WW2 Bunker and other Berlin, Germany Things to Do Tips

I first learnt about this WW2 bunker via VT Member johnjoe55. The bunker was originally built in 1942 and was meant as a refuge against allied air raids for nearby railway workers. The walls and ceilings were more than 1 metre thick and the building has 5 floors, with each floor divided into 8 chambers with seating space for 3000 people. After the end of the war the building has had a number of uses including a shelter for the homeless, storage space for food a night club and its present use being the most unusual as a family home and depository for the owner’s large art collection. The building has had a complete makeover and comes complete with penthouse, swimming pools, garden and 3,000 squares metres of exhibition space. The owner Christian Boros has a contemporary art collection of more than 400 pieces. Pre-arranged visits can be made to view the art collection via the below website.

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Address: Bunker, Reinhardstrasse 20, Berlin
Website: http://www.sammlung-boros.de/index.php?id=2810&L=1

The Museum for Communication was founded in 1872 and was the first postal museum in the world. The building has undergone a number of changes over the years. The present museum was reorganised in 1995 and links in with other similar museum in Germany. The displays are arranged over 4 floors covering the history of various aspects of communication. The basement has a number of exhibitions including the world famous stamps; the Blue & Red Mauritius and are valued at £1,000,000. The ground floor has 3 robots that meet and greet you in the atrium. The upper 2 floors cover the history of telecommunication up to present day and including access to the internet. At the time of visiting there was a black & white photographic exhibition called Underground by Loredana Nemes on display.

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Address: Leipziger Strasse 16
Directions: U2 to Mohrenstrasse Station or buses 148, 200, 348, TXL
Website: www.museumsstiftung.de

The Water Tower in , Prenzlauer Berg was completed in 1877 and is one of the oldest in Berlin and one of the areas well known industrial landmarks. It was constructed to serve the needs of the growing population in the area and contained its own boiler, engine rooms and underground reservior. Its thinner brother was constructed in 1856 and they are known locally as thin and thick Hermann. In 1933 the SA used the towers boiler and engine rooms as a small concentration camp, which is marked by a small commemorative plaque. When the tower was no longer required in 1952 the workers and their families continued to live in the flats around the tower. The tower is still used for accommodation and the grounds have been landscaped and contains a childrens play area.

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Address: Knaackstraße/Diedenhoferstraße

The Anti War Museum, is a small museum that is located in a Victorian house, in a quiet street, in the District of Wedding. The museums’ history goes back to 1925 when it was first opened at 29, Parochial Street, Berlin, close to Alexanderplatz, by the current curator’s grandfather Ernst Friedrich. The museum was taken over and occupied by the SA in 1933 and Ernst Friedrich sent to prison. The current museum opened in 1982 and is staffed by well educated and dedicated volunteers. I’m not sure why but I went at lunchtime and discovered that the museum does not open until 4pm. Having said that the door was open and I was invited in for my own one on one personal tour. I was shown a DVD which gives a history of the museum and an explanation of the various exhibits. In the cellar is an original WW2 air raid shelter. The small space would have accommodated about 40 or 50 people during an air raid. Individuals had to bring their own folding seat or stand. I had only recently read of how the cellar walls had to have a weak spot for escape into the next cellar in case the building was bombed. The cellar wall had such a weak spot. Other exhibits in cellar included bunk beds for the children, original first aid kit, baby’s gas mask and toilet. At this present time there is an exhibition about Leo Tolstoy which I believe runs until January.

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Phone: +49 30 454 90 110
Address: Brüsseler Straße 21, Wedding, Berlin, 13353
Directions: U-Bahn: Take the U9 to Amrumer Straße or the U6 to Seestraße
Website: http://www.anti-kriegs-museum.de/english/start1.html

The Hunting Lodge at Grunewald is the oldest palace in the Berlin area dating from 1542 and was built on the shore of Lake Grunewaldsee. Built for Prince Joachim II it was designed by the royal architect Caspar Theiss in 1540. Unlike other Berlin palaces, Jagdschloss Grunewald was left undamaged by WW2 and still houses a museum with an impressive collection of paintings. The main features of the hunting lodge are the main hall with its painted ceiling and the collection of German and Dutch paintings dating from the 15th century. The hunting lodge is closed at present until 2009 for urgent renovation. If you are frightened of dogs avoid the area as its very popular for walking them.

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Address: Stiftung Preußische Schlösser
Directions: Take the U1 to Oskar-Helene-Heim. Then catch a bus to the edge of the forest.
Website: http://www.spsg.de/index_140_en.html

This building was a huge public air raid shelter during WW2 and is now the Chamber of Horrors. It now contains 3 different exhibitions on 3 floors. There are monsters, skeltons and medieval medicine on the upper floors. The lower floor contains an exhibition of the shelters’ original use during WW2. The upper floors are popular with children and the lower floor with the dads. The building has some unusual opening times so check out their website.

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Address: Schöneberger Straße 23a
Directions: Just around the corner from S-Bhf Anhalter Bahnhof
Website: http://www.gruselkabinett-berlin.de/home_e.html

The Sugar Museum first opened its doors in 1904 and is the oldest museum of this type in the world. The museum shows the history of sugar in Germany from its discovery in the mangelwurzel (sugar beet) in 1747 right up to present day processing. The museum is laid out in various sections showing the technology, silver sugar bowls, a still, common products containing sugar and photographs of the process of extracting sugar. The museum is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.30pm and on Sundays between 11am to 6pm.

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Phone: 030/ 314 275 74
Address: Amrumer Straße 32, 13353 Berlin
Directions: U9 to Amrumer Strasse or U6 to Seestrasse. Trams #50 or M13.

I decided to go for a stroll around the ellipse-shaped street of Majakowskiring with its upmarket houses. During the 1950’s this was the road that senior members of the GDR government lived in with its 1920’s houses, which were converted to suit their needs. During that period the street was well guarded and shielded from the outside world. For members of the Politburo this was not enough and after the Hungarian Uprising they became more nervous for their safety and a decision was made to build the secure Forest Community out at Wandlitz north of Berlin.

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Directions: Majakowskiring is in the Pankow area of Berlin
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majakowskiring

Karl Marx Allee which is nearly 2kms in length, is located between Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor. The area was totally destroyed during WW2 and work started in 1949 on what was then called Stalinallee to construct what was going to be a showpiece road and area for the new GDR. The avenue was widen to 90m to accommodate parades and over the next 10 years 8 storey blocks of flats, shops and restaurants were constructed in the socialist classicism style. During June 1953 there was a workers uprising against the communist government which was quashed by military force costing 125 lives. Over the years the buildings gradually became run down but during the 1990’s work was started to restore the buildings and the area is now a historic monument. As I wandered along early on a Sunday afternoon I noticed that a couple of the larger restaurants were popular with diners consuming their Sunday Brunch. The area is worth a visit just to view the soviet style of architecture.

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Address: Karl Marx Allee
Directions: One end is close to Alexanderplatz
Website: http://kma-portal.de/kma/s.html

Volkspark Friedrichshain is the oldest park in Berlin, it was completed in 1848 and also the second largest park at 52 heactares. It comes equipped with the usual sports facilities, lakes, restaurant and is popular with families, joggers and cyclists. There is a Fairy Tale Fountain with accompanying statues at one end of the park but unfortunately the statues were all covered up for winter protection on the day I visited. Two flak towers were built in the park during 1941. Beside defence for the city they were also used for storage for various museum collections. The towers were blown up by the Soviets after the war and the rubble from damaged buildings used to construct two artifical hills. If you wander around the hills where the towers stood you can see signs of the rubble.

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Address: Volkspark Friedrichshain
Directions: U5 to Strausberger Platz
Website: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkspark_Friedrichshain