I was in Berlin right after reunification. They were still pulling down the wall, and no-man's land was untouched.
I went out on a hot summer day, and walked all over the dividing line between East and West Berlin.
I found the mound over THAT bunker, which still had a bent metal vent pipe sticling up above the ground.
I climbed the little hill.
It was remarkably cold up at the top.
Jim,
I was in Hamburg right after the borders opened on business - my first and last trip to Germany. Everyone had the day off, so we crossed into the former East Germany and visited a few towns (Lubeck, Schwerin, and some other - it was years ago, I'd have to look at a map to recall exactly where we went).
It was an eerie scene. I still remember how the whole area smelled like an industrial complex because they were still burning coal. Also, I remember that every church that was still standing had holes in the roof and/or piles of rubble. In many ways, it was like WWII had ended yesterday. The East German troops will still there and still armed with automatic weapons. That was an interesting sight.
There was at least one bunker still standing in Hamburg as I recall. My hosts explained that, because the construction was so strong, it was not economically feasible to tear it down. Several attempts had been made at dynamiting it, to no effect - it was designed to resist blasting. It was definitely a grim reminder of the past, like the bombed-out churches that are scattered throughout Germany as constant reminders.
The bunker sat unused when I was there. Not sure what happened with it and I've since left that company and no longer travel internationally.
- Chris