- Green bunker on St. Pauli - about 4,000 visitors a day
For four weeks now, the Hamburg bunker at the Heiligengeistfeld has been open to visitors, with thousands already having taken advantage of the offer. Around 4,000 people are on the bunker daily, and it's particularly well-visited on weekends, a spokesperson for the operator RIMC told the German Press Agency in Hamburg. "On the first weekend after opening, we had a staggering 25,000 visitors on the bunker."
Visitors from around the world
The once-gray and now greened World War II bunker with a surrounding path leading to the public rooftop garden is not only frequented by people from Hamburg, but also by many tourists from Germany and all over the world, the spokesperson added. "The inclusion of the Reverb Hotel in Time Magazine's 'World's Greatest Places 2024' has already brought us guests from countries like the USA, Japan, Brazil, and Australia." The hotel's occupancy rate is currently over 80 percent, and bookings for the coming weeks suggest that this number could even increase in August and September.**
Challenges due to dirty toilets and too much litter
However, with so many people around, there are also challenges. Initially, the lawn on the bunker's rooftop garden had to be closed off because it was in danger of drying out due to excessive use. "The lawn is recovering now and should be accessible again soon." There were also issues with initially dirty toilets due to intense use and too much litter. The former has been resolved by increasing the cleaning frequency, and the latter has led to a ban on bringing food and drinks onto the premises.**
Accessibility over detours
Another challenge in the first weeks was ensuring accessibility to the rooftop garden for mobility-impaired individuals. A temporary solution has been found, where affected individuals can take the elevator to level 0 - the original rooftop before the extension - and be accompanied by security in a second elevator to the rooftop garden. However, this is very labor-intensive, so the operator and the building owner are working together on a long-term solution for full accessibility.**
Operator draws positive conclusion despite initial hiccups
Overall, the operator RIMC draws a very positive conclusion. "The alternative would have been to wait until everything was running perfectly before opening. But we consciously decided to open, knowing that some things would still need improvement, and that processes and teams would need to adjust," said Marek Riegger, CEO of RIMC. The influx, feedback, occupancy rates, and international attention show that "this was exactly the right decision." The bunker's rooftop garden can accommodate 2,000 people at a time and is accessible between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM during the warmer months.
The original 38-meter high flak bunker, built in 1942 by forced laborers, was extended by five more floors to 58 meters and lavishly greened. The rooftop garden with 4,700 plants is accessible from the outside via the so-called mountain path, which is also lined with many plants, shrubs, and trees. The roof and facade greening of the World War II building is considered a natural air conditioner. According to reports from late 2023, the extension and greening of the colossus next to the Millerntor Stadium cost the private developers around 60 million euros. In addition to the Hotel Reverb by Hard Rock, there is also a sports and events hall on the bunker.
Memorial site in progress
The concept also includes a memorial and information site that remembers the history of the building. During World War II, up to 25,000 people found shelter in the bunker. So far, the history of the colossus is told on information boards on level 0 in front of the hotel. These are studied with great interest by many visitors, said the spokesperson for the operator. This is initially an interim solution. In the future, a permanent exhibition and memorial site will be presented in their own rooms.
The construction of the permanent exhibition and memorial site is an upcoming project for the bunker. Despite the initial challenges such as overuse leading to a temporarily closed lawn and dirty toilets, the bunker continues to draw large crowds, including tourists from various countries like the USA, Japan, Brazil, and Australia.
