BUNKER VALENTIN

ÔDenkort Bunker ValentinÔ
(Memorial Bunker Valentin)
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The submarine Bunker Valentin was built during World War II between 1943 and March 1945 but was not finished because the war ended. When the bombing of German shipyards increased and the production of submarines was limited, plans were made to build bombproof shipyards inside bunkers. In Bremen such a bunker-shipyard was built in Bremen-Farge under the secret name Bunker Valentin. The submarine Bunker Valentin is the largest bunker in Germany with regard to its surface area. The construction was planned and supervised by the organisation Todt. For the building of the bunker, giant fuel tanks and labour camps were erected. 13,000 forced labourers were brought from the occupied territories and the concentration camp Neuengamme. They had to build the bunker working in 10-hour shifts. It is estimated that 6,000 of them died during the construction work but only 1,7000 deaths are registered because the names of the Polish and Russian forced labourers were not considered. Many forced labourers died from malnutrition, collapsed from exhaustion and died in the liquid concrete, or were executed. No submarine was ever built at the Bunker Valentin. The exhibition took place in BremenÕs town hall and has now moved to the bunker itself, where it is open to the public.