For the Nazis, Vienna, as the “Gau capital”, was worthy of special protection. Therefore, modern air raid shelters were built under numerous parks as part of the “Führer Immediate Program”. Many of these have expired. One can now be visited with historians. The “Krone” already gives you a glimpse.
Vienna can look back on an eventful history. There are still many secrets to be discovered in the local cellars. What many don’t know: In 1940/41 air raid shelters were built in selected parks in Vienna as part of the so-called “Führer Immediate Program”.
The “Gau capital of Vienna” was classified by the National Socialists as a “air-raid shelter of the 1st order” (armament, industry, traffic). According to the state of the art at the time, these fortifications were modernly equipped with 44 rooms (gas locks, sanitary facilities, steel doors, extraction). “Public air raid shelters” were designed for 333 people each. During the bombings – Vienna had a total of 53 air raids during the Second World War – mainly civilians sought protection.
Many facilities have collapsed
Today, many of the facilities are dilapidated and inaccessible. One of the first facilities was the one under the Schönborn Park and can now be visited as part of a guided tour for the first time. The two Viennese connoisseurs and historians Marcello La Speranza and Lukas Arnold went in search of traces of the past with visitors.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer, for the first time, exclusive guided tours of the bunker together with the Folklore Museum, to give interested visitors an insight into the historic bunker system,” said Arnold. Marcello La Speranza adds: “World War II was a terrible time and that is why with our travels we want to take action against forgetting and create a culture of memory.”
Term folklore museum.at
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
