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In Hamburg, a Second War bunker has become a creative center

Gyms, music schools, production houses, restaurants and cafes brighten the building's interior

In Hamburg, a Second War bunker has become a creative center Gyms, music schools, production houses, restaurants and cafes brighten the building's interior

Just outside the U-Bahn station of Feldstraße, a disturbing scene unfolds. Two massive structures dominate a flat area just a few kilometers from the River Elbe: on one side, the stadium of St. Pauli, the most antifascist and alternative football club not only in the city but in all of Germany, if not the world; on the other, the imposing reinforced concrete block of Flakturm IV, simply known as the Bunker, a silent and ghostly testament to World War II. Built in 1941 as part of a major air defense project ordered by Adolf Hitler after the RAF bombing of Berlin in 1940, Flakturm IV — meaning "anti-aircraft tower" — is one of eight massive structures designed by the Nazi regime according to Albert Speer's Ruinenwert theory (value of ruins). Among the eight towers constructed, three were in Berlin, three in Vienna, and two in Hamburg, including the Flakturm IV in Feldstraße. Only the Flakturm Tiergarten in Berlin was completely demolished by the British Army in 1947, while the other towers have, in one way or another, survived the war and the test of time, becoming venues for various cultural, artistic, and recreational initiatives over the years.

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The redevelopment of Flakturm IV is undoubtedly the most iconic. Today, the Bunker is one of Hamburg’s coolest and most dynamic spots, described by the Financial Times as a «hipster hub» transformed by an ambitious restoration project requiring an investment of about 100 million euros. The imposing relic — 38 meters tall and about 70 meters wide — reopened on July 5, 2024, with a new look: a pyramid-like structure was added to its top, raising its total height to 58 meters. Inside, there are gyms, music schools, a film production house, an art gallery, creative spaces, and the usual restaurants and cafés spread over all five floors — even a luxurious Hard Rock Hotel occupies part of the rooftop. But the real highlight is the public park on the roof: with more than 4,700 plants, it’s located at the end of a 560-meter concrete walkway that wraps around the entire structure.

As has often happened with other repurposed buildings in Germany during the 1980s and 1990s, the Bunker was, for years before its official reopening this summer, a reference point for all of Hamburg’s underground culture and youth scene — which means only one thing: clubbing. The Bunker’s fourth floor houses Uebel und Gefährlich, a venue that has made history in German club culture, attracting DJs from all over the world and drawing long queues reminiscent of Berlin’s Berghain. Unlike the national fate of club culture, Uebel und Gefährlich continues to thrive. In Germany, a phenomenon known as clubsterben, or “club death,” is taking place: high costs, intensified gentrification, and a reduction in low-cost flights — which for over twenty years enabled a true touristification of German clubbing — are among the crisis factors reshaping the sector. More than 100 clubs have been forced to close; Watergate and Wilde Renate are just two recent casualties. Yet, in Berlin alone, clubs still attract 3 million tourists annually and generate nearly 1.5 billion euros in revenue. This is why, alongside evident cultural and artistic factors, Berlin techno was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in March 2024, while a nationwide request was made to grant clubs the same status as opera houses by the Clubcommission.

But there’s another club besides Uebel und Gefährlich at Hamburg’s Bunker that seems to be resisting the economic crisis: the techno temple Berghain. However, in recent months, it has been struck by a different kind of crisis — a strong political one. The famous club has been boycotted by some DJs over its stance on the Gaza war, or rather, its lack of a stance. The group Ravers for Palestine first announced in January 2024 a boycott of the Berlin venue, along with many other clubs, «stating that its silence on Israel's attacks on Gaza made it complicit,» as reported by the Guardian. Later that summer, Arabian Panther, a Franco-Lebanese DJ, accused the venue of «canceling his event because he had posted pro-Palestinian messages on social media,» and according to the Guardian, «artists like Manuka Honey and Jyoty withdrew from club events, [and even] Pan, an influential record label releasing experimental electronic music, decided to cancel a party at Berghain» in support of the cause. The club's owners continue to refrain from making any statements, as they have for exactly twenty years. To celebrate the club’s anniversary on December 13, they opted instead for a classic Berghain-style response: a three-day marathon party running from Friday to Monday morning. Clubsterben may continue to claim victims, but for now, German clubbing can still rely on its pillars: one in Berlin and the other, recently revamped, in Hamburg.