Unterwelten

Today we went to the Unterwelt, the Underworld auf Englisch.  It is the most authentic underground bunker that remains in Berlin. We met our tour guide and began our descent into the bunker. The temperature dropped and you could feel the eeriness. Our tour guide was cool and her English was really good. We learnt a new German word: Abort, which means toilet. It was used during the war because toilette is French and W.C is English and naturlich Germany needed their own word too.  The bunker was open to the public for protection during air raids and the only things needed to gain entry were documents to prove you were an Aryan (of the pure or superior race).  The bunker was built to provide shelter for 1200 people, it often was overcrowded and near the end of the war up to 6000 people took shelter there. We went into a room called a 'functional room', where the walls were painted with toxic glow-in-the-dark paint. When the power went out you could still see, which was supposed to minimise panic. When the paint was new, it was so strong that you could read a newspaper without any lights.  We also learnt about the horrible conditions in the bunkers and how the women measured oxygen levels using candles.  There were displays of found property of dead and missing soldiers, one only a sixteen year old boy. We really enjoyed this tour (it was a personal favorite even after being hesitant before hand). In the afternoon we had free time in Alexander Platz , which we again mostly spent shopping yay! Today was the second to last day and we are coming to the sad realisation that we soon have to go back to school haha.  Tschüs! (Annabelle)