Nazi bunkers from WW2 still stand in many German cities. In Hamburg alone, 1,000 bunkers were built. Now, the NH hotel group plans to turn the largest of them, the St. Pauli bunker, into a garden filled hotel to be completed by 2021.
The bunker, which is currently used for gatherings, broadcastings, and art and music events, was built by 1,000 forced laborers from concentration camps as a shelter from Allied attacks. There is controversy surrounding transforming these bunkers into new structures, as some believe it is erasing the history of Nazi atrocities, but plans for the Hamburg hotel include a memorial for victims of the Nazi regime in the rooftop garden.
The design plan raises questions about what should be done with historic war sites, but the NH hotel group hopes the new project will provide renewed purpose for the building while acknowledging its complex past.
