{"id":242621,"date":"2024-07-12T13:28:10","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T13:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/12\/former-nazi-bunker-in-hamburg-relaunched-as-a-hip-new-attraction\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:14:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:14:51","slug":"former-nazi-bunker-in-hamburg-relaunched-as-a-hip-new-attraction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/12\/former-nazi-bunker-in-hamburg-relaunched-as-a-hip-new-attraction\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Nazi bunker in Hamburg relaunched as a hip new attraction"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For those visiting Hamburg, Bunker St. Pauli would stand out as a fort-like structure with hanging gardens, unlike other German buildings. It recently opened its doors to people looking to stay at the hotel it houses or visit one of its restaurants.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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View of Hamburg from Bunker St. Pauli.<\/figcaption>

Ulrich Perrey\u2014picture alliance\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But those familiar with Hamburg\u2019s history know that even if the bunker only just relaunched in its modern avatar, it\u2019s been around a long time\u2014since 1942, to be precise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Constructed during World War II\u00a0 in 1942, the \u201cFlakturm IV,\u201d as it was called then, is a remnant of the Nazi regime. Laborers built it over just 300 days as an anti-aircraft defense structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Decades later, the bunker serves a very different purpose\u2014hosting guests who want to catch a roof-top view of Hamburg or enjoy a cocktail at its bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The robust structure, one of the largest of its kind, was among the bunkers that weren\u2019t blown up in a \u201cdenazification process,\u201d the property\u2019s website<\/a> says, as this could have endangered neighboring areas.<\/p>\n

It was later repurposed as a temporary housing for Hamburg residents<\/a> and a TV broadcasting center before evolving into a music and nightlife venue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The revamp, which cost \u20ac100 million<\/a>, has given the bunker a different look, with a mix of concrete-like rusticity and a splash of greenery, paving the way for what the property calls \u201can unforgettable experience.\u201d The project\u2019s initial budget was \u20ac35 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Reverb, a hotel operated by Hard Rock, is also housed in the bunker and offers 134 rooms<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bunker St. Pauli opened on July 5, roughly two years later than planned.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Fitting the past into the present<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The bunker joins a slew of Nazi-era developments that are trying to reintegrate into the present day. In 2018, the headquarters of the Gestapo, the Nazi regime\u2019s secret police, reopened as luxury boutiques, offices and apartments in Hamburg. The location had a long\u2014and bloody\u2014history and its opening didn\u2019t come without pushback.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Architects in Austria are working on transforming Adolf Hitler\u2019s birthplace into a police station<\/a>, a plan that has sparked much controversy regarding the site\u2019s use. The exclusive club Soho House in Berlin is located in a 1928 building with links to the Nazi-era<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other countries face the challenge of reconciling locations with painful pasts of commercializing it\u2014including the U.S., where several plantations carry stories of slave history<\/a> with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, Bunker St. Pauli tries to bring a bit of Hamburg\u2019s vibrance to a working-class neighborhood. It has been a venue for art and music events long before adopting its hospitality side. The bunker will also have a memorial for Nazi victims, along with exhibition areas. <\/p>\n

There are still over 600 bunkers left in Hamburg, although many are discreet.<\/p>\n

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An events space in Bunker St. Pauli.<\/figcaption>

Ulrich Perrey\u2014picture alliance\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When the refurbishment was announced in 2019, it aimed to make the bunker\u2019s history more accessible to people instead of alienating it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand it\u2019s a sensitive topic,\u201d a spokesperson for the NH Hotel Group, which managed the bunker\u2019s development, told The New York Times<\/em><\/a> in 2019. \u201cWe would like to send a positive signal to the city of Hamburg.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ulrich Perrey\u2014picture alliance\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Representatives at Bunker St. Pauli didn\u2019t immediately return Fortune<\/em>\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Subscribe to the Fortune Next to Lead newsletter to get weekly strategies on how to make it to the corner office. Sign up for free<\/a>.<\/div>\n