Fichtestraße

The Fichtestraße was an air-raid shelter used during World War II and is located in Kreuzberg.  The building was originally used to store gas for the city in the late 1800s. However, in the early 1900s it was abandoned and no longer being used. Instead of destroying it, Berlin decided to use it as a air-raid shelter. Of course it had to have many renovations, but once finished it could hold up to 6,000 Berliners. It was 6 floors high and equipped with many of the necessities such as multiple kitchens and generators. They also made the walls thicker so they could withstand multiple bombings. There were prison cells installed within the shelter because local prisoners would be brought to the shelter during air raids. Even though it was only constructed to shelter 6,000 people, it is reported that there were over 30,000 people in the shelter during a bombing in 1945. After the war, it was used as a shelter for the needy in Berlin.