Secret in the forest: Stasi bunker near Crivitz – The forgotten relic!

Secret in the forest: Stasi bunker near Crivitz – The forgotten relic!

In the forest near Crivitz, east of Schwerin, there is a piece of history that many people don't yet know: a secret bunker that was once used by the Stasi as an alternative command point. In the early 1970s, the Ministry for State Security (MfS) began building this underground defense facility, which was disguised as the “Waldschlößchen training center”. The cover was part of a list of measures to keep the public away from the secret activities. As nnn.de reports, the site was previously a popular destination for day trippers and offered an environment in which society and nature went hand in hand.

This secret bunker, which covered a sensitive 1,365 m² of floor space, was equipped with the latest technology. It had 19 cross corridors, meeting rooms and even special cells to accommodate up to 100 selected Stasi elites in an emergency. Access was inconspicuous via an inconspicuous door in the above-ground warehouse. LostPlaceWunderland adds that the bunker also had extensive technical equipment, including emergency generators, a water supply via a deep well and a ventilation system that enabled separate ventilation of the two bunker halves.

A look back into the dark past

The area around the bunker has a sad history. In May 1945, one of the death marches of concentration camp prisoners from Sachsenhausen ended here, and many of the prisoners did not survive the hardships. The “The Mother” memorial in Raben Steinfeld commemorates this time. After the Second World War, the forest was declared a restricted area and publicly accessible leisure activities disappeared. Visits to the Leipzig Citizens' Committee show how important it is to come to terms with these dark chapters of our history and to counteract forgetting.

When the wall came down and the change took place, a citizens' initiative was formed in 1990 that called for an immediate stop to military activities in the area of ​​the old bunker. Despite protests, NVA officers moved in on January 15, 1990 and took over the area, whose secret bunker was only discovered afterwards during an inspection. Over time, various structures were demolished, and in 2015 the area came into the possession of the Nature Conservation Association (NABU), which subsequently maintained and managed it.

The bunker today

In 2023, the last surface structure was demolished and the bunker was converted to serve as a roost for bats, showing that nature is gradually reclaiming the terrain. An information board that has been attached to the access gate now provides information about the site and its history so that those interested in the future can also learn something about this secret place. The bunker's original technology has largely disappeared, but some areas now provide habitat for protected species.

It remains to be hoped that the exciting, historical connection between the site's past and its modern use as a nature conservation area continues to live in people's memories and that such places can serve as both a memorial and an experience space in the future. Perhaps one or two visitors will be drawn to the Waldschlößchen again – as a place to relax in a new light.