Hochbunkers in Munich - Often Seen, Seldom Looked At
How many things are there in your surroundings that you pass by, or in my case cycle by, every day, seeing but not looking at? You don't know exactly what they are and you gloss over them without wondering. Such was the case for me with Munich's approximately 40 hochbunkers, the overground bunkers built by Hitler in the first years of WWII. I have started cycling to them and taking pictures, collecting them so to speak. I will present them in the order in which I first visited them.
Wikipedia on Munich's hochbunkers:
Wikipedia on Munich's hochbunkers:
Most of Munich's hochbunker have been abandoned or are used for other purposes (living, art), only two (in the Schleißheimer- and in the Blumenstraße) are still dedicated as civil pprotection structures. Overground bunkers or air-raid towers were designed, patented and approved by the Reich Air Force for Air Defense in the early 1930s. With the same level of protection, bunkers are cheaper, faster and less material to build than underground bunkers. On October 10, 1940, a Fuhrer emergency program was designed for the construction of air raid bunkers in the German Reich. About 40 bunkers. LS special structures no. 1 to no. 40 and eight underground bunkers were built by the Stadtbauamt München under the direction of Karl Meitinger until the end of the war. After the war, all bunkers were to be blown up by American order. However, since there was a shortage of housing, the buildings remained largely intact.
I used the Wikipedia list of Munich's hochbunkers with their locations for my photo outings by bicycle. I tried to include my bicycle in all the shots, however I think there is one picture without it. Although the website maintains there are approximately 40 of these structures, they only list 28. Of these 28, only 23 are still standing. I added one more, not on the Wikipedia list.
Here are the 24 hochbunkers which I photogrpaphed between May and August 2018.
Here are the 24 hochbunkers which I photogrpaphed between May and August 2018.
Anhalter Platz 3, Munich
LS special structure No. 3. The bunker was built in 1941, according to plans of the municipal building authority (City Building Council Karl Meitinger), as a five-story tower on octagonal floor plan with horizontal roof termination and then a flak construction as a freestanding air defense. It served as an air defense tower for the area around the station Milbertshofen.
LS special structure No. 3. The bunker was built in 1941, according to plans of the municipal building authority (City Building Council Karl Meitinger), as a five-story tower on octagonal floor plan with horizontal roof termination and then a flak construction as a freestanding air defense. It served as an air defense tower for the area around the station Milbertshofen.
Schleissheimer Strasse 281, Munich
LS special building No. 33, built in 1942 according to plans by Karl Meitinger von Kunz & Co. It is still subject to civil defense regulations and is available for protection of the population as a shelter.
LS special building No. 33, built in 1942 according to plans by Karl Meitinger von Kunz & Co. It is still subject to civil defense regulations and is available for protection of the population as a shelter.
Ungererstrasse 158
LS special structure No. 5. Built according to plans by Karl Meitinger von Brannekämper. Property: Seven-storey massive concrete construction over rectangular plan with flat roof. The bunker was sold by the Federal Government in 2010 to a private investor. After renovation and refurbishment work, an eight-storey residential and commercial building with approx. 1,000 m² of living and usable space was built. During the dismantling measures, around 2,000 tons of material were removed.
LS special structure No. 5. Built according to plans by Karl Meitinger von Brannekämper. Property: Seven-storey massive concrete construction over rectangular plan with flat roof. The bunker was sold by the Federal Government in 2010 to a private investor. After renovation and refurbishment work, an eight-storey residential and commercial building with approx. 1,000 m² of living and usable space was built. During the dismantling measures, around 2,000 tons of material were removed.
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