Secret bunker of the Deutsche Bundesbank
For decades it was one of the best-kept secrets in the Federal Republic of Germany:
The bunker of the German Bundesbank in Cochem.
Between the Mosel slopes, hidden in the residential area of Cochem-Cond, camped here during the Cold War period
in a subterranean bunker fortress 15 billion Deutschmarks, a substitute currency that would be lost if the Mark lost value
replaced the German currency with counterfeit money that had been smuggled in. The bunker was built from 1964-1988
and kept as a secret. Although the population knew that there was a bunker in Cochem, the sense and purpose of the bunker were completely unknown even to the neighbors. In addition, the bunker was perfectly camouflaged by the two camouflaged residential buildings, which were officially used as a training center for Bundesbank employees.
Descent into the secret bunker
Open the heavy steel vault doors and climb with us through the seemingly infinitely long access tunnel into the deep vault. Get to know the emergency currency of the old FRG there.
In our guided tour, you will learn how the Deutsche Bundesbank exchanges all DM notes in circulation quickly and securely. Be amazed at the precautions that would have had to be taken to work and live in the bunker completely independently of the outside world for 14 days.
Take a look at the kitchen, bedrooms and work rooms and the communication, electricity, water and ventilation technology of that time.
Experience and experience the unique, incomparable bunker feeling: temperatures, noises, smells, and last but not least the overwhelming feeling deep underground – somewhere in Germany.
An underground vault
In the tranquil little town of Cochem Mosel, in 1962 – at the time of the Cold War – the alleged construction of an underground
protective bunker in the middle of the residential area of Cochem-Cond
The camouflage is perfected by two residential buildings, today “Hotel Vintage“.
In fact, it is the construction of a top secret
Nuclear bunker, which contains an unknown emergency currency of the DM and is supposed to protect it from theft, natural disasters and wars. In 1965 the first banknotes of this substitute currency can be
stored. Soon money bags and money boxes are stacked up to the ceiling in the vault…
Have we piqued your interest? We look forward to welcoming you to the Cochem bunker soon.
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Sacks of Deutsche Mark bills
Only the inspectors in Frankfurt, who came twice a year for inspection, had the three keys and the combination for the combination lock.
The Bundesbankers counted each time and noted the result, for example: „14. Mai 1987, 840 Säcke a 20.000 DM aufgenommen ergibt 336.000.000 DM“.
And this result alone in the lattice box with the number two…
The federal government fears that counterfeit money could be smuggled into the country in large quantities. The consequences would be devastating: if confidence in the D-Mark were to be lost, the whole economy would collapse.
The FRG decides that the Bundesdruckerei parallel to the DM bills
prints a secret emergency currency to have ready for emergencies. The storage of the secret money is said to be in Cochem.
The substitute currency BBK II comprises an impressive DM 15 billion in notes of DM 10, 20, 50 and 100.
Have we piqued your interest? We look forward to welcoming you to the Cochem bunker soon.