Bunker An der Obertrave/Im Reinfeld, Air-raid shelter in Old City, Lübeck, Germany
The Bunker An der Obertrave/Im Reinfeld is a four-story concrete air-raid shelter with a brick and timber-framed facade designed to blend with the medieval surroundings of Lübeck's Old City. The building's exterior features false gallery walkways that mimic the appearance of traditional Hanseatic merchant houses.
The bunker was constructed between 1940 and 1941 under the direction of chief building officer Otto Hespeler as one of twenty high bunkers built for civilian protection during wartime. It continued to serve civil defense purposes well after the war until 1990.
The bunker represents how wartime defense infrastructure was woven into the historic fabric of the Old City, asking visitors to consider the lives of civilians during bombardment. Its false gallery design shows an attempt to maintain the area's traditional character despite urgent military needs.
The bunker is situated at the corner of An der Obertrave and Im Reinfeld streets in the Old City, making it easily accessible on foot from other historic sites. The narrow staircases and low ceilings inside mean visitors should move carefully and dress warmly, as the interior remains cool year-round.
The exterior incorporates false gallery walkways designed to mimic traditional Hanseatic merchant houses, a deliberate architectural disguise intended to reduce visibility from enemy aircraft. This clever integration shows how civil defense engineers tried to make protective structures appear less conspicuous in the medieval cityscape.
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