On a fine crisp autumnal day Insider guides were treated to an extensive tour, with access to all areas, of the the Zossen-Wünsdorf (Bücherstadt) Bunker Complex. Thereafter there was a trip to the former Rangsdorf airport.
The bunkers are located in what has been a military area since approx. 1905. It was used as a training ground for the then 'Heeresarmee', inparticular for their cavalry. This is also the location of the first mosque in Germany for the benefit of French 'Maghreb' soldiers captured and interned there during WW1.
The first bunkers were buuild in 1937 to house the High Command of the Nazi Army. Those were partially destroyed after 1945 but the Soviets retained and used the massive Zepplin bunker as a communications center right up to 1994!
'Spitzbunker'
Top guide Daniel with an overview of the bunker complex.
Destroyed Maybach 1 bunkers.
Entrance to, and plan of, a Maybach 2 bunker.
Approximately 30.000 Soviet army personel were stationed here at any one tome during the Cold War.
Entrance, and 2.5t nuclear blast door, to the massive Zeppelin bunker.
Deep in the belly of the beast!
117 × 22m main building and a three-story 57 × 40m annex, 18m deep, all subterranean.
A second 2.5t nuclear blast door, just to be on the safe side.
"Serve well, guys, demobilisation is inevitable!"
During the Cold War a train departed daily from Zossen to Moscow transporting material garnered from their observations.
The former 'Reichsportsflughafen Rangsdorf' was built in 1935/36 just in time for the Berlin Summer Olympics. Theoritically it was built to train their acrobat pilots, many of whom were the first pilots of the new Nazi Luftwaffe.
This is the airport from which Claus von Stauffenberg departed and landed again on July 20th 1944 in his failed attempt to assisnate Hitler in the 'Wolfsschanze'.
Entrance to, and insider of, 'Produktions Halle 1'. During WW2 this was a design and build center mostly for Bückner type airplanes.
This airport was used by the Soviet's 16th Air Army right up to 1994. On the entrance to their canteen, Maxim Gorki reminds all that we should - "Cherish books, the greatest source of knowledge".
There are excellent tours of the Zossen bunker complex, however only in German. See, https://www.buecherstadt.com/de/bunker/
Access to the former Rangsdorf airport is only possible with prior arrangement with the site developer, Terraplan.
Insider guides were given a deep insight into the critical hub of the Nazi's communications during their East and West campaigns. It was fascinating to see how information was gathered and shared by the Soviets. Insider are very grateful for the extensive access given at this site. It was fantastic to be able to visit the former Rangsdorf airport which is often mentioned in many stories of the Nazi era. We had a great day out!
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