Wünsdorf Book and Bunker Town

In the pine forest south of Berlin lies one of the strangest places in Brandenburg. In Wünsdorf-Waldstadt near Zossen, the German Army High Command sat in camouflaged bunkers during the Second World War, followed until 1994 by the headquarters of the Soviet forces in Germany, sealed off as a "forbidden city". Today guides lead visitors through blown-up concrete ruins and into the Zeppelin communications bunker, while second-hand bookshops sell old books between barracks and bunkers. Hence the name Book and Bunker Town.

History: from training ground to "Lenin town"

The area has been used by the military since the early 20th century. From 1937 the bomb-proof bunker complexes Maybach I and Maybach II were built, disguised above ground as a country-house estate, together with the Zeppelin communications centre, code-named "Amt 500". A few days before the invasion of Poland, on 26 August 1939, the Army High Command moved in. Until April 1945, orders to troops all over Europe passed through Zeppelin, one of the Wehrmacht's largest communications hubs. The Red Army took over the facilities almost intact and blew up the Maybach I and II staff bunkers in 1946.

Wünsdorf then became the headquarters of the Soviet armed forces. At its peak 50,000 to 75,000 Soviet soldiers and their families lived here, with schools, shops and a daily train to Moscow, while East German citizens were barred from the restricted zone. After the withdrawal in 1994, an empty garrison town and 260 hectares of ground suspected of holding munitions remained. Since 1998 there has been a book town here, one of the few in Germany.

What to see

• Maybach I: The blown-up staff bunkers lie in the forest as tilted, torn-open blocks of concrete, some still wearing the shell of the fake "country houses".
• Zeppelin bunker: On Tour 1 you descend into the communications bunker, where the temperature stays at 10 °C all year.
• Pointed bunkers: The cone-shaped Winkel-type air-raid shelters, nicknamed "concrete cigars", stand among the residential buildings; one is open to visitors.
• House of Officers and Lenin: In front of the former officers' club stands the largest surviving Lenin statue in Germany.
• Museums: The Garrison Museum covers military history from 1910 to 1945, the Red Star Museum the era of Soviet troops from 1945 to 1994.
• Bookshops: In Haus Oskar and the Gutenberghaus you can browse books on every subject.

Tours and prices (as of October 2026)

• Tour 1 (Maybach I and Zeppelin), about 1.5 hours: all year Tuesday to Friday at 14:00; at weekends and on public holidays at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 from May to September and at 12:00 and 14:00 from October to April. Admission €14, with reductions for pupils, students, families and disabled visitors.
• Tour 2 (special tour, about 4.5 hours): €40, age 16 and over, booking required.
• Tour 3 "On the trail of the Russians" and Tour 4 "Four-bunker tour": about 2.5 hours each, €20.
• Museums: Garrison Museum and Red Star together €7, pointed bunker €1.50; Tuesday to Friday 11:00–14:00, and from March to October also at weekends 10:00–17:00.
• Haus Oskar bookshop: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–17:00.

There are no bunker tours on Mondays. Places are limited, so the organisers ask you to book by phone or email. Tickets are sold at Haus Oskar, Zehrensdorfer Straße 12, where all tours start. Calm dogs on a lead are welcome. The team speaks German, English and Russian.

Getting there and parking

Wünsdorf lies about 40 km south of Berlin on the B96. By car, drive through Zossen, turn left at the traffic lights after the town exit sign into Fritz-Jaeger-Allee, then right at the Kommandantenvilla restaurant into Zehrensdorfer Straße; after about 400 m you reach the Gutenberghaus car park. By train, take the RE5 or RE7 to Zossen and continue by bus or taxi; bus 701 is currently being reorganised, so check connections beforehand. On foot or by bike you can also get off at Wünsdorf-Waldstadt station.

Tripto tip

Allow half a day for a tour, a museum and a browse through the bookshop. Wear sturdy closed shoes and a warm jacket, even in high summer. The sites are not accessible, and you need a good torch for the longer tours. If you want to learn more about the Soviet era, book the guided walk "Rund um Lenin" through the former forbidden city, offered on selected dates.