Berlin Plans to Demolish Last Remaining Bunker of Nazi Chancellery

The bunker is one of the last visible remnants of the Nazi leadership complex.

The Berlin Senate plans to demolish a remaining bunker of Adolf Hitler's former Reich Chancellery to make way for housing and offices. The structure is one of the last visible remnants of the Nazi leadership complex.

Background

The New Reich Chancellery, designed by Albert Speer, was heavily damaged in World War II and demolished by Soviet forces in 1949. The bunker, located on a vacant lot, remains intact.

Key Statements

For Demolition

Berlin Housing Senator Christian Gaebler (SPD) said the city should not block housing development to preserve a bunker that could become a pilgrimage site for Nazis.

Against Demolition

Dietmar Arnold, chairman of the Berlin Underworlds Association, argued demolition would be "absolute madness" because the site is a place of perpetration and the last remains of the Nazi power center. He proposes turning it into a museum or memorial in cooperation with the Holocaust Museum.

Details

According to Arnold, 1,200 square meters of the bunker complex are intact, with walls and ceiling 1.7 meters thick. He said it is in good condition and could be built upon without full demolition.

"Absolute madness." — Dietmar Arnold on the proposed demolition

The bunker is not the Führerbunker where Hitler and Eva Braun died, which lies about 120 meters to the north. This bunker was used by Reich Chancellery staff and later served as a hospital.