Discover the secret bunker in Bregenz: 700 meters full of history!

Discover the secret bunker in Bregenz: 700 meters full of history!

Wolfgang Sieber, the school warden of the Sacré Coeur Riedenburg, leads interested groups through a secret bunker that was built in Bregenz during the Second World War. The one hidden under the Riedenburg monastery bunker is accessible via a hidden trap door and was used as an air raid shelter for the wounded and civilians. With space for up to 3,500 people, it offered crucial protection in times of crisis.

Construction of the air raid shelter began in October 1944. The tunnel network, which is around 700 meters long, was completed within just six months and was ready for use on February 24, 1945. Although it was only used for two days in April 1945, the bunker is an impressive example of wartime architecture. It maintains a constant temperature of 12 degrees and the aisles are each 2.40 meters high and wide. In addition to a supply tunnel for food distribution, there are also traces of emergency beds and holders for gas or petroleum-powered lamps.

The use and importance of the bunker

The purpose of the bunker was clearly defined: it served as a shelter for the citizens of Riedensburg during the attacks. The location below the monastery, which was built between 1862 and 1865, as well as the rental of parts of the monastery to the German Wehrmacht from 1940 underline the strategic importance of this building. On the advice of the site doctor, the air raid shelter was set up, with construction management being carried out by the Bregenz city office. The entire construction cost 300,000 Reichsmarks[AustriaWiki].

On April 30, 1945, citizens were asked to visit the bunker because there were signs of fire from the French army. Many people had to spend an estimated 30 hours in the tunnels before they were released on May 2, 1945. This bunker complex, which lies up to 40 meters below the surface, can provide protection for up to 4,000 people and has three entrances. Access to the monastery leads to the shelter via a steep staircase and a ramp.

Memory and preservation

Since 2013, Wolfgang Sieber has been leading school classes and other interested parties through the bunker every year and has reached around 5,000 people. Students in particular appreciate the test of courage in the dark that the bunker offers. Its well-preserved remains, including an old woman's shoe and the skeleton of a small cat, invite exploration and give a sense of the history of the place.

In recent years, the bunker has also been a popular filming location and in 2019 served as the backdrop for the crime series “The Dead from Lake Constance”. In addition, the history of the Riedenburg air raid shelter shows how such structures provided a protective facility during World War II to provide security for the civilian population and the wounded, which benefited not only the residents of Bregenz but also the entire Vorarlberg region Wikipedia.