Visit to the grand opening of the Nuremberg Bunker

Symbolic picture for the article. The link opens the image in a large view.

The Chair of Science, Technology and Gender Studies – Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg was honored to be invited to the grand opening of the new exhibit in the “Atombunker im Nürnberger Hauptbahnhof”.

The ABC bunker was built in 1977 below the Nuremberg main trainstation and was designed to accommodate exactly 2448 persons for 14 days after a nuclear, biological or chemical attack: 0,5 m² for each individual inside. After these 14 days, water, electricity and even oxygen would be exhausted. The facility was taken out of service in the early 2000s.

The ABC bunker is not only an important infrastructure from the era of the Cold War. Places like this also provide a reflective background to the current discussion on a revitalization of such installation due to new multipolar threats, especially since the second invasion in Ukraine. It also shows the contradictory and futile effort, to safeguard a society against nuclear warfare. The “Atombunker” is a key resource for research and public education in Science, Technology and Gender Studies.

Marcus König (Lord Mayor Nuremberg, Dr. Thomas Eser (director of the city’s museums), Ralf Arnold (Chairman Förderverein Nürnberger Felsengänge e.V.) and Armin Glass (exhibit manager) gave an introduction to the facility, it’s history and gave greetings from the city of Nuremberg.

We highly recommend visiting this tremendous historic location: https://www.unterwelten-nuernberg.de/hauptbahnhofbunker/

All photos by Ismail Barakat.