The World of Bunkers

A Series of Events with the EL-DE-Haus, the Art and Museum Library / Rhenish Picture Archive

Cologne's Bunkers
The photographic exhibition 'Cologne's Bunkers' is on the one hand intended to document the con-crete blockhouses as witnesses of a gruesome aerial war, and on the other hand is an attempt to make atmospherics visible at the same time. Approx. 50 large-format, contemporary photos will be on display from 27th Sept. till 19th Nov. 2006 in the NS-Dokumentationszentrum EL-De-Haus (Nazi Documentation Centre). In conjunction a publication of about 120 pages will appear.
Official Opening: Wednesday, 27th September, 7 p.m. Exhibition duration 27th Sept. – 29th Nov. 2006, in the EL-DE Haus, Appellhofplatz 23-25, 50667 Köln
Opening times: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
A-115010    exhibition room in the EL-DE-Haus, Appellhofplatz 23-25

Guided Tours through the Bunkers
From 1941 onwards, bunkers were built in cities with industries important to the war effort of the 3rd Reich, at first these were deep bunkers, but later they were mostly above ground. During the aerial bombing of the Allied air forces the bunkers above ground were the only safe– at least to a large degree – places for human beings to stay. Spending time in them was hardly spectacular, but on the other hand the traumatic memories of the people using them are immensely significant. The four guided tours provide information about different bunkers from the 2nd World War, as well asnd air-raid shelters from the time of the cold war, and attempt to answer numerous questions from visitors.
Please sign up for individual guided tours at the Volkshochschule, by telephone on  +49(0)221 221 93 580, by Fax: +49 (0)221 221 93583 or by e-mail: andrea.pohlmann-jochheim@stadt-koeln.de .

A Zeit-Seeing Tour of the History and Presence of Fear Bunkertour with Martin Stankowski and the Talking Horns
Bunkers are objects of memory, relics of war and destruction. Most of them were constructed in the 2nd World War, some of which were done up again during the cold war, and they represented the promise of shelter in emergency, caves of hope. Even in the case of an atomic catastrophe bunkers were built, not for everyone, but nevertheless which guaranteed survival - for 72 hours. In Cologne today more than 100 bunkers are still known to exist: some above ground, other bunkers underground which cannot be seen and which most people know nothing about, private bunkers under apartment blocks or behind mirror facades. Some bunkers have been converted for peaceful purposes: cultural centre or youth club, storage space or exclusive residence for singles. Where are they? What do they look like? What will become of them? The Talking Horns, featuring  Achim Fink, Bernd Winterschladen and Andreas Gilgenberg, open up fascinating worlds of sound and Martin Stankowski relates the history and the present condition of these places.
A-115015    Meeting Place: Römisch-Germanisches-Museum, Roncalliplatz, Main Entrance
Sunday, 22nd October, 12 - 5.15 p.m., 36,- € |