Air-raid shelter am Weinberg, Underground air-raid shelter in Kassel, Germany

The Air-raid shelter am Weinberg is a World War II bunker built into the soft limestone of the Weinberg in Kassel at the end of the 1930s. It was designed for 7,500 people and held a medical section with an emergency room plus a military command section with a telecommunications centre. Most of its equipment was removed for reuse shortly after the war.

Tunnels in the soft limestone of the Weinberg were used to store ice and beer in the early 19th century. In the late 1930s the German government built the shelter there, designed for 7,500 people. It held a medical section with an emergency room and a military command section with a telecommunications centre.

The name Weinberg, German for vineyard, recalls the site's earlier use: the soft limestone tunnels stored ice and beer in the early 19th century before the shelter was built. The bunker held a medical section with an emergency room and a military command section with a telecommunications centre, rooms visitors see on guided tours.

Guided tours take visitors through the interior and explain how the shelter functioned, for which comfortable clothing is recommended. The temperature underground stays cool throughout the year, so bringing a warmer jacket is a good idea.

During severe bombing in October 1943, more than 10,000 people crowded into the shelter even though it was designed for roughly 7,500. This overcrowding shows how desperately the population sought protection.