German Archaeologists Find ‘Well Preserved’ Bar in Abandoned WWII Bunker

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German archaeologists have found a “very well preserved” bar hidden in an abandoned World War II bunker that once sheltered hundreds of people at a time.

The bunker, in the city of Dortmund, western Germany, was built in 1940-41 by citizens for use as an underground shelter during air raids.

“It was one of many air-raid shelters that existed in the city of Dortmund at that time, some of them are still preserved,” Alexandra Schürmann, a spokesperson for the municipality, told Newsweek. “Accordingly, the original purpose of the bunker was by no means a café or pub.”

The bunker measures around 19 feet by 140 feet and had enough space to shelter up to about 390 people inside during the war, Schürmann said.

A room in the abandoned bar in a World War II-era bunker below the city of Dortmund, Germany. The bunker was built in 1940-41 by the citizens of the city for use as an underground shelter during air raids.
Roland Gorecki/City of Dortmund

Dortmund is home to Germany’s largest civil bunker system—the so-called “Tiefstollenanlage” or “Luftschutzstollen” system, which is about 65 feet beneath the surface and extends roughly 3 miles.

But unlike other parts of the Tiefstollenanlage, this bunker housing the long abandoned bar is only about 5 feet beneath the surface, below a district in the heart of the city.

The origins of the forgotten bar lie in the aftermath of the war following Germany’s defeat at the hands of the Allied powers.

“The city of Dortmund was almost completely destroyed during World War II,” Schürmann said. “In the years following the surrender of Germany, the people of Dortmund were busy with rebuilding their homes and the city’s infrastructure. Eventually, cafés, pubs and restaurants reopened.

“The owners planned to reopen, but due to the extent of destruction, there was hardly any room to do so. The authorities in Dortmund, however, supported many a ‘creative’ or uncommon business idea in order to accelerate overall reconstruction.”

In this context, the original owners of the unusual underground bar received an operating license in late 1949 and began trading. This state of affairs continued until 1971, when their license was not extended due to legal changes. By this point, the city had been rebuilt, negating the need for such spaces.

In the following decade, a handful of people “visited” the abandoned bar. Then in 1981, unknown intruders started a fire in the bunker. In the aftermath, local authorities took the decision to lock the bunker to protect the historic site from vandalism. For that reason, its exact location has been kept a secret to this day.

For decades, the site remained untouched (although rumors continued to circulate locally about a bar housed in a former bunker). That is until this year, when city archaeologist Ingmar Luther and colleagues were given access to the site for two days. The team had no idea what awaited them.

Items from abandoned bar
A collection of items found in the World War II bunker, which was the site of a working bar until 1971.
Denkmalbehörde

“So far, we’ve only had reports from eyewitnesses and a few very old plans. That’s why we were extremely excited to see what awaited us down there,” Luther said in a statement.

First, the concrete slab placed in front of the entrance to block it—so heavy that it can be lifted only with a crane truck—had to be removed.

When the archaeologists finally entered—the first people to do so in decades—they found several rooms, with many bottles, kitchen utensils and broken pieces of furniture on the floor. They even found several menus. It quickly became clear to the team that the bunker had still been in use after the war.

At the time, it appears that the establishment was referred to as “Zur Grotte,” or at the grotto. Among the items on the menu were beer, as well as ice cream sundaes, preferably served with pineapple or other canned fruits.

“We’re really lucky here that the bunker was sealed so well,” Luther said. “So everything is still very well preserved. I don’t think anyone has come in here before us after the pub closed—and that’s a really good thing.”

After allowing the archaeologists to explore the bunker, the city then sealed the entrance again with concrete at the end of April.

“It is not safe to visit the place without an experienced guide. We also want to protect the pub from vandalism,” Schürmann said.

“The remnants are unusually well preserved—of course, the constant humidity took its toll, but there are hardly any signs of willful destruction. Neither did our archaeologists find any graffiti. So for the time being, the bunker café is sealed to prevent people from hurting themselves and to protect the historic place.”

The bunker meets the necessary prerequisites to be listed as a municipal monument someday, Schürmann said.

“Although in Dortmund the Tiefstollen system is largely preserved, this underground pub is a very special place and tells us a lot about the history of our city.”

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