In the mid-30s, the construction of bomb shelters of the original design by the architect Leo Winkel began in Germany. The refusal to carry out work underground greatly simplified the process, and thanks to the conical shape, the tower was able to deflect the trajectory of the bomb even in case of a direct hit (which is almost unrealistic due to its small diameter), and at the base the walls were thick enough to withstand an explosion of any power. With a close explosion, the tower could swing slightly and at the same time return to its original position.
The towers were intended to protect civilians, railway workers and industrial enterprises. A separate group of towers was located near the town of Zossen, where the headquarters of the High Command of the Ground Forces (OKH) was located. It was these towers that I shot.
Most of the 14 towers of this group were blown up and their fragments lie picturesquely right in the courtyards of residential buildings.
Others just stand in the middle of the forest.
Promotional video:
The entrance to them is closed.
But one of the towers has open access - it is part of the museum.
The photo clearly shows that the entrances to the shelter were located from different sides and at different levels. This avoided unnecessary delays in placing people.
Inside there were circular wooden benches with seat numbers - each person knew his place, which also helped to avoid unnecessary panic.
The purification system provided air inflow, its filtration and exhaust air removal.
Installations for pumping air were powered by electric motors, or in manual mode.
Sectional layout of the tower.
Luftschutzbunker.
Near the tower there is a small but very interesting museum on the first and second world wars, and in the next building there is a museum of the group of Soviet troops in Germany, tk. it was here that the headquarters of the group was located.
There was also a “competing” project of bomb shelter towers by architect Paul Zombek. Its towers had a larger diameter and a straight cylindrical shape slightly widening towards the bottom. In the photo there is a tower that I found in Hamburg.
The denazified eagle on the tower next to the sign of the Italian restaurant that is now in it.