The Berlin Flak Tower

The Berlin Flak Tower in Humboldthain Park is a seven-storey bunker originally built under Hitler’s orders to protect Berlin from aerial attacks during the Second World War.

The Berlin Flak Tower history

In 1940, Hitler planned to build six such flak towers. The Humboldthain tower was built between October 1941 and April 1942. It is estimated that it cost about 90 million Marks to build. It took roughly 800 men to build the tower, which consisted of a main G-Tower and a smaller L-Tower. The G-Tower was the gun tower that was equipped with weapons.  The L-Tower was a smaller Flak Tower that functioned as a fire watch and command tower. The walls were up to 2.5 metres thick and the ceiling almost 4 metres thick. Inside the tower were six levels of air-raid shelter accommodation for around 16,000 civilians. During World War Two the lower floors of the Berlin Flak Tower were used as a bomb shelter for thousands of the city’s population.

Three flak towers were constructed and, after the war, the only Berlin Flak Tower to survive was the Humboldthain tower. The rest were destroyed and even the surviving Berlin Flak Tower has suffered severe damage.

After the war, French soldiers took down all but two of these defensive structures. The two northern towers were spared as demolition was deemed too dangerous. The nearby train tracks to the north were under Soviet administration and damaging them could have sparked a diplomatic situation.

The Berlin Flak Tower today

Of what remains of the Humboldthain tower, only two floors are currently open to the public. There are 90 minute tours are that take place, provided by the Berlin Underground Association.

Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and plenty of layers as it can get quite cold (even in summer). Visitors must be at least 14 years of age and under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Getting to the Berlin Flak Tower

The tower is located in the north of Humboldthain Park. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest station is Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station.