We booked a guided tour of the Historischer Kunstbunker which is a secret facility used during World War II to protect valuable artworks. If we hadn’t known what we were looking for, we would have walked right past it.

The entrance to the Historischer Kunstbunker is hidden in plain sight, appearing as nothing more than an ordinary door set into a building that looks just like the rest on the street. There are no dramatic signs to suggest that behind the doors lies one of Nuremberg’s most important wartime hiding places.

That quiet, almost secretive entrance set the tone for the entire experience. When the door opened and we descended the stone slope into the underground, the air grew cooler and heavier. Our guide explained that these tunnels were originally medieval beer cellars, later transformed during World War II in 1940 into a secure bunker for priceless works of art.

We came to a section which branched off into areas where art was stored. It was easy to imagine wooden crates stacked along the walls, filling the chambers from floor to ceiling. Our guide described how paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, and religious objects were carefully wrapped, labeled, and stored, with temperature and humidity closely controlled to prevent damage. The bunker extends approximately 78 feet (24 meters) underground.

The guide was asked who did all the labour and paid for the bunkers and she explained that Jews from the local war camp did the labour. That was a somber thought of how many people died and suffered for the creation of this hidden bunker. 

There was a section of the bunker fortified with vault like doors. Behind these doors were artifacts and art of immense value. 

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the tour came when we learned that the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire, including the Imperial Crown had also been hidden here.

There were several different areas of storage with fortified doors. During the war, the Nazis systematically looted art from occupied territories and Jewish collections. An estimated 20% of Europe’s artwork was stolen, with many pieces stored in the Kunstbunker for protection.

Some of the notable artworks stored here were Veit Stoss’ Annunciation: A significant altarpiece. The Erdapfel: A globe created by Martin Behaim in 1492 and the Codex Manesse: An important manuscript.

The idea that objects representing centuries of history and identity were stolen and concealed behind an ordinary door on a normal street was astonishing. 

“bis zum nächsten Mal, “