Bunker spotting again, Emden, Germany

[bigduke6]

For some unknown reason our annual ship refit was in a new location this year, Emden Germany.

I'd done a bit of research on the place before I got there and it is littered with bunkers, Most in the town were air aid shelters.

When you look at the last few pics this has been converted into some form of flats or offices etc, you only have to look at the thickness of the walls to realise why there still there, the first pic is a view from the front of the hotel we were staying, I found it a bit strange at first until you get closer, I don't know if the silhouette of a house is a post war thing to blend in or its what was there originally to disguise the building and has been re painted etc.

It was heavily bombed in WW2 allegedly in retaliation to the bombing of coventry. The reason for the big bunkers in the main town, I was running along the perimeter of the Shipyard and was greeted by a few that would of been manned by either the Army or Navy, some now used as power sub stations and the big one a comms unit.

There is also one that is a Museum, unfortunately it was shut whilst I was there.

One thing that did stand out in the local Aldi was a plastic bottle recycling machine, obviously my pigeon German wasn't up for the task of asking how to use it but I watched a few and soon got the gist, the machine scans the barcode (there is a special recycle logo on the bottle) and you get a receipt with a total that can be used against the price of your shopping, my empty plastic beer bottles were worth .20 eruo each.........

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[browningautorifle]

I think the very tall ones are anti aircraft gun emplacements like we've seen other places. Wonder how it would be to reside in one of those concrete monsters...damp, chilly...?

[bigduke6]

I couldn't say Jim, I was looking forward to a visit inside the Museum, being above ground and the thickness of the walls I guess its probably cool but constant. A mate of mine visits a camp site in France and over the road is a V2 site that was never used but this goes underground etc, he said it was freezing but probably due to the amount of water in side. Its on my list for this summer.

[mrclark303]

You do love your bunkers Geoff, I bet downfall is your favourite film mate!

Joking aside, I'm quite partial to a Little Nazi concrete myself, there is a strange fascination about their monolithic construction.

I always keep an eye out when on business in France, it's astonishing how much is still there, just far too solid to blow up I guess.

[bigduke6]

I don't know what it is about them John........... I believe in France they are trying to preserve them now due to the slave labour used to build them, Little is known but the there was a special unit (uniforms too) that were the builders of them.......

I guess its the part of History that still reamains that gets me, a grim reminder for sure but fascinating all the same, Certainly ahead of there time when it comes to shuttering a 3:2:1 mix.

[Mk VII]

It was usually prohibitively expensive to demolish these things, even explosives wouldn't do it with damaging most other things in the vicinity. It was common to just leave them and try to camouflage them somewhat. Sometimes they are landscaped out of sight, as in Berlin.

[browningautorifle]

One of the flack towers was blasted to no end and still didn't do much.

[Daan Kemp]

There is a reason for "bomb proof"... [bomb=explosive]

Thick walls mean good insulation from outside and inside. If it is dry inside it should remain so, etc. Heat it properly and it shouldn't be cold inside.

Relatively constant temperature inside because the sun can't heat it through the thick walls.

[bigduke6]

Some are cold and damp, but these are the ones that have suffered damage due to bad footings and the cracks appear and the rain gets in, mainly along the coast and directly built on sand, there are a few that have suffered this, West along Calais seafront were it slowly rises (sand hills) there is the remains of one that has literally snapped off, the rest behind it remains in tact...... I was just about to have a look in when I disturbed a couple of tramps........ didn't have my phone with me at the time as I was out on a run, but I'll be back there soon and will get some pics etc (not of the tramps though)

[42rocker]

Nice group of pics. Thanks for sharing.

Later 42rocker