Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Bremen Bunker Valentin Memorial

Bunker Valentin Memorial

Constructed by forced laborers, this submarine pen is now a museum and war memorial.

Bremen, Germany

Added By
dgrebe
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The western part of the bunker with the bomb-damaged roof sections.   dgrebe / Atlas Obscura User
The outer wall of the bunker.   dgrebe / Atlas Obscura User
The last step of the assembly line with the former water bassin.   dgrebe / Atlas Obscura User
The renovated eastern part of the bunker, formerly used as a munitions depot.   dgrebe / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in north Bremen not far from the North Sea, Bunker Valentin was constructed to rapidly produce submarines for the Nazi war effort. It's believed more than 10,000 people were forced to work on the monumental bunker and surrounding infrastructure. The plans called for a combination of a submarine yard, protected by a huge bunker covering the whole assembly area.

In late March 1945, a British air raid hit the western roof of the facility damaging it beyond repair. This occurred just before plans were underway to secure the roof from such raids. 

The labor force at the bunker was comprised of civil workers, but a majority of the population were forced laborers from the nearby concentration camps. During and after construction, more than 6,000 laborers died either from harsh working conditions or the death marches that followed a day's work. 

In 1960, the Ministry of Defense of the new Federal Republic of Germany decided to use the bunker as a depot for the navy. By 1960, they had renovated the still-intact eastern part of the bunker, and the whole site became a closed-off military zone under the name, Navy Material Depot, Subunit Wilhelmshaven. The navy constructed a partition wall between the ruined western and eastern sections of the bunker, splitting the former assembly hall into two.

First access to the facility was granted during the 1990s, when the German navy allowed survivors and relatives behind the fences.

At the beginning of 2011, the bunker was transferred to the group Denkort Bunker Valentin, which transformed the site into the museum and memorial seen today. 

Related Tags

War Memorial World War Ii Submarines War History Military

Know Before You Go

Today, the site is a memorial and accessible free of charge. A path runs throughout the site, both inside and out. Audioguides are available for a fee. Limited parking is available near the bunker, and it can be reached using public transport by taking bus line 90 from the train stations Bremen-Farge or Bremen-Vegesack.

Community Contributors

Added By

dgrebe

Published

April 4, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Bunker Valentin Memorial
Rekumer Siel
Bremen, 28777
Germany
53.216853, 8.50625
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Atlantis House

Bremen, Germany

miles away

House of the Glockenspiel

Bremen, Germany

miles away

Der Lichtbringer (The Bearer of Light)

Bremen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bremen

Bremen

Germany

Places 8

Nearby Places

Atlantis House

Bremen, Germany

miles away

House of the Glockenspiel

Bremen, Germany

miles away

Der Lichtbringer (The Bearer of Light)

Bremen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bremen

Bremen

Germany

Places 8

Related Stories and Lists

15 Places Improbably Frozen in Time

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Carmunnock War Memorial

    Clarkston, Scotland

    Carmunnock War Memorial

    This 1920's sandstone war memorial was constructed with an unusual drinking trough for horses.

  • Tombstones at the lapidarium of the Schönhauser Allee Cemetery.

    Berlin, Germany

    Schönhauser Allee Cemetery

    Inside this Jewish cemetery is a memorial to soldiers who deserted the German army and were executed.

  • The Kalavryta Sacrifice Memorial.

    Kalavryta, Greece

    Kalavryta Sacrifice Memorial

    A solemn reminder of the infamous World War II war crime that massacred almost all the men in a small Greek town.

  • Balcony under the red star.

    Dolinka, Kazakhstan

    KarLag Memorial Museum

    A sober museum housed in the original administrative building of one of Stalin's largest gulags.

  • Statue of Wojtek the soldier bear in Jordan Park.

    Krakow, Poland

    Wojtek the Soldier Bear Statue

    A memorial to the beloved brown bear that served in the Polish army during World War II.

  • Mount Triglav in the background,

    Mojstrana, Slovenia

    Monument to the Fallen Partisan Alpinists

    The monument honors the mountaineers who were part of Europe’s best anti-Nazi forces.

  • The monument.

    Fairbanks, Alaska

    Lend-Lease Monument

    This super-sized statue is the only public memorial to the deal that ended America's neutrality during World War II.

  • Bevin Boys Memorial.

    Staffordshire, England

    Bevin Boys Memorial

    A long-overdue monument to the forgotten British men drafted into the coal mines during World War II.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.