Former Civil Defence Bunker in Güdingen

In the 1960s, this tunnel system, which is accessible by several staircases, was built for civil protection in case of war. The bunker was designed to serve as a refuge for 1800 people in the event of a biological, chemical or atomic attack. The interior remains almost entirely in its original condition: wooden folding seats along the walls and in the corridors, bunk beds, steel doors, power units, air filters, electrical switch boxes, toilets, long rows of sinks, a kitchen, and a first aid ward. Markings were painted onto the walls in green fluorescent color that glows in the dark in case of a power outage. Many such fallout shelters were constructed as civil defence measures in many parts of the world during the Cold War. In the 1960s, Germany drove the construction of concrete bunkers forward with considerable effort. The civil defence shelter in Saarbrücken is located just a stone’s throw away from the „Halbergerhütte“ foundry, underneath the A6 motorway. It remained largely unknown to the public until the year 2011, when a book was published which revealed the existence of the bunker. Today, it is being used as a museum.