Going under in a WWII bunker
Unlike the unused nuclear bunker we toured, this WWII bunker protected the Germans during the bombings and air raids in Berlin. Today, it is open for touring, and you can see the rust stains on the floors from the items that have been left untouched. Some of the bunker has yet to be explored, and you can find little trinkets under the crushed stoned such as brushes, tin cans, and toys. It was hard to describe the emotions I went through while touring it. It was a humbling experience that made me contemplate the human condition and ingloriousness of war. Berlin actually had the strongest resistance to the Nazis, which is why Hitler tried to conquer the city and rename it his capital. The Red Army approached Berlin so quickly at the end of the War that many people were caught unprepared. There were not enough shelters for everyone, and one German woman gave her account of what it was like hiding in the bunker. She said that they were squeezed very tightly together: all the men, women, children, and elderly. There were times they stayed in the dark building for days during the raids, having to use the bathroom and go without eating all while standing in the same spot. When people evacuated to the bunkers, it was filled from the bottom up. After the maximum number of people were shoved in, the doors were closed. Many families were separated because of this, and many families didn't know if their relatives or neighbors made it safely to the bunker. Everyone wanted to be at the bottom floors, since these were below ground and were deemed the safest.
Because of the cramped conditions, there was little oxygen, leading to death. The first to suffocate were small children. Horrible right? But as an optimist, I can't leave my last words on this post on a negative note, so I choose this experience to really grow my appreciation for having a whole and loving family.
