Germany plans to turn public buildings into bomb shelters amid fears of war with Russia

The Federal Office for Civil Protection is looking at public buildings that could be converted into bunkers and plans to develop an app to help the public find shelters, Bild newspaper reported.

The German public would also be encouraged to set up shelters at home, such as in basements. Germany has been scaling back its public bunker network since 2007, when the authorities decided they were no longer necessary.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s hybrid war campaign on Europe and Vladimir Putin’s threats to attack countries giving armed support to Kyiv have forced a rethink.

There are currently only 579 public shelters in Germany – which has a population of 84.4 million – and they only have enough space for around half a million people.

Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, has warned that it could take an entire generation to build a new bunker network, creating a need for quicker solutions.

Officials have responded by starting to create a list of metro stations, offices and public buildings that could be used as shelters in an emergency.

A civil protection app, which provides a live map of the closest available shelters across Germany, is also being developed, along with a public information campaign on how citizens can protect themselves.

The opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) party has criticised Germany’s preparedness for Russian air attacks and called for the new bunkers to be installed as soon as possible.

“Even though we hope that this situation doesn’t arise, we must be prepared to protect the public in the event of an emergency,” stated Andrea Lindholz, a CDU MP.

“We need to significantly increase the capacity in Germany.”

She cited the example of neighbouring Poland, where all new buildings will require access to shelters from 2026.

According to the news website Notes From Poland, a study last year found the country only has room for 300,000 people in its official bomb shelters. But Poland has already identified “temporary shelters”, such as metro stations and tunnels, which can protect the entire population.

The British research society Subterranea Britannica says there are 276 bunkers across the United Kingdom, which are designed to protect the public in the event of a nuclear attack.