of the settlement, the modest house of Erich Honecker and his wife Margot can be easily found. The two-storey construction has a patio on the backyard. A mystery wooden hut can be found next to the latter.

Waldsiedlung – Erich Honecker’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Erich Honecker’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Erich Honecker’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Erich Honecker’s Home

The Honeckers were forced to leave this house in the turmoil following the collapse of the wall and the starting of the reunification process. Honecker fled to the Soviet Union in seek for protection, quickly departing from the Soviet base in Sperenberg (see here). He was trialed in absentia, in connection to the order issued to the GDR border guards to used deadly force against people trying to pass the ‘anti-fascist wall’, and the ensuing deaths. He remained in the USSR until also that dictatorship collapsed, and he was forced to escape to South America, where he died soon after.

To the far end of the same alley is the house of Walter Ulbricht and his wife Lotte. Somewhat larger than Honecker’s house, it is however not much more evolved in adornments or architectural fantasy.

Waldsiedlung – Walter Ulbricht’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Walter Ulbricht’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Walter Ulbricht’s Home

On another alley, parallel to the previous one, is also the house of Erich Mielke, the uncontested head of the ill-famed STASI, since its early years to the end.

Waldsiedlung – Erich Mielke’s Home
Waldsiedlung – Erich Mielke’s Home

The man was captured and trialed for an old case of homicide, after the shut-off of the STASI monstrous machine. He died soon after.

Today even these smaller buildings have been converted for a new function in the clinical campus. Therefore, they cannot be toured inside. However, strolling in this inconspicuous, quiet village where a huge concentration of power used to be seated, provides a strange feeling.

Getting there and moving around

The Brandenburg Clinic, which has now taken over the Waldsiedlung residence for the members of the GDR government, is on the road N.273, between Bernau and Wandlitz. The clinic in Waldsiedlung is rather busy, and the parking ahead of it may be crowded. However, since the place is guarded and access regulated, that is the only credible parking option also for a historically-themed visit. You can access the area by foot undisturbed, and take photographs of the exteriors. There are explanatory panels ahead of many of the former residential homes.

Honecker Bunker, Prenden

Geographically very close to the academy in Wandlitz (see above) – less than 1 straight mile away – the bunker in Prenden is the central piece of a network of bunkers and military hardware, designed an built on behalf of the National Defense Council (NVR) of the GDR from 1973 onward, and named ‘komplex 5000’. The purpose was protection of the leadership of the GDR in case of a crisis or attack from the West.

The bunker is Prenden, technically listed as ’17/5001′, was a control center of incredible sophistication, designed to withstand nuclear blasts, and with direct communication with other sub-nodes of a larger communication network, thus granting safe communication and broadcasting ability, allowing to lead the country in case of a crisis. The bunker was intended to host the general secretary of the communist party, i.e. Erich Honecker, when the bunker was commissioned in 1983 – hence the unofficial name ‘Honecker bunker’.

The premises of Prenden are now largely in private hands, but some parts are apparently publicly accessible – the original fence has been completely torn down. The bunker itself is sealed, and can be accessed only on a few days per year with a guide.

The official entrance to the area is through the original GDR-made gate. This is closed however, for it is now the entrance to a small private industrial complex.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Traces of the original fence, as well as piping and vents for underground rooms, can be found around the hill on top of which the installation is standing.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Some service buildings in typical communist style can be still found, despite demolition works having taken place. Proximity sensors and signs delimit the private property area.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

The three-storey building on the southwestern corner of the complex used to be the ‘front office’ of the bunker. Today, it is in a really bad shape.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Inside, traces of the original furniture and services can still be found, albeit much deteriorated.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Access to the bunker is on the underground floor. You may notice the prison-like railings ahead of the access stairs. A feature that might make you jump when you are exploring alone – if walking in a forgotten communist government building, deep in the silent German countryside, was not enough… – is the lit bulb hanging over the entrance to the bunker – really unexpected!

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Besides the building, a shelter-garage for trucks and cars is still in a relatively good shape.

Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin
Honecker Bunker Objekt 17/5001 Prenden DDR Berlin

Getting there and moving around

The Prenden bunker is not publicized, but it can be neared easily with a car, about 1 mile south of the small village of Prenden, along Utzdorfer Strasse. The gate can be clearly spotted, but it will be likely closed, and there are obvious ‘no trespassing’ signs and labels of private companies. You may park outside and proceed along the side of the property to the back of it, where the abandoned building mentioned above can be found. Whether this is still on private land or not is not very clear. There are proximity sensors between the abandoned building and the rest of the complex, likely to trigger inspection if you get too close to the (surely) private part of the complex.

Venturing in the building is definitely not safe, and the bunker entrance is usually closed. Official visits to the bunker are possible on guided tours arranged irregularly about once per month (please browse the internet for more info on visiting, cause I could not find an official site of the place to link here).

Cold War Forts and Museums in Denmark

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During the Cold War the condition of Denmark on the international stage was among the most complex. Coming from years of neutrality before WWII, conquered in a matter of days in spring 1940 by neighbor Germany, at that time in the throes of the Nazi fury, it found itself on the front line of the two opposing blocs soon after May 1945.

Having not been occupied by the Soviets during WWII, it could better choose about its future, and in 1949 the mother country of the Vikings joined NATO as a funding member – unlike neighbor Sweden and Finland – thus giving its availability to its Allies to help countering Soviet influence over the territory under its control.

History in brief

Often overlooked when looking at the world map for its relatively small area, at the beginning of the Cold War the geographical position of Denmark nonetheless was – and, to some extent, still is – strategically very relevant. It is right on the inlet of the Baltic Sea, with a proximity to the foreign coasts of Norway and Sweden such to allow easily blocking the marine traffic on the Kattegat strait, when needed, by means of mere cannon fire from the coast. During the Cold War, this meant a virtual control over a sea where the USSR and Eastern Bloc Countries had many industrially relevant and non-freezing ports, as well as navy bases. Furthermore, the islands of Denmark, where large cities like Odense and Copenhagen are, can be found as close as 1.5 hours by boat to the coast of the German Democratic Republic – once one of the most heavily militarized countries on earth, also thanks to a massive Soviet presence. The smaller island of Bornholm, further east, is even closer than that to the coast of Poland.

A curious fact in history demonstrated the proximity of Denmark to the communist sphere of influence, shaking the minds of top ranking Soviet military. On March 5th, 1953, on the very same day of Stalin’s death, the first defection of a jet fighter from the Eastern Bloc took place, when a Polish MiG-15 on a routine flight along the Baltic Coast suddenly left his mates and rushed to Bornholm, where it landed on a field, leaving the aircraft in almost pristine conditions.

The cautious reaction of the Danish government and military forces reflects the position of the country at the time – they had identified the USSR and their satellites as a clear and present threat, and consequently they had taken the side of the West. Yet Denmark knew it could not withstand a direct military hit by the Soviets for more than a few hours, therefore as a form of self-protection, any form of provocation, at least in the early 1950s, was carefully avoided. While the pilot of the MiG was allowed to escape to the UK and then the US, the aircraft was quietly ceded to the US military for technical inspection in the FRG, but then re-mounted and returned to Poland. Other examples of a policy of constant detente with the Soviet Union are represented by the refusal to have NATO bases on its territory, or despite the adoption of the Nike missile system for the airspace protection, the missed deployment of the corresponding tactical nuclear warheads.

Of course, in recognition of the strategic relevance of this pleasant country, plans for a Soviet invasion which would strike in northern Europe, with the objective of reaching to the ports of the North Sea in less than a week from Eastern Germany, included as a major target the quick occupation of the Jutland peninsula, and of the islands of Denmark as well. This had to be done by marching fast through the northern regions of the Federal Republic of Germany, and simultaneously landing troops on the Danish islands.

About this post

Albeit not enough populated to sustain an army capable of resisting the eastern opponents on the other side of the Iron Curtain, thanks to its position on the map, Denmark took over seriously a fundamental border monitoring and interdiction task in favor of all NATO forces. Two tangible witnesses of this are the military bases of Stevnsfort and Langelandsfort, both located on the southern coasts of the islands, overlooking key sea straits, and pointing south to the East German coast. Both have been shut down after the end of the Cold War, and now they can be visited as top-tier military museums.

Further souvenirs from the Cold War era can be found in the Defense and Garrison Museum in Aalborg, a wide-spectrum military museum with a focus on WWII and the Cold War, and in the Danish Museum of Flight, where exemplars from the heterogeneous wings of the Danish Air Force are displayed, together with unique specimens of Danish aircraft production from the inter-war and early Cold War period.

This post covers all these four sites, visited in summer 2019. Presentation doesn’t follow any special order.

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

Sights

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort

This museum on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand (the same of Copenhagen) is actually a former Cold War military fort, operative from the early 1950s to the year 2000. It was re-opened as a museum in 2008, carefully preserved in most part in the forms it had in the 1980s, the most technologically advanced years of the Cold War.

By the entrance to the museum area you can see three surface-to-air missile, namely an old Nike-Ajax, and a much more performing – and bigger – Nike-Hercules. Both were part of the US Nike airspace protection system, which was deployed in Denmark around Copenhagen. The missiles are from the Cold War years, but were not originally present on Stevnsfort.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Strictly speaking, Stevnsfort is not the part of the installation you access first. The area you meet when getting in from the parking used to be a missile base in charge of the Danish Air Force. It was built for the Hawk system, another US interdiction surface-to-air missile system, the heir of the Nike system. Actually, Nike Hercules batteries in Denmark were withdrawn from use – as elsewhere, see this post – in the 1980s. Their role was taken over by Hawk missile batteries, gradually entering service since the 1960s, and operated till 2005 in Denmark.

Differently from its predecessor, the radar-based Hawk system was entirely movable, making it more flexible and less vulnerable. As a result, there are basically no bunkers in this area, and all constructions here are ‘soft’. Target designation and tracking was demanded to three sub-systems, namely a radar-pulse antenna for target individuation, an interrogation friend-or-foe (IFF) and a target-tracking/homing antenna.

Two radar-pulse antennas are displayed. The aerial emerges from a tent, which covers the electronics and motor of the system. Both are mounted on a truck trailer, which is actually totally movable. The range of the radar scanner was about 75 miles.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

The IFF antenna is a smaller barrel-shaped device coupled with systems on-board aircraft, needed to distinguish between an enemy aircraft and a friend or ally. The target-tracking/homing antenna, with its distinctive two radar dishes, shares the installation setup with radar-pulse antennas – it sits on top of a trailer, covered in a green tent.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Close by, trucks and special moving cranes to mount the missiles on their launch gantries are displayed. Also containers for the missiles are shown, together with an example of the Hawk missile itself. The launch order could arrive only from the central Air Force command, except in case of a communication breakdown, when each missile base could decide on its own – at the high risk of making a mistake!

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Farther on, power trucks and other launch systems are displayed besides batteries of Hawk missiles. The launch gantry is smaller in size compared to that of Nike-Hercules, but each gantry launches three missiles instead of only one. The gantry is anchored to the ground, and when inactive it is shrouded in a peculiar rubber-coated eyelid-like bubble, which can be quickly lowered to let the missiles out.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

On the far end of the missile area, you can see an old-fashioned coastal cannon, part of the original fort, used as an illumination cannon in support of larger cannons in the battery.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

One of the naval gun batteries is the first item you meet when entering the actual Stevnsfort fort. The fort was built between 1952 and 1955 for use by the Navy, and is the oldest part of the installation. Together with the Langelandsfort gun battery and command post (see below), it was tasked with monitoring marine traffic along the straits giving access to the Kattegat and the North Sea from the inner Baltic. For the purpose, it was supplied with a huge underground bunker, its most distinctive feature, as well as batteries of naval guns.

The 150 mm guns have an intriguing history. They were made in Nazi Germany early during WWII, for the Kriegsmarine ship ‘Gneisenau’. This was damaged when still in the dockyard, and the guns were re-designated to be placed on the Danish island of Fano on the North Sea coast, as part of the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. Following the end of WWII in May 1945, the guns were captured and finally found their way to Stevnsfort.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

The two-guns batteries were capable of 4-6 shells per minute per barrel, and could reach to the coast of Sweden, thus effectively closing the Oresund strait between Denmark and Sweden if needed. While primarily an anti-ship battery, the swiveling turret could be used to cover the coast, in case of an amphibious attack.

Firing direction was by means of a primary radar station on site, which is still in use, complemented by five other stations along the coast. The shells were loaded with an elevator from the bunker underneath. The guns were temporarily deactivated – but not dismantled – in the 1980s, when Stevnsfort assumed the role of main control and communication post for the southern district of the Danish Navy. Joint exercises with the military forces of the FRG were carried out also here in the final years of the Cold War.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

By the entrance to the underground bunker you can spot several air hatches emerging from the ground, and an example of sea mine. The latter was the primary weapon to interdict traffic on the strait, with gun battery fire being mainly directed against enemy mine-sweepers.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Past the entrance, you need to descend a long stair into the bunker. At the base of the stair is an airlock with facilities for decontamination. The Stevnsfort bunker was most notably the first structure in Denmark to be built to withstand a nuclear attack.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

The bunker is not excessively big, with about twenty reinforced-concrete-padded rooms connected by tunnels carved in the rock.

One of the highlights of this installation is the communication bunker, operative since 1984 in an area formerly hosting a hospital, then shut down when the naval batteries were deactivated. This used to be a highly inaccessible facility during the Cold War. Thanks to a careful preservation, the room looks like it was still in use! Batteries of telex and other communication machines originally in place, monitors and modern imaging technology from the Eighties, together with examples of ciphered messages are all on display.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Next to the communication room, the operation room is even more impressive. Similar to the former, it was constantly manned, and totally inaccessible for non-authorized personnel. The radar monitors can be seen towering over the consoles! Military staff on duty identified and followed all marine traffic in the assigned district, both civilian and military, friends and potential enemies.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Catalogs of existing ships are on display. Several thousands ships were identified and observed from this facility in the days of operation. It is reported that patrol ships from the USSR approached the coast under surveillance about 30 times per year, tasked with familiarizing troops with local geography…

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Another highlight of the visit is the ammo storage for the gun battery previously visited. In the storage, explosive cartridges are placed separately from the shells themselves. There were four types of shells, recognized through a color code – grey for armor-piercing, orange for explosive, green for illuminating and blue for inert.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

The almost-100 pounds cartridges were loaded on an elevator, and lifted up to the battery. A ladder provided direct access from the bunker to the cannons, serving also as an emergency exit.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Other rooms you can visit are sleeping quarters for the 250 men which stationed inside the bunker, until the guns were deactivated in 1981. The fort was capable of sustaining prolonged isolation in case of crisis or war. During the Cuban missile crisis, the Stevnsfort bunker was put on maximum alert for a week, with all men living underground, all accesses sealed.

Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark - Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center
Cold War Museum Stevnsfort Denmark – Cannons, Bunker and Operations Center

Getting there and moving around

The Cold War Museum Stevnsfort is an international-level museum, to be found 1 hour driving south of central Copenhagen. The official website with directions and opening times is here. Visiting inside the gun battery and the bunker is possible only on a guided tour, where you are given an audio guide in English (also German and possibly other languages) if you can’t follow the Danish-speaking human guide. The guided tour includes also a visit of the missile battery, but this part can be toured also on your own. The guided visit lasts about 1.5 hours, and may turn a little boring in some parts (as usual, the human guide speaks longer than your audio-guide), but it is needed to get access to the most unique parts of the museum. I suggest visiting relatively early in the day, allowing some spare time after the guided tour and before closure to tour the missile part on your own. Free parking ahead of the installation, nice military-themed shop.

Cold War Museum Langelandsfort

This museum has been opened on the premises of a former naval gun installation from the same years of Stevnsfort (see above). Located on the southern island of Langeland, at the inlet of the Belt channel giving access to the Kattegat from the Baltic, it was in a good position to monitor all marine traffic in its sector, as well as for blocking the channel. As a matter of fact, similarly to Stevnsfort, the main target of the naval guns here were minesweepers, for the channel was completely covered with Danish remotely-controlled sea mines, and action of enemy minesweepers would have been necessary before any attack by the bulk of navy forces.

The main naval force in Langelandsfort was constituted of four naval guns, mounted on swiveling turrets, and a fire control bunker which in non-crisis time was used to keep trace of all marine traffic in the sector. The fort was complemented with anti-aircraft defensive positions, a bunkerized power station, and ‘softer buildings’, including barracks. Except for the latter, everything has been restored and can be visited. One of the naval batteries has been restored completely to its original form including the mechanisms underneath, whereas at the base of the other three batteries you can find exhibitions about various aspects of the Cold War – they are all pretty well studied, rich and interesting.

The command bunker is the first construction you meet. The building is from the 1950s, and it shares many aspects with Stevnsfort, though this is much smaller. You can see sleeping quarters and a kitchen, which would be used especially in case the fort was sealed, i.e. in case of high alert or war.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The control rooms are three. Two are for tracking marine traffic in the marine district of the Belt, and also for coordinating air operations from other military installations in Denmark. A radar antenna and an observation tower outside, likely complemented by similar gear in the area, provided a complete real-time picture of the civilian and military traffic in the sector. It is reported that ships going to Cuba with SS-4 nuclear missiles and related supplies were spotted in these rooms months before that material was photographed by the US, when the crisis broke out.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The third control room is the fire control room for the whole fort, coordinating fire from all four gun batteries. Fire control was by means of a very interesting piece of machinery, a fully mechanical computer, taking in atmospheric data like temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, and target data. No electricity was needed except for lighting the goggles of this analog computer! A similar item was present in Stevnsfort, but I could not see it during my guided visit.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

In an adjoining room you can see a perfectly restored communication facility, with ciphered messages hanging on the walls, as well as original transmission machines and early computers. There is also a personal study room for the commander of the post.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Besides the control bunker you can find an anti-aircraft position, centered on a four-barreled anti-aircraft gun. Similar to all others, the small bunker underneath could be manned and sealed in case of war.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The cannon battery closest to the control bunker has been restored completely, including the bunker underneath. The 150 mm guns, one per battery, were made in the final years of WWII by Skoda works in Plzen, in the then-Nazi occupied territory of Czechia. They were originally intended by the Wehrmacht for the Atlantic Wall in Denmark, but they never became operative there. Instead, they ended up to be installed by Denmark to counter a Soviet threat on the Baltic.

The mechanism for supplying cartridges to the cannon is similar to that in Stevnsfort, with an elevator lifting the explosive charge and the shell separately to the level of the gun. However, here the storage bunker is just beneath the cannon, and the lift does not carry the cartridge directly inside the turret, but to a hatch in the reinforced wall besides the cannon – something similar to some of the smaller cannon batteries of the Atlantic Wall built by the Germans.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Inside the bunker you can see the ammo storage, as well as a sleeping compartment for the 15-men crew needed to operate the cannon.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Some example shells have been preserved, with colors corresponding to different functions of the shell (see Stevnsfort above).

The cartridge elevator room is very small, and access is from both sides. Explosive and shell came from opposite directions, each from the corresponding storage room.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The bunker under the next cannon battery has been dedicated to the analysis of the threat from the Danish perspective. Here you see copies of the Soviet plans to invade Denmark, as part of an operation to conquer central and northern Europe lightning-fast in case of an open war against the West. Among the most striking items, you can see detailed Soviet maps covering all regions of Denmark – with city names and all writing in Cyrillic!

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

There is also a nice collection of ordinary weapons and military supply from the Eastern Bloc, and especially from the neighboring German Democratic Republic. A very special feature is an example of the ‘Blücher decoration for valor’, a medal created by the GDR to be attributed to individuals for actions of exceptional courage in the defense of the GDR, and to be assigned only in case of war – thanks to the Cold War never turning ‘hot’ for the GDR, nobody could be awarded this decoration.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The next battery is dedicated to espionage and spy gear, with many examples of James-Bond-like trinkets, actually used by both enemy and Danish spies. Machinery for ciphered communication, once considered hi-tech, is also on display, together with maps used by a Danish spy visiting the Polish coast, and satellite imagery of East German/Soviet airbases.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The exhibition in the last battery is about the Cold War and society, and is full of old photographs of pro-Soviet protesters in Denmark, spies, famous characters of the Cold War, momentous events taking place in Denmark during the Cold War and so on. Most notably, there are also many artifacts from both Denmark, the Eastern Bloc and the USSR, including medals, posters, portraits and much more.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Similar to the control bunker, the power station has been preserved in its original condition. Three diesel engines could provide power to all bunkers in case of war or failure of the grid for whatever reason. Immediately outside the entrance to the power station bunker there are apparently some suspended showers…

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The large area of Langelandsfort has been selected also for the exhibition of a submarine, a mine-sweeper and two aircraft! The submarine ‘Springeren’ was used by Denmark in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it was built much earlier and operated by the Norwegian Navy. Sadly, after the retirement of ‘Springeren’, the Danish Navy shut off completely its underwater branch. The ship is a small conventionally powered attack submarine. The interior is apparently pretty modern with respect to older German or US WWII U-boats.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The submarine features six torpedo tubes.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The mine-sweeper has the appearance of a small conventional boat, but with room for a crew of several men. It is hosted in a hangar together with examples of sea mines – apparently US models.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The two aircraft are a SAAB Draken of Denmark and a MiG-23 of Poland. They represent some of the most advanced aircraft of these opposing countries at the height of the Cold War. Both exemplars are well preserved inside hangars protecting them from the weather and sunlight.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Another interesting sight is a reconstruction of a civil defense bunker, with much original material, including packs of ration cards already prepared for the population in case of war. In an adjoining room you can see a reconstruction of a bunkerized broadcasting studio – the national TV channels were tasked with providing updates to the population in case of an attack, hence a similar facility was prepared in the basement of the TV headquarters.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Close to the ticket office, you are offered a very well-designed exhibition tracing the timeline of the Cold War, with some clever text and many pictures, some of which rather uncommon – really worth spending some time on, before or after visiting the museum.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

There is also room for temporary exhibitions, in a hangar which includes an original section of the Berlin Wall.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

The building of the ticket office is also interesting. From the back of it you can get access to a smaller exhibition about travels to the DDR (the native acronym for the GDR), with everyday items, old Interflug boarding passes, and some incredible postcards – apparently, modern Soviet-style housing and heads of Marx were the items that GDR postcard-designers liked most… Fragments of the Berlin Wall are also on display.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Ahead of the entrance there is an old and pretty big hammer and sickle, originally from a Soviet ship. The commander threw it outboard when the Soviet Union officially ceased to exist. It was collected by a Danish sailor and ended up here. Nearby you can see a reconstruction of the Berlin Wall, and an original Trabant crossing it.

Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop - Cold War Museum Denmark - Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center
Koldkrigsmuseum Langelandsfort, Bagenkop – Cold War Museum Denmark – Cannon Battery, Bunker and Operations Center

Getting there and moving around

The Cold War Museum Langelandsfort is located close to the southern tip of the island of Langeland, which is connected with bridges to the major island of Fyn, where Odense can be found about 1-hour north of the museum by car. You can move around the museum on your own, there are several panels with explanations. Most panels have at least a quick translation in German and English. All presentations are very well designed and maintained. Visiting may take at least 2 hours for an interested subject, and even more especially if you are taking pictures. Free parking ahead of the entrance, and picnic area nearby. Official website here.

Aalborg Defense and Garrison Museum

This museum was opened in the year 2002, in the hangar of a seaplane base constituted by the occupying German forces in 1940. The base was potentiated in more instances during WWII, and a half-interred command bunker similar to those of the Atlantic Wall was added.

Aalborg has been a military post for centuries, therefore the museum is centered on several aspects of war and military life. Of course, the majority of the artifacts on display date from WWII and the Cold War period.

The hangar hosts a small collection of aircraft, which capture your sight when you get in. Most notably, there are a venerable F-84, an F-86, and somewhat older T-33 and Gloster Meteor.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Close by, you can find a more modern F-104. Jet engines of American make from some of these aircraft have been taken out of the airframes, and put on display separately.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Again in the center of the hangar you can see a Hawk missile system, including the missile battery and movable power and control trucks. Also anti-aircraft guns and searchlights from various ages are on display.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Items from WWII include a nice exhibition of locally-collected gear used by the Danish resistance movements. Supplied by the Allies from the air, they managed to build several types of bombs, mines, and so on, made to disturb and damage enemy transports, or to kill enemy staff in well programmed para-military actions.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Memorabilia include the engine of an US B-17 bomber, sadly downed over the Baltic during the crew’s final mission, the original Luftwaffe eagle once standing on the building of the local German air command, and a Nazi flag weaving on some public building in town in the years of the German occupation.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

There are also many photographs from the area from the war years, and reproductions of German maps and local newspapers. The latter tell about relevant facts taking place during the war, as reported by the local media. There are also diplomas of merit issued by the US and Britain in favor of a local citizen, member of the resistance.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

A part of the exhibition is about civil defense. Similar to the US, Britain and other countries during the Cold War, this service was activated to prepare the population to a nuclear war scenario, and to provide shelter and a chance of survival, by means of bunkers and deposits of supplies. Here you can see a reconstruction of such a shelter, and items which used to be stored in preparation for survival in the nuclear winter.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

There is also a nice collection of light weapons from local firms, uniforms and communication rigs.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

A few uniforms and technical gear from the current supplies of the Danish military are on display as well.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

In a room to the side of the central hall, you can find uniforms dating from WWII, including German stuff. The story of a Dane coming to the US and fighting for the US Army is also told in a corner, also through some memorabilia.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

On an elevated platform you can find an exhibition about the Cold War. This is mostly made by panels retracing the history of that confrontation over the decades. Among the most peculiar items on display, a copy of the invasion plan studied by the Soviet in case of a sudden war with the West. That plan included the rapid conquer of Denmark, due to its strategically relevant position. A copy of a Soviet-made map of Aalborg in Russian, needed in case of war, is another example of the unique artifacts on display.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

This special Cold War exhibition is completed with a set of field and anti-aircraft weapons from various ages of the confrontation.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Other rooms around the main hall display modern uniforms, NATO-related material, military supply from various ages and even a throne used by the Queen of Denmark on an official visit.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

In an adjoining smaller hangar you can find a rich collection of trucks and weapons with various – not only military – functions.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Outside, a highlight of the museum is the former air command bunker built by the Germans. This has been filled with memorabilia from the Nazi occupation period. An unusual and little-known story is told here, about the German refugees from Eastern Prussia, a region loosely coincident today with the part of Russia around the town of Kaliningrad (ex-Konigsberg). This area used to be part of Germany since before WWI, and it remained under the Weimar Republic, even though separated from German mainland. Neighboring Lithuania was annexed to the Third Reich before WWII – similar to Sudetenland – on account of the proximity to that region, with the excuse of a significant German group living in Lithuania. In 1939 the Germans re-gained control over northern Poland, and the two regions of Prussia were reunited in the Reich.

Following the victories of the Soviets in 1944 and the ensuing landslide-march towards Berlin, Eastern Prussia was lost to the enemy. Refugees escaped to mainland Germany, and the administration of the Reich sent these folks in several areas relatively far from the front – including a significant number to occupied Denmark, and especially in the hangars in Aalborg, where the museum is today. So the hangar acted as a hospitality center for the refugees. This was something strange though, for the refugees were not local nationals, but instead enemies. This led to a controversy soon after, when the war ended. In the event, most of the refugees returned to their land of origin, only to find it permanently occupied by the Soviets. Some handmade artifacts of these German refugees can be seen on display in the bunker.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Finally, a very good collection of tanks, field guns and movable howitzers from various countries including the Eastern Bloc and mainly from the various ages of the Cold War can be admired on the museum apron. For the most part, these are reportedly kept in working condition.

Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum - Defense and Garrison Museum - WWII and Cold War Weapons - Denmark
Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum – Defense and Garrison Museum – WWII and Cold War Weapons – Denmark

Getting there and moving around

The museum is located close to central Aalborg, on the waterfront. You can visit it totally on your own. Some of the exhibitions are described in more languages, but some parts are in Danish only. Nonetheless, the visit can be very rewarding for experts and for the kids as well, thanks to the chance to touch many of the artifacts on display. A two-hours time may be enough for having a look, more time is required for a more in-depth visit or if you want to take pictures.

Convenient parking just ahead of the entrance. Website with full information here.

Danish Museum of Flight

This fantastic collection of aircraft can be found next to Stauning Airport, on the west coast of Jutland, at the level of the Ringkobing firth. This is by far the largest aircraft collection in Denmark, and the reference air museum in this country.

The exhibition is well designed and rich, and it covers both the civil and military branches of aviation. Furthermore, a good half of the aircraft appear in fully airworthy conditions.

There are three thematic hangars. In the first you can find civilian aircraft from various ages, smaller sport aircraft and military trainers mainly from the inter-war period or the late 1940s. Some of them appear airworthy.

Most notably, there is the front part of the fuselage of a Douglas DC-7, formerly in service with the national carrier SAS, still on business today. The cockpit and the crew compartment are well preserved. The analog instrumentation adopted on this plane, which dates from 1957 and represents the last and most advanced of the Douglas propliners, is abundant and remarkably sophisticated.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Another unique aircraft on display is an Aerospatiale Corvette, an executive jet by the same French airframer who participated in the Concorde project. You can also board the plane.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Similarly rare today is the DeHavilland Dove, a British-made short range liner from the early Cold War period. Similar aircraft, cheap to operate, went on flying well into the 1970s in many countries. Here you see an exemplar in the colors of Cimber Air.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Among the trainers, you can find a DeHavilland Tiger Moth and a Chipmunk from the same manufacturer. Less common aircraft include a DeHavilland Hornet Moth, which apparently spent most of its flying time in Kuala Lumpur, and a nice Bucker Bestmann, a German trainer adopted and license-built also in Sweden.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Despite never adopted by the Danish military, a V-tailed Fouga Magister French trainer apparently found its way to here. It was reportedly flown in private hands by a Danish professor, before being donated to the museum.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

In the first hangar are also examples of Danish aircraft production, including the reconstruction of an early prototype by a local pioneer. Propellers and dismounted engines and systems, likely used for training purposes in the past, are an interesting part of the exhibition too.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

A huge collection of model engines, some air traffic control consoles and airport trucks complete the exhibition in the first hangar.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

The second hangar is mainly devoted to aircraft manufactured in Denmark. Most notably, the Skandinavisk Aero Industri – abbreviated in SAI – specialized in trainers and small transport in the inter-war and WWII period, and knew a good national and local international success between 1937 and 1954, when it disappeared – and with it basically also the Danish aeronautical industry.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Some of the aircraft on display are unique exemplars, the last witnesses of this interesting story. Not all aircraft here are from this manufacturer though – an ubiquitous Piper Cub in its distinctive yellow colorway can be found as well, together with a Supermarine Spitfire. Also here, most aircraft appear to be in airworthy conditions.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

In the last hangar, which despite being the largest one, is the most crumpled, you can find military aircraft retracing the history of the Danish Air Force supply. The aircraft here are all from the Cold War period, hence giving to this hangar a historical connotation. This part of the exhibition is also particularly nice, as you can walk close and beneath the aircraft, an ideal setting for getting pictures of smaller particular features.

The variety of present aircraft is very interesting, and reflects the close bounds of Denmark with the US and Britain. Aircraft from the early Cold War include Lockheed T-33, a North American F-86, and two different versions of the Republic F-84.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

An exemplar of the latter is supplemented with JATO – Jet Assisted Take-Off – bottles under the fuselage. The mountings of the underwing rockets on the F-84 and of the belly rockets on the F-86 are really unique examples of Cold War technology!

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

A big Consolidated Catalina amphibious aircraft towers on all others in the hall, while a Douglas C-47 transport in excellent conditions is preserved in a corner, with an interesting ski system mounted on the landing gears.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

British aircraft from the same early era include a Gloster Meteor and what appears to be a pretty rare Fairey Firefly. Another US design is a T-6 trainer, to be found under the wing of the Catalina.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

More recent designs still from the Cold War include a Lockheed F-104, a British Hawker Hunter and a Swedish SAAB Draken.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Especially the configuration of the latter – both the general configuration and the arrangement of the landing gear and wing pylons – is really unique, reflecting a different yet interesting school of aircraft design.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Rather uncommon out of the US, a North American F-100 Super Sabre is also on display, with a foldable Pitot boom.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Finally there are a Hawk missile battery, a movable command center and service trucks.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Modern aircraft are represented here by an F-16. There are also two helicopters of US make, closing the collection.

Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes
Danmarks Flymuseum Denmark Museum of Flight Jutland Skjern Cold War Planes

Getting there and moving around

The museum is located between Stauning and Velling, two small villages on the inner coast of the Ringkobing firth, western Jutland. The facility is modern, with a large free parking and a picnic area. It is located on the border of a local airport, immersed in nature – a very pleasant location. The museum requires about 2 hours for an interested subject, 2.5 if you want to take pictures. Website with full information here.

Soviet Depots for Nuclear Warheads in the GDR

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Despite their great destructive potential and strategic relevance, nuclear assets were deployed far from the ‘centers of power’ in Moscow and Washington by both the USSR and the US. As the front of the Cold War was especially ‘hot’ along the border between the Warsaw Pact and NATO Countries in central Europe, large arsenals of nuclear weapons were deployed to the area, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and in several instances over time.

On the western side this was not hidden and led often times to protests in Countries like the UK, West Germany and Italy, so that the history of the presence of a nuclear arsenal in those Countries can be traced with some accuracy, albeit not easily. Conversely, much less is known about the deployment of Soviet nuclear arsenals over the territory of the former Eastern Bloc, making this segment of Cold War history especially mysterious.

History – in brief

In this Cold War scenario, the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or DDR in German) received special consideration by the Soviets. Thanks to its advanced position in Europe and the local, much trusted ‘hardcore’ communist regime, the USSR planned the deployment of early strategic missiles – SS-3 Shyster and SS-4 Sandal – starting already in the late Fifties, the years of Khrushchev. Traces of an actual deployment exist in Vogelsang and Furstenberg, about one hour driving north of Berlin (see this post about Vogelsang, and this about the mysterious deployment of missiles in the area).

Later on, in the early years of Brezhnev as leader of the USSR, it was decided that for a prompter and more flexible response in case of an attack, nuclear warfare especially for tactical use should be deployed outside of the USSR borders, to Countries in close proximity with the West. On the other hand, strategic warheads and missile systems could be withdrawn to within the USSR, as more technologically advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles had become available, making a hit of a foreign objective possible even from deep inside the Soviet borders.

Consequently, deployment of air launched nuclear warfare started in selected Soviet airbases, which were really not in any shortage in the GDR – considering both the national air force (NVA) and the Soviet aviation, the DDR used to be one of the world’s top countries in terms of airbases per square mile, or per resident. You can see several posts on former Soviet bases in the GDR on this website (look here, here and here).

For military corps not operating from airbases – especially missile brigades – the headquarters of the Red Army in Moscow deemed necessary the deployment to the GDR of nuclear warheads for tactical or theater missiles.

Two depots were built anew in dedicated installations specifically for hosting such warheads. One was in Stolzenhain, codenamed ‘Objekt 4000’ and sometimes referred to as Linda (the name of a village nearby), close to the highly-militarized area of Juterbog (see this post) and Kloster Zinna, about one hour driving south of Berlin. The other was again close to Furstenberg, and named Lychen-2, and codenamed ‘Objekt 4001’.

The nuclear bunkers in Stolzenhain and Lychen were payed for by the GDR – through a governmental agreement with the USSR – which always detained official property of the facilities, and were built by German workers, around the year 1967. Once ready, in 1968 the bunkers were handed over to Soviet staff, and the corresponding areas totally closed to non-Soviets. The bunkers, as other similar facilities in other Countries of the Warsaw Pact, communicated directly with Moscow, as similarly to the US, only the top of the command chain could authorize the use of nuclear forces.

The facilities were kept running until the end of the Cold War. Control was officially given back to the agonizing GDR in 1990, the Soviets having transferred all valuable material to the (agonizing) USSR.

Here the story splits for the two installations. While the Lychen bunker has been selected for interment, the installation largely being demolished around 2015, forgotten and reclaimed by nature, as of 2019 the Stolzenhain bunker is in a far better condition, apparently in private hands, and albeit plans for it are sadly similar to Lychen, it may be still in time to be turned into a unique, world-class museum.

About this post

This post covers both Lychen-2 and Stolzenhain bunkers. The former was explored in the summer of 2019. The latter was explored a first time in 2019, and in a second instance with the guidance of its owner Manfred van Heerde and the nuclear scientist and historian Reiner Helling in 2021. As the Stolzenhain installation is still in a relatively good shape, you can also get an understanding of what the inside of these bunkers looks like, their design and specific features. Pictures of this installation from above can be found in another chapter (see here).

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Sights

Objekt 4000 – Stolzenhain

The Stolzenhain bunker, aka ‘bunker Linda’, due to the name of a nearby village, is a perfect specimen of this type of construction (codenamed Monolith-type – see also this post for similar sites in nearby Poland, including one open as a museum). It is composed of two adjoining sub-parts – an area with larger barracks and ‘soft’ constructions, and a larger area were two twin bunkers for warheads are located, together with smaller service buildings and smaller service quarters for the troops. The two areas are arranged along a north-south direction, with the bunker area north of the barracks area.

Today, access to the barracks area is mostly interdicted – you may venture in by foot, but there is a gate which does not allow getting in by car, despite the relatively good condition of the road. The premises are in private hands, and some demolition/reconstruction/conversion works are being carried out here. There is also a service building, looking like a private residence, built in recent times.

Main Gate and Outer Buildings

The main access road features typical prefabricated concrete slabs, found in most Soviet/communist installations everywhere in eastern Europe. Halfway between the external gate and the barracks area, traces of an external wall can be found, with a couple of ‘welcome stones’.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

A closer look to the slabs reveal a rather poor quality material used for manufacture. Writings are excerpts of the Soviet constitution, presented as mottoes in Russian, with some communist symbols.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The barracks and some softer constructions date from the Seventies – the frieze on the sidewalls of the buildings tells it quite clearly. The area is protected by a concrete wall, bearing a probably original greenish camouflage.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

In the years of operation, there used to be four large apartment blocks aligned in a row, just ahead of the entrance to the area of the barracks. These buildings were for the officials and their families. While still inside the external fence of the base, these apartments allowed more privacy and convenience, forming a de facto little Soviet village in the GDR, segregated from the surrounding German community. This housing has been completely demolished today. However, some trace of correlated ‘civilian’ facilities can be found to the south of the barracks area.

In particular, a swimming pool was built at a certain point in the history of the base, and it is still in a relatively good shape. Changing rooms for men and women are still there. A tall springboard and starting blocks still face the pool, which is apparently watertight, despite the greenish water not being really attractive!

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The pool features an outer fence, with a service gate bearing a characteristic Soviet ‘diverging rays’ motif.

Another facility put specifically for comfort in this area is a sauna/bathing house, a widespread Russian tradition. The sauna building in Stolzenhain features several smaller adjoining rooms, with pools, sauna/Turkish bath areas, a central heater, as well as more general purpose sitting rooms with fireplaces. A video studio was also featured in this multi-functional building.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

An interesting specimen of Soviet naive art, some frescoes adorn the walls of some of the rooms, with subjects ranging from sea life to women performing ‘spa activities’.

Still outside of the innermost military part, yet inside the external fence of the base, a training ground is to be found to the east of the military area, not too far from the spa building. A walk in the trees along the inner perimeter of the wall of the base is needed to reach this part. A control building with an observation post on top features plenty of instructions for tasks to be performed in a training exercise – in Russian!

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Close by, a shooting range for light weapons (rifles, guns) can be found, again with precise indications on the distances to be taken from the target, marked by colored lines on the ground.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Back to the gate to the military barracks area and stepping inside, among the few surviving buildings is a former gym. Despite used as a storage today, the larger hall is clearly a former volleyball/basketball court. A referee chair is still hanging from the sidewall, and sport-themed frescoes decorate the walls.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Former hangars for trucks or technical vehicles can be found in the eastern part of the former barracks area, similar to traces of a fuel pump. As said, most of the former buildings here are now gone.

A special feature in the barracks area is a manhole with traces of a set of cables, pointing towards the highly secretive and guarded bunker area. Communication is of paramount importance for military practice. In the case of nuclear depots so far away from Moscow, a cable connection was implemented not to loose contact under any circumstances between the Soviet headquarters and this peripheral, yet so valuable facility. Pressurized cables were used, such that when an attempt to severe or intercept cable signals was carried out by the enemy cutting the cable, the external jacket was pierced, a loss of pressure was sensed, and an alarm was triggered immediately. Similarly, in the case of an accidental degeneration of the ground where the cable ran, the pressurized jacket was pierced triggering an alarm, allowing the technicians to repair the cable and restore contact.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

An old and forgotten Soviet standard service container, typically transported by truck, can be found close to the manhole totally invaded by vegetation. From here, a view to the perimeter concrete wall around the innermost part of the site can be easily seen, with clear traces of camo paint.

Bunker Area

The area of the bunkers is fortified with a concrete wall with barbed wire on top running along all its perimeter. The size of the bunker is immediately apparent from above – you can look at some aerial pictures from a dedicated flight over the area, see this report. There is a gate connecting it to the barracks area. The only other gate to the bunker area, located north on the other end of the complex, opposite to the first gate, is partially obstructed.

For its entire length, the external wall of the bunker area is almost perfectly preserved, and abundant traces of camouflage can be easily spotted all along.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Inside the wall, you soon find a fence of barbed wire with concrete posts, again standard for Soviet military installations. Some sections of the barbed wire are very well preserved, albeit rusty. The overgrown vegetation looks like the only difference between now and the years when the bunker was in operation!

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Inside the barbed wire fence, you find traces of an exceptional system of trenches and turrets, which should have granted protection to the innermost part of the complex – the storage bunkers. There are turrets of many kinds, including one which looks like the dome of a tank, re-used for the purpose – a feature also of the Atlantic Wall and the Salpa Line (see here). Such a degree of protection is extraordinary also with respect to other military installations. Abundant traces of barbed wire-holders along the tranches can be easily spotted. The site was clearly considered as an objective of special value, to be seriously defended in case of an attack from the West.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Close to the center of the large fenced area, you soon reach the bunkers (there are a western and an eastern bunker, described below), which despite being mostly underground, feature a small mound on top which allow spotting them from the distance.

Western Nuclear Storage Bunker

Access for the warheads is at the level of the ground. There are two large tight doors corresponding to the two ends of the main hall of the bunker. Below you can see a 3D sketch of the bunker, from a placard found close to Objekt 4001 (the Lychen bunker), describing the inner layout.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

By one of the entrances to the bunker is a small loading/unloading platform for two trucks. The apron connecting the platform to the bunker door used to be covered by prefabricated roof tiles – rich in asbestos – and covered with artificial vegetation, of which some traces remain.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The area is overlooked by a firing turret, seating above the front of the bunker.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The external tight door gives access to an airlock, a small square compartment closed to the opposite end by another identical door. This is explained in view of the need to protect the innermost part of the bunker from attacks by means of high-yield weapons. A similar architecture can be found in a Soviet nuclear depot in Szprotawa, Poland (see this post).

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

From the airlock you get access to a suspended platform, from which you can appreciate the storage facilities of the bunker. There is a main hall, where the warheads were lowered by means of a motorized crane from the suspended platform down to the underground level. From there, they were moved to one of the four long storage chamber, all accessible on the same side of the main hall.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Temperature and humidity of the main hall and storage rooms were perfectly controlled. Ventilation pipes and an impressive array of hangers for heat exchangers can be seen in the main hall.

Access to the underground floor from the suspended platform is only possible with a ladder, passing through a narrow hatch – as usual, it’s hard to understand why the Russians (or the Germans in this case) built passages so narrow and uncomfortable, considering they are not among the shortest human types on Earth… – see this post for another brilliant example…

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The storage rooms are very long, and traces of strongpoints for anchoring the warheads safely on ground can be seen surfacing on the floor. The doors between the main hall and the storage rooms, where present, don’t appear to be tight. Most writing is in Russian, but some labels are in German. This can be explained with the bunkers being realized by GDR personnel, upon requirements by the Soviets.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The blue cabinets and piping in the pictures are part of the warhead monitoring plant. Each warhead – the actual number is part of the mystery, but there used to be several tens of them in each of the two bunkers on site! – was kept in a sealed shell, to keep sensitive nuclear material precisely in the required climatic condition. Constantly checking the condition of the warheads was part of the duty of the bunker personnel. For the task, each warhead was moved to the hall and connected to the piping, to take measurements of temperature, pressure, atmospheric composition and similar parameters. In case of an anomaly, the warhead was resent to a major technical facility in the USSR (in particular, in Belarus for the Stolzenhain warheads), for fixing.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

To the opposite end of the main hall from the entrance is another identical entrance, with a suspended platform and an airlock. In the case of this bunker, the most external tight door to the far end has been taken off its hinges and put on the floor, whereas that between the airlock and the main hall has been permanently shut.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Back to the main hall, on the opposite side of the storage rooms on the underground floor, it is possible to access a service area, with several smaller rooms connected by a narrow corridor. The function of each room is not difficult to argue, and looking at some details it is possible to make some easy hypothesis.

Electric actuation for the ventilation system may be the function of a first room.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

What looks like a kind of hydraulic pumping/water filtering system is located next door, split over three adjoining rooms. The system has been pulled down to the ground, but it is not severely damaged.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Next you can find a reservoir for water, placed in a room close by, painted in green and highly damaged.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Going further along the corridor, you can find a toilet. Poor drainage – don’t forget this floor is entirely underground – meant that the troops spending their shift in the bunker did not use the toilet much, and climbed out of the bunker for their necessities.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Further on, you can see a room which is probably a sleeping room for the troops stationed inside the bunker. A heat exchanger and traces of a sink on the wall may support this theory. Air ducts leading to the surface can be found in recesses close by.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

A room with traces of electric material and an electric panel outside may have been an electric power control facility, maybe even a cable communication facility.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Further on, you get access to a power station, where clear traces of a diesel system for supplying electric energy to the bunker can be found. A big reservoir painted in yellow may have been the diesel fuel tank. A stator of an electrical generator can be seen on the floor. Parts of a diesel engine can be found, and what may have been tanks for lubrication oil can be seen on the walls. As it often happens with defense bunkers – even for larger defensive forts since before WWII – the installation was usually powered from the outside grid in peacetime, but it had to be capable of staying active in case of an attack and failure of the external grid. Hence backup generators can be found in most underground bunkers since the 20th century. Especially in the atomic age, when a nuclear attack on the installation was considered a potential scenario, a stress was put on this type of countermeasure.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The diesel engine is earmarked with a Soviet label, witnessing its origin! Similarly, electric motors and components scattered on ground – part of the ventilation system – are ‘made in CCCP’.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Traces of lubrication oil can be found on panels on the floor. Between the power station and the main corridor, a side door gives access to a ladder going up. This was likely the ‘normal’ pedestrian access to the bunker.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

A few more service rooms can be accessed from the main underground hall, through doors on its short sides, under the suspended balconies. There were mechanical workshops, but also facilities for dealing with contaminated or poisonous material, in particular that of nuclear warhead triggers. This is further witnessed by traces in the eastern bunker (see below), and by special valves installed on the ventilation system in those rooms.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Getting out and climbing on top of the bunker, it is possible to spot several air hatches for the ventilation system (including that of the power station), as well as a metal cabin covering the ladder giving access to the service rooms in the bunker – the ‘normal’ pedestrian access cited above.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

A loading/unloading facility, larger than the one on the other side and with platforms of different sizes numbered from 1 to 4, can found also by the other gate of the bunker, which as noted is sealed.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Also here, an asbestos-rich roof can be found in the truck docking area, but there is no superstructure covering the apron leading to the door of the bunker.

Eastern Nuclear Storage Bunker

A large concrete road forms an ‘8’ around the two nuclear storage bunkers. The bunkers are identical, but for protection the eastern bunker was built tilted by 90° with respect to the western one – this way, it was not possible with a single attacking wave to hit the entrance gates of both bunkers.

The gate on one end of the bunker has been partially interred. The large apron leading to the truck loading facility is not covered. Traces of a fire emergency system can be found. Many hatches can be seen on top of the bunker, not all well conserved. One of them carries the curious inscription ‘Baku’, the capital city of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, written in Russian – as elsewhere in Soviet military installations, maybe the troops stationed here marked the place with the name of their city of origin (see this post).

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The bunker is slightly better preserved than the western one. The motorized cranes can be see on top of the main hall – nominal capacity is 32 tonnes.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The array of heat exchangers for temperature control on the side of the hall is clearly visible. A pressure gauge dates back to 1967. The storage rooms keep trace of a ventilation system, yet today humidity is damaging the inside of the bunker.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

An exploration of the service rooms, accessible from the main hall opposite the storage rooms, reveals a water pumping/filtering system and a water tank in their original positions.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The toilet, complete of toilet brush, is placed on top of a platform – the composition is so perfect that it looks like a weird ‘monument to a toilet’!

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Here the air pumps are better preserved than the in the western bunker, with fans still in place and air ducts pointing upwards to the roof of the installation.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

A room possibly for the shift on duty, with a heat exchanger and sink, features a supporting structure possibly made for beds. The electric panels in the adjoining room confirm its function as a control center for electric supply.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Before reaching the power station at the far end of the service corridor, a side passage gives access to a room with bulky air filters. This looks very similar to the filtering system of other military installations elsewhere – see this post for instance. Big greenish canisters are still there with writings in Russian. These were needed for survival inside the bunker, in case of an attack with nuclear or chemical weapons, which would have made outer air poisonous.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The area of the power station is similar to that in the other bunker, except the diesel engine, which is somewhat in a better shape. A big radiator, looking from an old-style truck, has been put alongside a large fan. More radiators can be found in the room, which is also stuffed with air ducts in a bad shape and tanks.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

The smaller service rooms accessible from below the suspended platforms are basically empty, except one with a transparent case, likely for manipulating poisonous material. This was required for older-style nuclear bomb triggers. Soon after the bunker was built, triggers were redesigned, and this room with its facilities was no longer needed. Holes for thick rubber gloves, and even remains of the gloves themselves, can be clearly spotted. The ventilation system in this room features particular valves.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Outside on the far end you can find a docking station for trucks. This has been used more recently as a deposit for asbestos tiles, and venturing should be avoided. On top of the bunker, the metal case with the ladder descending into the underground part, as well as the ladder itself, have been demolished to hamper access.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Other Buildings

In the premises of the fortified bunker area are also other smaller service buildings. Their function is hard to guess at a first glance. Most of them display writings in Cyrillic.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

One of these smaller constructions contained ‘poisoning charges’. These were special ‘weapons’ which could be put on the shell of the warhead and, when triggered, were capable of making it totally inert and ineffective. This was an extreme emergency move, in case a capture of the nuclear warheads was deemed possible due to enemy action. The name of the person responsible for this special action is painted on the gate of the storage.

A low-profile building with a curved roof, not far from a softer construction dating to the 1970s, looks larger and with a mainly pedestrian access. This was a storage for light weapons.

Turrets and defensive buildings are abundant, and all are connected by concrete roads which look pretty good in spite of the decades of disrepair.

Closer to the wall of the inner part, hatches giving access to underground bunkers can be spotted, when exploring with accuracy. These underground bunkers, service rooms or resting rooms for the many troops constantly guarding this installation, are of different size.

A first one, rather convenient, is made of concrete. Nothing remains inside, except traces of a Soviet-style electric plant, made with a questionable safety standard…

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Another is made of prefabricated corrugated tubes, with a sealed entry hatch. This is rather well-preserved, with berths, a stove and a small living area, all accessible via a corridor from the outside.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Finally, close to the barracks area described above, but still inside of the innermost part of the installation, is the access to another underground bunker. Here many smaller rooms, including communication rooms of great importance for triggering actions in the bunker area, are located along a straight tunnel. In the origin, the tunnel went all the way to the barracks area, passing under the fences and wall separating it from the innermost bunker area. The outer entrance was clearly deceived for improved safety, and today it is totally gone.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Stolzenhain Objekt 4000 East Germany

Getting there & moving around

As the place is private property, no detail will be provided concerning access. Moving around the area is dangerous, due to difficulty of access, proximity with local activities and residents, bad phone signal for emergency, plus tons of rusting material, barbed wire, pits, pierces in the ground, asbestos, slippery soil, etc. scattered over the area. The bunkers are wet and completely dark inside. Obviously, the fact that nuclear ordnance and diesel fuel used to be stored there does not help making the place healthier.

That said, the place is in a fairly good shape for the age and vicissitudes, and hopefully it will be at least partly restored and opened to the public in the future, once suitably sanitized.

If you are interested in a legit visit of a Monolith-type bunker, you may consider going to Podborsko in nearby Poland. See this post for pictures and info.

Objekt 4001 – Lychen-2

The Lychen bunker was built on a design basically identical to that of Objekt 4000. The only difference was the orientation, this time along an almost east-western direction, with the ‘softer part’ towards the east and the bunkers to the west.

Historical pictures – actually, even from the early 2010s, when the installation was still mostly untouched – show a very peculiar monument with the head of Lenin and other emblems, marking the entrance to the bunker area.

Today this installation has been completely wiped out. All soft constructions have been demolished, and the ground has been leveled – there is basically no trace of them at all. The monument is gone too. The turrets and protection systems have totally disappeared, similarly to the truck loading and unloading stations.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

Even more surprising is the great care taken to make all walls and fences disappear completely. There are no walls, nor barbed wire fences. What you can still – barely – spot is where the external wall and inner fence used to be, as vegetation has not yet covered the perimeter.

Looking with great care, and knowing where it used to be, if you are lucky you may find scant remains of barbed wire on the ground.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

Instead, the concrete access road and inner service roads are still there. In the middle of the ‘8’ shaped road around the two bunkers, a placard with information has been put by the regional administration. The placard concludes saying that being there should ‘provoke thoughts’ – for instance, why wasn’t this installation preserved somehow for posterity, instead of leaving it slip into oblivion?

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

The bunkers, made to withstand a nuclear blast, are too expensive to be demolished. However, the doors have been completely sealed and covered with land and concrete. The camouflaged concrete fronts of the bunkers are the most visible trace of Objekt 4001.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

On top of the bunkers some metal ventilation hatches appear to have resisted the demolition works. More interestingly, the metal cabin with the ladder for pedestrian access has been demolished, and access blocked with a concrete slab in both bunkers. In the southern bunker the concrete slab has been broken recently, and maybe a difficult access re-opened. However, this is not practicable if you are traveling alone – and is extremely dangerous in all other cases.

Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany
Abandoned Soviet Nuclear Warhead Bunker Lychen-2 Objekt 4001 East Germany

Getting there & moving around

Going to Lychen-2 is easy from the small nice town of Himmelpfort, about 1 hour driving north of downtown Berlin, in the heart of the natural preserve and nice tourist district of Oberhavel.

An access road is marked on the map attached to this post. You may see the Lychen-2 bunker from the satellite map, just north of the road, at the level of the launch platform for the SS-4 Sandal marked as ‘Furstenberg’. The latter post lists also several other Soviet-related destinations in the area, which may be more rewarding than Lychen-2. The (once) prominent secret Soviet base of Vogelsang (see this post) is also a highlight of the area, despite significant demolition works having taken place also recently, pushing also that part of the story towards oblivion.

A Few Remains of Nazi Grandeur in Germany

CarloRLeave a comment

Architecture is possibly one of the disciplines where the ringleaders of the Nazi dictatorship invested most, for it provided a direct mean to display and impose their ‘new aesthetics’ to the German people and to foreign visitors from abroad.

The victory of the Allies in WWII wiped out the Nazi apparatus, but nowhere as in Germany did the new post-war leadership take the  deletion of all traces of the Third Reich so seriously. Even in museums of military history – there is an excellent example in Ingolstadt,  Bavaria, perhaps one of the most beautiful museums on the topic in Europe – there are just a handful of Nazi insignia. Swastikas, Nazi uniforms, weapons and memorabilia can be found to an incredibly greater extent elsewhere in Europe, especially in Britain, or in museums in the US. They are really also abundant in the countless exhibitions about the Great Patriotic War – WWII for Russians – in the former USSR, and generally beyond the Iron Curtain.

Concerning architecture, especially in Berlin many buildings of all ages were totally demolished as a result of US/British air raids, and during the last battle for the city opposite the Red Army. Similarly, the town centers of many larger towns were severely damaged. In the reconstruction process, little care was taken in keeping trace of this dark page of the German history, and the reborn downtown districts assumed in many cases a new face, where 1950-styled buildings shared the stage with medieval cathedrals and public schools from Bismarck’s time – pretty much nothing from the 1930s.

Yet of course some creations of Hitler’s architects have come to these days. Despite the evil ideology behind them, some are remarkable works of art, displaying a clear relationship with functionalism, typically found through various interpretations also in many realizations of great architects of the Thirties, in the US as well as all around western Europe. Examples are those buildings connected with infrastructures, like airport terminals or railway stations – much needed in the post-WWII period, and preferably restored instead of being demolished. More items of this kind survive than possibly of any other from Hitler’s era in todays German cities. A majestic example is the terminal of the now closed Berlin-Tempelhof airport.

Most of the surviving buildings hold a public function – like departments of the government or sport arenas. In a very few cases, buildings strongly connected with the devious ideology of the Third Reich have been preserved – albeit not greatly publicized – as museums. A first notable example is the complex around the Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg, with the unfinished huge congress hall for the conventions of the Nazi Party. A second one is the disturbing ‘spiritual center’ of the infamous SS in Wewelsburg.

This chapter collects a few photographs from these three places. Of course, it is far from a complete review of the architectural heritage of the 1930s and 1940s in Germany. It just provides an insight on a relatively unknown group of relics from Hitler’s era in Germany.

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Sights

Berlin-Tempelhof Airport Terminal

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Possibly the most complete and grandest example of Nazi architecture, the airport terminal of Berlin-Tempelhof is interesting both from an architecture standpoint and for its historical significance. The terminal was designed and built in the late 1930s and completed in 1941, greatly enlarging a preexistent construction.

At that time, nothing comparable existed in the world. The terminal is more than a mile long. It was built with a direct access from the land-side buildings directly to the long side of a narrow hangar on the air-side, which basically ran all along the terminal. Considering the small size of the aircraft of the day, this ‘hangar-terminal’ configuration could be exploited to simultaneously load and unload a high number of flights, with operations taking place directly in, or just outside, of a covered hangar. During WWII, parts of the hangar were used to manufacture military aircraft, exploiting forced laborers from a concentration camp prepared nearby for the purpose.

But the features of the terminal turned also extremely handy during the Berlin blockade of 1948-49, when Stalin tried to force his former western Allies to withdraw from Berlin by cutting off the western sector of the city. The western Allies set up the famous airlift, supplying the western sector with basically everything that was needed for a population in the order of a million, for 15 months! Tempelhof was the major airport in Berlin – the other being the British airbase in Gatow, near Potsdam – and laid in the American zone of the city. Thanks to its peculiar structure, it could manage the immense flow of goods flown in by more than 1’000 flights per day.

In the Cold War years, the airport was operated as a logistic base by the US forces. In the meanwhile, the construction of a larger airport – with a smaller terminal, but longer runways – was started at Tegel, and this was promoted to the main airport of West Berlin for civil air traffic. State flights still were operated in and out of Tempelhof, President Reagan’s Air Force One 27000 notably operating from Tempelhof on a famous state visit in 1982. After the German reunification the airport went on working as a civil airport, but the relatively short runways and noise issues led to its closure in 2008.

Sadly, today this glorious airport has been turned into another city park. It is rather difficult to use it for the scope though, as all the cement and asphalt of the apron, runways and taxiways are still there, there are no trees, and the terminal is an imposing presence on one side. Moreover, it is really a surplus for a city like Berlin, scattered with plenty of beautiful and immense green areas. The terminal building has not yet found a new occupation, and is basically a well-guarded ghost. Plans for reopening it as a convention center are apparently consolidated in 2022, but renovation works are going on still at very low pace.

Most recently, a small but well-designed, mainly pictorial exhibition has been located in the old terminal building, retracing with beautiful historical pictures, technical schemes and essential explanations the history of Tempelhof Airport.

Pictures from the year 2015 – but luckily not much had changed in 2022, the date of my latest visit – show the main building giving access to the terminal on the northwestern corner of the airfield still in a rather good shape. The empty parking ahead of the passenger entrance with nobody around gives a lunar aura to the place.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The neat lines of this part of the building deceive its actual size. From a former visit still in the days of operation – year 2006 – you can notice the roomy check-in hall, right beyond the main entrance.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

Close by one of the glass entry doors you can spot a memorial to General Lucius Clay, the American mind behind the Berlin Airlift.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The grand perspective leading to the entrance is really an architectural masterpiece. Also noteworthy is a series of covered passages leading to lateral courtyards to the sides. These service passages are not visible when approaching the terminal from the distance, preserving the general sense of order without renouncing to the functionality of the construction.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

There are two surviving marble eagles from Hitler’s time, on the front walls of the buildings to the sides of the main perspective.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active

The eagle head ahead of the parking is from the eagle sculpture originally standing on top of the main façade in Hitler’s times. That eagle was taken away after the capture of the city and the end of the war. The head went to the Army Academy in West Point, NY as a spoil of war, and was returned after the German reunification.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Moving along the wings of the building you can appreciate the size of the construction, really uncommon for Europe in the Thirties. The quality of all materials is also really striking. Their cost must have been really high.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

To the extreme northeastern tip of the building you can spot some former radio installations, likely connected with air traffic control or military operations. From there you can get access to the former air side of the airport. At the time when the pictures were taken it was possible to walk around freely, but unfortunately not close to the hangar. Most recently, a branch of the Allied Museum in Berlin has taken responsibility for a preservation effort, and is keeping the place off-limits, opening it to the public on rare guided visits in German only – but I could not join in any of them.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

There is also a historical propliner ahead of the iconic ‘Berlin Tempelhof’ sign on top of the hangar. Anyway, walking on the apron and runways produces a ‘history was made here’ feeling, and it is worth trying! Again, a few shots from the days of operation show the hangar from inside the terminal building. Historical pictures from local panels show the use of the hangar for the production of aircraft and technical parts.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport Terminal Active
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

As said, a recent exhibition of special interest for getting an accurate historical perspective, retraces the timeline of the airfield, since its pre-Third Reich era, through the colossal redesign in the shape we see today carried out in Hitler’s time, and down to the Cold War era, when Tempelhof had a crucial role in the Berlin Airlift, and was operated for long as a regular city airport.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Remarkably, in April 1945 the airfield fell in Soviet hands – since the Soviet Army conquered Berlin – and was later ceded to the US, following the Potsdam agreements in July 1945, which split the capital of the Third Reich in four sectors. It is likely Stalin regretted his own ‘fair-play’ concerning Tempelhof at the time of the Airlift, just a few years later…

A picture portraying general Keitel, in custody, arriving at Tempelhof to sign the instrument of surrender in the Soviet headquarters (see here) together with other top-ranking Nazi officers, shows a Lisunov Li-2 in the background. This was the licensed Soviet copy of the Douglas C-47. Also interesting the demolished German fighters found on sight by the conquerors.

The US, having taken control of the field, organized open-days for the general public once per year – reportedly, mostly appreciated by the local population.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Actually, the years corresponding to the sealing of the Inner Border (see here), from the Berlin crisis of 1961 (which saw the construction of the Berlin Wall) until specific accords partially reopening the land borders especially to Westerners in the early 1970s, were those of the most intense activity for Tempelhof – reaching West Berlin was more convenient by flight. But soon after, the better infrastructure of Tegel, with longer runways and less surrounded by high-rise buildings, took over most of the airline connections to Berlin. Tempelhof went on hosting state flights, general aviation flights, and commercial flights to a lower scale. There was also a permanent presence of US Army forces.

Evoking pictures include one with Willy Brandt greeting general Clay, and much later, President Reagan and the First Lady on a state visit in 1987. In another, you see one of the former Third Reich top-ranking staff Albert Speer – who also contributed to the design of Tempelhof – leaving for Western Germany by flight, following release after serving a long sentence in the prison of Spandau. He had been sentenced in Nürnberg.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The closure on grounds of noise issues, as noted, left the infrastructure unused for some years. Plans for re-opening as a convention/exhibition centers have been prepared as of 2022, and partial updating works are being carried out.

Getting there and moving around

The former airport is not far from downtown Berlin, around 3 miles south from the Brandenburg Gate in the former western sector of the city. Access to the terminal is from Tempelhofer Damm. Parking is possible along this major alley, or on the many roads around the airport – parking is rarely a problem in Berlin. Be ready to walk though, as usual when touring an airport.

Access possible also with public means of transportation. The front terminal can be easily reached from the U6 stops ‘Platz der Luftbrucke’ or ‘Bhf Paradestrasse’. Access from the east is easier from the U8 stops ‘Boddinstrasse’ or ‘Leinenstrasse’. There is finally an S-bahn station on the southwestern corner of the airfield – ‘Bahnhof Tempelhof’ – where U6 meets with several S-bahn lines.

My last visit to the place dates back to 2022, and as the area was undergoing renovation with a consolidated plan for changing its role and shape – and some works having started in the southernmost part of the terminal building.

Anyway, at the time of this visit the terminal was closed to the public, with limited chances to visit inside on guided tours. The only chance to access the terminal is for the small – yet totally recommended – photo exhibition. The latter can be reached to the left of the main facade of the terminal building. Website with contacts and timetables here.

Touring the exterior is possible on your own, and there are also a few descriptive panels along the perimeter. There are multiple entrances to the former air side, which is a public park with many people around.

Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Nuremberg

Nuremberg is an ancient imperial city in the heart of Germany, taken over as the symbolic capital of the ‘new kingdom’ by the theorists of the Nazi doctrine, due to its historical significance in German history. This town became the focal point of Hitler-led Nazi Party (NSDAP is the acronym of the party name in German language) well before the fateful general elections of 1933, when Hitler was elected chancellor of the German Republic. Among the activities of the NSDAP since the Twenties was a yearly rally, where for a few days all sections of the party met in Nuremberg for a series of group activities, including political speeches, commemoration of the fallen soldiers of the German wars, sport, camping, dining, etc.

In the years preceding Hitler’s raise to power, these rallies took place in the Luitpoldhain Park, to the southeast of the town center. The park had at its center the Hall of Honor, a memorial to the soldiers of German Wars, erected at the end of the Twenties. Today, leaving behind some construction works carried out by the NSDAP in the 1930s – including a massive Luitpold Hall and a tribune, today completely demolished – the place has regained its commemorative function, and is still used as a nice and sober city park. Yet historical photographs of Hitler celebrating the fallen German comrades ahead of the very monument you can see today produce a strange feeling.

Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Luitpoldhain Zeppelin Field

In the years of the dictatorship, the rallies turned into a megalomaniac ostentation of power, with hundreds of thousands participating in the reunions. Correspondingly, the area involved in these parades was greatly enlarged, and a plan was made to realize a group of dedicated buildings.

The most famous of them, thanks to the historical movies of the parades recorded at the time, is the Zeppelin Field. This was a parade ground designed from scratch by Nazi architects. The white tribune with the huge swastika on top, in the background of an immense, perfectly ordered and disciplined public, crowding the arena and listening to the voice of the Führer, is one of the permanent symbols of the Third Reich monstrous machine. Actually, the same tribune is the subject of another very famous movie, where the swastika is blown up with dynamite after the capture of the city of Nuremberg by US troops, marking the end of the Nazi rule in Germany.

Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field

The tribune and the constructions along the perimeter of the Zeppelin Field underwent major post-war deconstruction works, as the area came to host a car racing circuit and later a rather minimal sporting ground. What remains of the building is still rather massive, yet the top colonnade is gone, and as of 2016 the place looked little guarded and partly abandoned – eventually making it even grimmer! You can be on the exact podium where Hitler stood in his golden days admiring his evil creation.

Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Tribune Hall Zeppelin Field

The final and most prominent part of the plan is the congress hall of the NSDAP. Like most of the gigantic construction project for the area, this building was never completed, yet it reached a rather advanced state of completion. It is a U-shaped, three floors building, clearly inspired to the ancient Roman architecture. It should have been the building for the congresses of the NSDAP.

Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Nazi Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field

Today, this is the only preserved building of the complex, and hosts an extremely interesting museum and documentation center on the history of the Nazi Party and of the rallies. Really an interesting insight in the aesthetics of Hitler’s era and in the strange history of this strange political movement, which has been instrumental in shaping the face of todays Europe – and possibly of the world. Surely worth visiting.

Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field
Nuremberg Congress Hall Zeppelin Field

A somewhat off-topic note, yet fitting in this chapter, concerns the hall of the Nuremberg Trials. These post-war trials were held in Nuremberg soon after the end of the war, mainly because of the significance this city had gained for the NSDAP. The courthouse, used as such also under the Nazi dictatorship, survived the war rather undamaged. Today, it is home to the Memorium, a very interesting museum documenting the trials from an anecdotal perspective, as well as from a more elevated viewpoint, describing its significance for international law – it was the first time an international conflict ended up in a trial.

Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials
Nuremberg Memorium WWII Nazi Trials

Besides the museum, which is mainly centered on panels and photographs, you can see the famous Courtroom 600, where the trials took place. This was a bit altered since the years of the trials, yet some peculiar features, like the artistic doors, are exactly those you can see in the famous video recordings from the time.

Getting there and moving around

The area of the NSDAP rallies can be found about 2.5 miles southeast of the historical district of Nuremberg, Bavaria. It can be conveniently reached by car, or with public transport. Tramway line 8 departs the central railway station and has several stops in the area of interest. The S-bahn station ‘Nurnberg-Dutzenteich’ is 0.3 miles from the congress hall.

Today the area is mainly green, with much room for relaxing with a good walk. There are some explanatory panels with maps outlining the scheme of the Nazi master plan, including the buildings which were actually erected, those which were later demolished, and those which were just planned.

The centerpiece is the museum ‘Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände’, in the unfinished congress hall. Despite the distance from downtown Nuremberg, this is a major attraction for foreign visitors, hence the museum is prepared for large crowds. Visiting is possible with an audio-guide in many languages, and it is really worth the time and price. Website here.

The Memorium Nuremberg Trials, is hosted in a still active section of the Courthouse and is conveniently reachable by car of with the U-bahn U1, stop ‘Bärenschanze’, about 1 mile west of the historical town center. It can be visited on a self-guided basis, with audio-guides in many languages. This exhibition is really well designed and very interesting, and may take a couple of hours for a complete exploration. Yet due to the relative absence of tangible ‘hardware’ it may turn out unbearable for smaller children. Website here.

Spiritual Headquarter of the SS, Wewelsburg

The castle of Wewelsburg is connected to one of the most obscure aspects of the Nazi ideology – magic practices. The castle was founded centuries before the advent of the Nazis. Soon after the rise to power of the NSDAP, the head of the SS Heinrich Himmler got fascinated by the triangular perimeter of the castle, which appears to point towards the North. This is nothing special for a normal mind, but the SS  were the treasurers of the German race culture, and they were trying all the time to establish a solid link between basically themselves and the ancient settlers of Greenland – the Thule people – described in some legends as the most ancient northern population. This was instrumental in sustaining that the world belonged to the SS, which had been there since before everyone else.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

This apparently silly idea represented for this group of fanatics a sufficient motivation to trigger a world war, were they saw themselves as the leaders of a liberation movement, regaining a rightful control over Europe (just to start) to the German race, after centuries of undue occupation by other races.

Wewelsburg gained more and more importance as the Nazis started preparing for war. The northern tower of the castle was declared the center of the world, and the heart of the SS soul. The School of Wewelsburg represented the spiritual leadership of this military organization, which enjoyed a surprising independence – and an extensive budget – even in the suffocating bureaucratic apparatus of Hitler’s political dictatorship. As such, Wewelsburg came in the middle of a visionary master plan, where it had to be at the center of a circular construction with a radius of 1 kilometer. Construction works started on this project, satellite concentration camps for forced laborers being opened on site for the purpose. The work did not develop much though, due to the intervening war events and things evolving differently from the Nazi plans.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The castle underwent some modifications under the SS. It was generally refurbished to host regular reunions of the comrades of the School of Wewelsburg, with SS-themed furniture which can be seen in the local museum devoted to this incredible story.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

Furthermore, the northern tower was largely modified inside, with two round rooms appearing one above the other on two levels. The top one was completed as the ‘Room of the Black Sun’. It is centered on a mosaic pavement with a swastika motif. A disk made of pure gold, disappeared after the war, represented the sun in the center of the pavement, and marked the very center of the world.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The bottom room is basically a crypt, receiving little light from the outside, and resembling a chapel. At the center of the room you can find a basin like in a baptistery. All around there are little stands, possibly provisions for thrones. On top of the vault, just beneath the sun in the top room, there is a rare stone sculpture of a swastika.

Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric
Wewelsburg Castle SS Nazi Center of the World Black Sun Esoteric

The real use of these rooms is rather mysterious. It seems likely that Himmler with the School of Wewelsburg wanted to create a kind of ‘elite of the elite’ in the SS. The crypt might have been a place for ritual initiation ceremonies, and the top hall a kind of meeting area for the group. Selected officials and intellectuals of the SS met regularly in Wewelsburg, but basically no documentation exists of the content of these meetings. Yet the well-known mental inclination and conviction of the components of the group, the symbolic significance of the Wewelsburg site for these people and the temple-like setup of the northern tower suggest some sort of esoteric ritual might have taken place here.

The area reportedly fell into disrepair soon after WWII, and even worse, conceived by some as the shrine of the still alive ‘spirit of the SS’, it rapidly became the stage of black masses, magic practices and satanic rites. To contain the drift, the top hall was turned into a Christian chapel and an altar was put in place. This was later removed when castle opened as a museum on local history, a youth hostel and more recently as part of a very interesting museum and documentation center about the SS.

Getting there and moving around

The castle of Wewelsburg is located on top of a cliff in the homonym village, about 8 miles southwest of the medieval town of Paderborn, immersed in a beautiful north-German landscape. It appears to be about 2 miles south of the Paderborn-Lippe local airport. The castle can be conveniently reached by car, parking available nearby the entrance.

There are several exhibitions, including a museum about the ancient history of the castle, a documentation center and museum on the SS, which provides access to the Northern Tower and its mystery rooms, and a space for temporary exhibitions – at the time of my visit, there was one on the racial aspects of Nazi ideology. All museum are very modern and extremely interesting. There is also a hostel right inside the castle.

The site is really interesting to visit and a good destination for a nice half-day trip for everyone. Yet despite the nice panorama and the pleasant 16th century architecture, the association of the castle with dark activities in the dark years of Himmler and the SS makes this castle mysterious and somewhat grim, adding to the experience.

Aalto’s Highlights in Finland

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Possibly one of the worlds best-known architects from the 20th century, Alvar Aalto – together with his wife Aino, also an architect – enjoyed a great popularity since the beginning of his working career. He began with experimental works mostly based on mixing and harmonizing many styles from different ages and countries – especially Italy, a Country the Aalto couple visited for the first time during their honeymoon, and which they fell in love. In the last 1920s with the birth of the functional style Aalto became a herald of this new architecture, which he mixed with an instinctive and very personal vein, resulting in something really original and easily identifiable. Aalto’s creations usually feature a great care for any detail, making any room in his buildings natural to use for its intended function.

Aalto’s work is of course well represented in his Finnish mother country, a nation which always acknowledged him as a great artistic personality and which he never left for long.

This short post presents some of the highlights of Aalto’s production in Finland. While far from complete, the sites listed here may offer already an idea of the diversity of the functions of Aalto’s buildings.

Photographs were collected on a visit to Finland in August 2017.

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

Sights

Villa Mairea, Noormarkku

Surely one of the best known creations of Alvar Aalto, this beautiful mansion was built in 1938 for the Gullichsen family, owner of a successful wood pulp business and paper factory. This was not the only work commissioned to Alvar and Aino Aalto by this family.

This residential building was designed in Aalto’s typical interpretation of functional-organic architecture. The great variety of the materials and the attention to all details both inside and outside is also typical to this architect, which in this case could work without any relevant budget constraints.

The mansion is immersed in a young forest, in the hilly countryside north of Pori, close to the western coast of Finland.

Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto

The front façade features a small covered porch leading to the door.

Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto

Access to the slightly overhead garden is through a pergola on the northeastern corner of the house. The garden features a large swimming pool, a fireplace and a dinner table.

Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto

The large windows can be removed completely to transform the large ‘double living room’ occupying most of the ground floor into an open space communicating directly with the garden and nature around.

Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto
Villa Mairea Noormarkku Alvar Aalto

The windows are pretty heavy though, and this technological feature was used only rarely.

Visiting

The villa is still property of the Gullichsen family, and sometimes used for vacation or party time by the owners. Tours are arranged through a local guide by permission of the owners on a semi-regular schedule. You will need to make a reservation through their website for visiting, picking one out of the available dates. Payment is due on the day of visit, credit cards accepted. Parking is possible close to the villa. Unfortunately, on regular tours it is not possible to take pictures of the inside, and only the ground floor can be visited. Anyway getting a view from inside will add value to your visit, so it is highly recommended. The guided tour of the inside takes about 45 minutes.

Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki

This beautiful museum traces the history of Finnish glass design. While not an ancient tradition in this Country, Finland has reached in the 19th and 20th century a great fame in this field.

A first part of the museum is dedicated to the evolution of the techniques for glass manufacture.

Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala

Then follows a huge collection of glass artifacts produced in Finland in various ages and for different purpose. Among them, there are also some very famous designs by Alvar and Aino Aalto, as well as other Finnish designers.

Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala
Riihimaki Glass Museum Finland Iittala

Visiting

The museum is a famous attraction and can be reached quite easily. All information here. The visit may take 1 to 2.5 hours depending on your level of interest. The sight of all those glass artifacts is captivating even for those with little interest for design and art!

Säynätsalo Town Hall

Another well-known masterpiece, the complex in the small town of Säynätsalo was built in the years 1949-52 to host the local town hall, a public library as well as some private business. Red bricks cover the exterior, which is articulated in two main buildings designed around an inner courtyard for pedestrian access.

Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto

The inside of the city hall building presents a series of smaller rooms on the main level, aligned along a corridor opening on the courtyard. Anything from the chairs to the door handles and lamps was designed by Aalto, making the ensemble really harmonious.

Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto

The upper floor is present only in a square-based corner tower, and here you find the main hall. It is very tall, but lighting is through narrow windows and together with the colors of wood and brick, it induces a sense of calm, warmth and concentration.

Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto
Saynatsalo Town Hall Alvar Aalto

Visiting

Today the town hall is not used for this function any more. Actually there are some small businesses like a bistro and a bed and breakfast in it. Yet the place is preserved mostly as it was, and a good part of the main level and the former town hall can be visited. Visits are offered on a regular basis at least in summer. Website here.

Muurame Church, Muurame

The church of Muurame is one of the last ‘eclectic’ works of Aalto (1929), in an age when modernism was already spreading among avantgarde architects. The inspiration from Italian architecture is pretty evident, testifying on the close bond between Aalto and the Italian architectural heritage.

Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto
Muurame Church Alvar Aalto

The location on top of a small hill is pretty suggestive.

Visiting

Not well signaled unless you come very close, the exact address is 7 Kirkkotie, 40950 Muurame. The place is only open for ceremonies. I was very lucky as I happened to pass by when a marriage was just going to be celebrated, so I could get a quick view of the sober, elegant interior. The exterior can be neared without problems all the time. Official website in Finnish here.

Jyväskylä

The town where Alvar Aalto spent his youth did receive much in return from its illustrious citizen. Surely one of the most prominent examples of social architecture is the main campus of the local University – today one of the three top-ranking educational institutes in Finland.

Several buildings were designed as the backbone of this campus between 1951 and 1958. The inspiration came again from classical architecture, especially Greece, as Aalto’s view was that of reproducing the basic plant of an acropolis. Among the buildings in the campus probably the most notable are the library and the teacher’s training school nearby.

Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Library Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland

A very nice scenery is constituted by the sports ground, with a series of low-profile buildings around it forming a really proportionate ensemble, like the stage of a theater.

Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland
Jyväskylä University Finland

Another notable building by Aalto is the city theater, completed after the death of the architect based on his design, and the former building of the Police department nearby, conceived to somewhat deceive the role of the institution making it look somehow less ‘martial’ than its usual function may imply. An older design close to the city center is that of the building of the Trade Unions, closer to the eclectic period of the designer.

Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Theatre Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Trade Unions Alvar Aalto
Jyväskylä Trade Unions Alvar Aalto

Finally, a unmissable highlight in town is the Alvar Aalto Museum. Designed by the architect, it hosts a nice collection of prints, drawings as well as pieces of furniture tracing the evolution of Aalto’s style with many interesting details.

Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum
Jyväskylä Alvar Aalto Museum

Jyväskylä benefits from a generally fortunate setting – here are some photographs of the lake and some new buildings in town.

Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland
Jyväskylä Finland

Visiting

A visit to Jyväskylä with the museum and a walk along a trail touching all Aalto’s works may take from a half to a full day. A website suggesting a trail with links to the pages of the corresponding attractions is here. The University campus is still in use, like the theater and the building of the Police – today an office building. As a result, visiting the interiors may be tricky. Despite that, a walk in the campus and in the city center together with a visit to the Alvar Aalto Museum may fully justify a detour to this lovely town.

Rovaniemi

The town of Rovaniemi was totally destroyed by the retreating German Army in the closing stages of WWII – the so called Lapland War. As a result, construction work could be carried out without the constraints typically bound to the presence of an older neighborhood. Alvar Aalto was tasked with the design of a new city center, featuring a city hall, a theater – ‘Lappia-talo’ – and a public library.

Lappia Talo Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto
Lappia Talo Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto

The buildings were erected in multiple stages between the Sixties and the Eighties, after the death of the architect. The ensemble is very harmonious and nice to walk, not intimidating as mostly usual for similar buildings especially in the US.

Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Hall Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Lappia Talo Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto
Lappia Talo Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto
Rovaniemi City Library Alvar Aalto

A possibly more famous building in Rovaniemi – not by Aalto – is the Arktikum, built in 1993 and hosting some local museums.

Arktikum Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto
Arktikum Rovaniemi Alvar Aalto

Visiting

The civic center is still used for its original function. At the time of my visit it was closed for Sunday. A website in Finnish with information on the history of Aalto’s building in the northernmost region of the Country, including his works in Rovaniemi, can be found here.

Helsinki

Aalto’s contribution to Finland’s capital city has its most visible example in the Finlandia House, or ‘Finlandia-talo’ in the local idiom. This long and flat building is located close to the parliament and was built in 1971, among the last works of the architect. It is a ‘social event’ building, hence it hosts a theater, conference rooms and areas for exhibitions.

Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto

The inside is on two main floors. As usual with Aalto’s buildings, despite the size, which for the case of the Finlandia house can be appreciated from outside looking at the length of the eastern façade, you don’t feel disoriented nor overwhelmed especially once inside.

Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Finlandia Hall Helsinki Alvar Aalto

All details of the furniture have been designed with the building. Unfortunately, I could not visit the upper floor thoroughly for a congress was taking place there.

The building has a historical significance, for it was here that the Helsinki Accords involving the US, USSR and most European Countries of the time – including those belonging to the Soviet sphere of influence – were elaborated and signed in 1976, forcing an evolution of espionage and repression systems in communist Countries.

Further buildings by Aalto include the House of Culture – or ‘Kulttuuritalo’ -, inaugurated in 1958. It is composed of two main blocks with a theater and offices. The blocks are fused together by a covered passage and a low building with a connecting corridor, so they appear as an ensemble.

Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto
Kulttuuritalo Helsinki Alvar Aalto

Originally built for the questionable cultural and propaganda activities of the local Communist Party, the complex has been used for long now as a popular rock concert venue.

An example of business architecture is the Headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution – known with the abbreviation ‘Kela’ in Finnish. The effort of the designer to avoid creating an imposing, bulky and intimidating building inspite of the narrow streets around, and the need to host rooms and offices for about 1000 people, is evident. The façade is broken and made partly modular, the height of the building is reduced as much as possible, and the horizontal lines of the windows tend to evidence the horizontal dimension. The volume is made lighter by including an open porch at the level of the entrance. The warm tones of the materials produce a sense of calm, yet preserving the sobriety of the appearance, where there are no decorations nor any curved line.

The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto
The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto
The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto
The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto
The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto
The headquarter of the Social Insurance Institution Kela Alvar Aalto

Visiting

The Finlandia House is located in central Helsinki and used for congresses, concerts and exhibitions. Having a walk around and inside is possible without particular restrictions except during official events. It is also possible to take a guided tour of the venue, information here.

Similarly, part of the House of Culture can be accessed most of the time without prior notice, but full visits are offered at least in summer on a regular basis. Information here.

As far as I know, the ‘Kela’ building is not open to the public, but it is possible to have a look around and come close to it without restrictions. The location is nearby the northwestern corner of the Olympic Stadium.

Paimio Sanatorium

Probably the best-known work of Aalto’s production, the hospital in Paimio is unanimously regarded as a milestone in the history of modern architecture. The hospital was built in 1933, and used as a sanatorium for tuberculosis and later as a general hospital.

Today it is a rehab center owned by the University of Turku, which is not far away on the coast and where Aalto had his studio. Visiting the inside is usually not possible, but you can walk around the complex without being disturbed. The location deep in the countryside, far from any crowded town and away from traffic, is really suggestive and peaceful.

Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto

The central building for patients is the most distinctive – a tall, flat and narrow wing where the rooms are aligned along a long angled façade looking south. The main wing is connected to other blocks – for surgery, administration, etc. – through a central volume where the entrance to the building is also located.

Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto
Paimio Sanatorium Alvar Aalto

The complex of the hospital is completed by a series of residential buildings for the staff. These are small examples of residential functional architecture, not designed to be luxurious, and still inhabited today.

Visiting

As far as I know, visiting is not possible inside. The outside can be toured de facto, even though I guess the land around the hospital belongs to the hospital, so you’d better avoid attracting too much attention. The hospital is a bit tricky to find, cause it is not advertised as an attraction and it is well out of the village of Paimio. The GPS coordinates to reach the entrance are 60°27’53.0″N 22°43’54.4″E.

Places with a Soviet Flavor in Saint Petersburg

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Saint Petersburg is one of the two ‘big cities’ in Russia which you’ll likely be touching during your visit to this great Country, and probably among the most tourist-friendly in this part of the world. There are tons of sights to see for anyone with an interest in art, architecture, history, fashion, shopping, dining, nightlife, etc. The city is very large, with a population of about 5 millions, and touring just the most famous places – like the Winter Palace, St. Isaac and the central area along the Nevsky Prospekt, as well as the Peter and Paul Fortress – will take already at least a few days.

What people from abroad – unlike Russians – are sometimes less aware of is that the Revolution in 1917 started and evolved in Saint Petersburg, which at that time was still the capital city of the Russian Empire, where the Tzar and the government resided. Here Lenin and the Bolsheviks worked in the tumultuous moments preceding and after the abdication of Nicholas II, the last of the Tzars, and here the communist-led organization of the ‘Soviet’ imposed its rule, before the governmental body moved its headquarters to Moscow, the ancient capital of Russia, soon in 1918. The prominent role the city had in the Revolution was acknowledged changing its name to Leningrad, the ‘City of Lenin’, which would stay until 1991.

So, besides the countless sites of great historical and artistic value connected with the city’s founder Peter the Great and the Tzars who succeeded to him, there are in Saint Petersburg countless places recalling the Communist Revolution and the Soviet period.

Furthermore, as this city used to be a frontline destination for people traveling for cultural interest from both within the USSR and abroad much before the end of Communism, many interesting museums were established here. Some of them still retain a typical Soviet flavor, in the choice of artifacts, exhibition style and in the management policies – you will be left unscrupulously in a queue in a freezing -20°C winter evening outside of a museum, waiting just for more hangers to be available in the cloakroom, if the rules say so!

This post is about some places in todays Saint Petersburg connected with the Revolution and the Communist era, and some museums still retaining their Soviet style. All photographs, both the good and the bad, are from mine and were taken in early 2017.

Sights

Here is a map of the sites described below. The city is huge, and the coverage of the subway system is by far less developed than that of Moscow, with stops quite afar from each other – so expect to walk really much in Saint Petersburg! You may also elect to take a taxi when needed, for you pay the distance, not the time, and it is much less expensive than in other big cities in Europe.

All attractions in this post – except perhaps the House of Soviets – are fairly central, so even when you need to walk for reaching them, you will never need to be in an unpleasant or dangerous area of the town.

Kirov’s Apartment Museum

This museum, located ten minutes north of the Peter and Paul fortress, is rather deceptive – it is located on the two top floors of a formerly luxurious apartments building from the late 19th or early 20th century, where all other apartments are privately owned today. You will need to go through the foyer of the building, where the stately and elegant appearance of the façade is soon lost to the incredibly shabby, purely Soviet style of the inside, with a small and poorly looking elevator to ease you climbing to the top of the building.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov

Before the Revolution these apartments, exceptionally large and modern for the time, were property of wealthy businessmen and professionals. Soon after the Revolution, when property was abolished and housing was reassigned, the second floor from the top was given to Sergey Kirov, a top ranking communist leader successfully enforcing Soviet power in Azerbaijan, a great supporter and a close friend of Stalin during his struggle for power after the death of Lenin in 1924, and later to become the leader of the Communist Party in Leningrad and supervisor of industrial production – a prominent figure in his times. Stalin ended up ordering him killed in the early Thirties – although not officially – coincidentally marking the beginning of the harshest period of communist dictatorship in Russia.

The apartment of Kirov has been preserved very well to this day. You can see a studio and living room, with hunting trophies including a polar bear, bookcases and photographs of Stalin and Lenin. The aura of the early years of Stalin has been integrally preserved, and the apartment looks like comrade Kirov had just gone out for a Party meeting! Stalin himself reportedly visited Kirov here more than once.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov

Other rooms in the living quarters include a dining room, a small living room, a library and a nice bedroom for children. A kitchen – with a General Electric refrigerator! -, a junk room and bathroom complete the main part of the private apartment. Two very large rooms include Kirov’s study and a sort of waiting room today turned into an exhibit of soviet-themed paintings and sculptures, mainly about Kirov. You can easily imagine Kirov receiving delegates from the factories around the smoky Leningrad of the late Twenties in this room, with the portraits of Marx, Lenin and Stalin always carefully listening to the talk!

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov

On the top floor, the museum offers a two-rooms reconstruction of a school, a meeting room of a youth organization, a shared apartment and a children bedroom from the years of Kirov, from the late Twenties to the early Thirties. Many interesting everyday items, as well as communist-themed flags, banners, memorabilia, some paintings and sculptures and much more can be found here.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Apartment House of Kirov

All in all, this is one of the most evocative exhibitions on communist personalities I’ve ever seen! Visiting in a freezing winter evening also helped to relive the old Soviet atmosphere. Visit is recommended for everybody with an interest in Soviet history, and for those with a thing for living architecture, for this is a good occasion to get an insight on the standard of life of the wealthy class immediately before and after the Revolution in this region. You can take a self-guided tour, and you are given a detailed booklet in English to help yourself along the visit. Visiting may take from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on your level of interest.

Arctic and Antarctic Museum

This nice little museum is interesting both for the pretty unusual subject – polar explorations carried out by Russian and then Soviet expeditions – and for the setting and style of the exhibition. It is hosted in a former church building in a neoclassical style from the 19th century.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum

The exhibition maybe pretty outdated for modern standards, but it may appeal to you if you are interested in the topic more than in cheesy presentations, and if you want to experience how a Soviet-style museum looks like! The small setting is cluttered with dioramas with stuffed animals, including a polar bear, dim lighted showcases with artifacts and memorabilia from expeditions, plus ship models and some larger artifacts, like tents, polar shelters and instruments for taking measurements.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum

There are also very interesting frescoes and large paintings, both on the walls and ceiling, all about moments in the history of Soviet polar expeditions. Models, photographs and much more complete the exhibition.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum

The ground floor is about arctic exploration, which was started in the early history of Russia thanks to the proximity of the Country with the arctic region. The top floor is on antarctic missions, and here the accent is more on international collaboration and permanent missions. Some very nice paintings, rather rare to find elsewhere, can be found here.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Arctic Antarctic Polar Museum

All in all, an unusual museum with much to tell on a very specific and not often well-covered chapter of explorations. The place is very popular among Russians, and the exhibition is totally in Russian. There are audio-guides, but I wasn’t offered one during my visit, so maybe there is no chance to get explanations in English – but I’m not sure about this. Of course, you may decide to go with a local guide on a private tour, able to translate the explanations for you. Visiting alone if you are interested in the topic and you have a basic knowledge of the matter may take about 1 hour – even without a guide and with no knowledge of Russian… this is the time needed for looking at the many photographs, paintings and artifacts!

Krassin Icebreaker

This ship, preserved in perfect conditions on the river Neva, has an incredible story. The hull was manufactured under Nicholas II in Britain, but the ship took service under the communist rule. She used to be a steam power ship at that time. She was involved in explorations and arctic missions, including the rescue of the Italian explorer Umberto Nobile, who went down with his airship over the Arctic after reaching the North Pole by air in the late Twenties. Krassin was deployed after the most famous polar explorer from Norway, Roald Amundsen, was lost while on an ill-fated rescue mission by plane.

Later on, the ship was sent to the US during WWII, where she was modified to receive structural reinforcements and defensive weapons in Bremerton, WA. She worked as an escort ship traveling back to Europe via Panama during the Battle of the Atlantic against Nazi Germany, and spent the rest of the war patrolling the northern shores of the USSR, reportedly grounding some German aircraft.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker

After the war, being part of the arctic fleet and having had a history so glorious, it was refurbished and upgraded with more modern equipment and propulsion system in Germany. It was then constantly improved while in service as a scientific platform, until a few years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, when it was permanently moored where you find her today.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krasin Icebraker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker

The restoration work was carried out very well, and the vessel looks like it could sail away at any time! You can visit on guided tours in small groups. The visit includes the living quarters of the captain and crew and of the scientific staff – rather much above the military standard! – a room with technical stuff and the commanding deck. You are offered also a quick intro video in Russian.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Krassin Icebreaker

I don’t know whether they’re offering tours except in Russian, but there are some explanations in English along the visit. Visiting in winter may add to your photos from the outside if the Neva is covered with ice, but the tour is shorter – about 40 min -, for you can’t see the power plant, as heating is probably absent in that part of the ship.

Absolutely recommended for everybody with an interest in ships, polar explorations, engineering and scientific expeditions! This is good for the kids as well. Be warned, the distance from the closest metro station is about 1 mile, but you may choose to walk along the bank of the river, with a nice view of the Winter Palace and the central district, with many photo opportunities. Rather close to the Krassin there is also the WWII submarine C-189, which I had not the time to visit. This is another entity from the icebreaker, with a separate ticket.

Museum of Artillery

This huge State-owned museum hosts a world-class collection of Russian and Soviet weapons from the middle ages to our days. The building is that of a former large artillery depot from the mid-19th century, in the immediate vicinity of the Peter and Paul Fortress, from which it can be reached in a few minutes. The museum is really a temple of Russian nationalism, and it’s very popular among Russians, whose military battles and victories are celebrated also with banners, uniforms, paintings, and several memorabilia.

There are two main branches inside the U-shaped building, placed in the two wings. In the first there is a collection of ancient swords and armors from the middle ages to roughly the early 18th century and Peter the Great. Next come many cannons and rifles from the 19th century, and more modern weapons, including what appear to be naval cannons from the years of WWI. The collection is really immense, and I had not purchased a photo permit – I had not enough cash! – so unfortunately the quality of the pictures is not very good.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
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Img00135
Img00137
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet

The second branch covers from WWII to the Cold War. In this section there are cannons, howitzers, armored vehicles, and, much incredibly, full-scale tactical and early strategic missiles – which seem really big in the small rooms of a museum! There are also pieces of communication equipment and engineering tools, for the museum is namely also dedicated to the Engineering and Signal Corps.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet

Two small but interesting separate rooms are dedicated to the guard of Peter the Great and to Mikhail Kalashnikov, the man behind the world-famous attack rifle, who really existed and passed away in 2013 aged 94. Some technical drawings and some exemplars of the rifle – including some special designs – are showcased in this room, together with portraits of the man in various ages, in Soviet and later Russian colors. Unique and extremely interesting.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
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A good third of the museum’s collections are on the outside, in the front courtyard and to both sides of the building. Most of the items preserved on the outside are too big for being stored inside the building, meaning they are really big! You can find cannons, armored vehicles, SAMs, strategic missiles and their transportation and launch vehicles, special vehicles for snow removal, and much more – all stuff you might spot in the historic video recordings of the countless parades on the Red Square, deep in the years of the Cold War!

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet

To the northern side of the building a battery of older cannons, possibly from the war against Napoleon, is preserved, whereas on the southern side a strategic missile of incomparable size is sitting in his canister on the launching vehicle.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum of Artillery Soviet

Especially for war historians and military technology enthusiast this museum alone is a good reason for coming to Saint Petersburg! As I wrote, the atmosphere is nostalgic, so go prepared to a very old-style, traditional Soviet exhibition. There is not a word in the whole museum except in Russian. Payment is not possible except cash. I was asked about American citizenship at the cloakroom – not unexpected in the hostile Russia of the closing days of the Obama administration – but did not undergo any special treatment. Great for the kids, visiting the outside may be tough in winter, but surely worth the effort. A visit may easily take 1.5 to 2 hours for an interested person or an expert of the matter.

Museum of the Political History of Russia

Again in the vicinity of the Peter and Paul Fortress, this modern museum is mainly dedicated to a detailed description of the causes and to the timeline of the revolutions of 1905 and 1917, and to the history of the Soviet system.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia

The main exhibition about the characteristics of the soviet system soon after its inception is rather short in size, but with many details and artifacts, as well as explanatory panels and reconstructions of rooms from various ages of the Soviet era – including shared houses.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia

Besides the main exhibition there is a constellation of some smaller exhibitions. It is not always easy to put things in the right chronological order, but surely among the most interesting there is one about the timeline of the Revolution of 1917 – extremely complicated – and the ensuing civil war.

The building, once belonging to a famous dancer who fled the country following the early-1917 turmoil, is most notably where Lenin resided from the abdication of the Tzar to the summer of 1917, before the fateful Red October and the Bolsheviks conquering power. The study where Lenin worked and the very balcony from where he addressed the crowds of the Bolsheviks are preserved, and you can see them both for real and in a painting from Soviet times – really impressive!

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum History Politics Russia

Another part of the exhibition is about Stalin’s purges and the use he made of the gulag’s system for ‘re-education’. The museum is not nostalgic with respect to soviet times, but rather objective and duly critical concerning Soviet dictatorship. It is well designed to western standards, with many explanations in English, but more popular among Russians. Due to the historical significance of the building in the 1917 revolution, visiting is surely recommended for people with an interest in that part of Russian history. Visiting may take about 1.5-2 hours for an average interested person.

Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology

The museum is located right inside the Peter and Paul Fortress, but due to its peripheral position it is often overlooked by mainstream visitors. The location, apparently clashing with the historical significance of the surroundings, is instead appropriate, for the State institute responsible for studying and experimenting with rocketry was placed  in the very part of the fortress where the museum is in the years preceding WWII.

The museum is rather small. In an introductory part, scientists from all over the world and from all ages contributing to the history of rocketry are mentioned. In a second part the early designs from the institute are presented, including some real items from the time, like rocket models and engines.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry

In a final part, more modern big rocket engines from the Vostok and Soyuz missions and a reentry capsule are presented, together with some other artifacts. These include some space-themed Christmas decorations – note the sunny smile of the small Soviet astronauts in the pictures…

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Museum Cosmonautics Rocketry

Visiting won’t take much time, about 0.5 hours, and is surely recommended especially for the kids if you are already in the fortress.

Cruiser Aurora and Finlandia Station

The very famous Aurora cruiser, marginally involved in the initial phase of the 1917 revolution, is preserved on the bank of the Neva, not far north from the Peter and Paul Fortress. I missed the last entry, so I could see it only from the outside. The ship is very well preserved and constitutes a very good photographic subject.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Cruiser Aurora
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Cruiser Aurora
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Cruiser Aurora
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Cruiser Aurora
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Cruiser Aurora

About 15 minutes walking to the north of the ship you can find the Finlandia railway station, where Lenin arrived in town ready to put his efforts in the 1917 revolution. The station is still in business, and the building has been modernized since the Twenties. The square ahead of it is where one of the surviving statues of Lenin can be found in Saint Petersburg.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Finlandia Station Lenin Statue

On the southern side of the square there is a branch of the Academy of the Russian Army.

Smolny Institute

This area to the east of the city center has its focus in the majestic building of the Smolny Cathedral. What is possibly less known is that the building to the south of the cathedral, hosting the Smolny educational institute until 1917, was chosen for the headquarters of the Bolsheviks soon before the October Revolution. From here Lenin directed the moves against the other revolutionary factions, and the government of the First Soviet was established in this palace in the closing months of 1917 and early 1918, marking the beginning of the Soviet era, before leaving for Moscow.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government

Today the building still retains an institutional role and cannot be approached freely. In a small building to the opposite of the perspective leading to the façade of the palace you can find plaques and friezes with quotes from Lenin. The British Consulate is located nearby.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government
Saint Petersburg Leningrad Smolny Institute Soviet Government

A huge area moving from Smolny to the west and the city center is occupied by enormous palaces built mainly in a Soviet brutalist style, now largely unused – up for sale or rent. I don’t know much details about their former function, but this was probably connected with Soviet government or administrative functions. The area features a rather grim aura, with few people around and oversized spaces.

House of Soviets

The area along Moskovsky Prospekt was developed under Stalin’s rule in a style which is more typical to Moscow than Saint Petersburg. Among the highlights, the huge Moscow Square is where the stately building of the House of Soviets was built in the late Thirties. Due to the Nazi attack in 1941 and the siege of Leningrad, the building was converted to a military headquarters of the Red Army. After the war it was handed over to scientific institutions, and now it is a multi-functional executive building.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue

The frieze with the triumphs of Socialism culminating in the gigantic hammer and sickle emblem on top really recall the Soviet times. Right at the center of the square, very popular among the locals as a gathering place and a hub for public transport services, a very big statue of Lenin still dominates the scene.

Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin's Statue
Saint Petersburg Leningrad House of Soviets Moskovskaya Lenin’s Statue

The place is very convenient to reach, thanks to a metro station in Moscow Square. The monument commemorating the heroes of the siege is located about 5 minutes south of the square.