A furious row has erupted in Berlin over plans to demolish a Nazi-era bunker, with British historians stepping in to denounce the move as 'absolute madness'. The structure, a five-storey concrete behemoth in the city's Mitte district, was built by forced labour in 1941 to house anti-aircraft guns and protect up to 10,000 civilians. It later served as a Soviet prison and, more recently, as a club and gallery.
Now the Berlin Senate wants it gone to make way for a residential development. But historians, including Sir Nicholas Soames and several from British universities, have signed an open letter calling for preservation. 'This is not just a building; it is a site of collective memory, a warning from history,' they argue.
The debate highlights a deeper tension: Berlin's struggle with its architectural heritage versus the city's desperate need for housing. The bunker's future now rests on a petition signed by over 15,000 people. As the clash intensifies, one thing is clear: the bottom line here is not just financial, but moral.
How do we value the past against the present? Perhaps, as with any asset, we must consider its yield in lessons not yet learned.
