As anxiety over a potential conflict in Europe deepens, a growing number of Germans are turning to an unexpected solution: private bunkers. Demand for underground shelters is booming, driven by fears of war, economic turmoil, and rising crime, according to a top real estate agent specializing in emergency fortifications.
Peter Aurnhammer, head of German Bunker Makler, says interest in personal safety infrastructure has skyrocketed. “We’ve seen a dramatic surge in inquiries,” he told Euronews, explaining that clients across the country are now prioritizing self-protection like never before.
This spike in bunker-building isn’t coming out of thin air. Last year, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that the country should prepare for war by 2029—a statement that rattled many and likely fueled a newfound sense of urgency. Combine that with domestic instability, and it’s no wonder everyday families are beginning to take matters into their own hands.
Bunker Makler’s website lays it out starkly: “There isn’t a single public shelter for civilians in Germany.” That chilling fact, paired with growing global uncertainty, has pushed some citizens to start constructing home-based shelters, often tucked discreetly into basements or gardens.
And it’s not just new builds catching attention. Across the country, real estate agents are dusting off Cold War-era bunkers and marketing them to security-conscious buyers. A recent Bundestag report revealed that while Germany once had around 2,000 public shelters, only 579 remain today—providing space for fewer than half a million people in a nation of over 80 million.
Many of these remaining shelters—relics of WWII and the Cold War—are now embedded in underground car parks, train stations, and fortified hospitals. But with public infrastructure lacking, it seems private bunkers may be the new norm for Germans seeking peace of mind in an increasingly unpredictable world.
