Bunker Falkenhagen

Useful Information

Location:	Zum Seewerk, 15306 Falkenhagen/Mark. (52.4296181, 14.3557996)
Open:	closed. [2025]
Fee:	closed. [2025]
Classification:	Factory Secret Bunker
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	Ar=14.000 m².
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Thomas Kemnitz, Peter Rentsch (2005): Führungskomplex Falkenhagen - fotografische Perspektiven und militärhistorische Aspekte, edition vimudeap, 1. Auflage, März 2005, ISBN 3-00-015534-1 24,4x16 cm, Softcover, Fadenheftung, 96 Seiten, 64 Abbildungen 4-farbig, 13 Abbildungen 1-farbig Jenny Teichmann (2015): Ein gescheitertes Geheimprojekt – Die Bunkeranlage Falkenhagen 1938-45, Masterarbeit 2015 an der Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt/Oder. academia.edu Dr. Heini Hofmann (2008): Geheimobjekt „Seewerk“, 400 S., 350 Abb., gebunden. ISBN 978-3-930588-79-4.
Address:	MK Reisen und Service GmbH, Fechinger Weg 11, 12683 Berlin, Tel: +49-30-42105806. E-mail: go2know, Mühsamstraße 40, 10249 Berlin, Tel: +49-30-26-558-150. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1938-1943	bunker built.
1945	used by the Sowjet army.
1959	GDR research facility in the Hangbunker.
1992	abandoned.
2003	sold to a Berlin investor.
2012	sealed by the Bauordnungsamt (building regulations) office.

Description

The Bunker Falkenhagen (Falkenhagen Bunker) is named after the nearby village of Falkenhagen and is located around 60 km east of Berlin near Frankfurt/Oder. It was planned before the Second World War as an armaments factory for the Wehrmacht and was built from 1939. It was intended to produce large amounts of chlorine trifluoride and sarin, but actually it was never completed and no notable amounts were ever produced in the underground production facility. Sarin is a poison gas, chlorine trifluoride an experimental rocket fuel that was used under the cover name N-Stoff. The bunker facility was accessible via a railroad track connected to the Oderbruchbahn, which was intended to transport the raw materials and products. The central railroad tunnel connected the underground halls.

But let’s start at the beginning: the National Socialists wanted to make the German economy “fit for war” and rearm the Wehrmacht. They also wanted to secure independence from raw material imports through the production of synthetic rubber and synthetic fuel. N-Stoff was researched by the Army Weapons Office from 1934 and was intended to offer interesting military applications. The army therefore decided to build a large-scale production facility for N-Stoff as early as 1938. The large wooded area near the village of Falkenhagen was chosen as the location, offering seclusion, a rail connection and cooling water in the surrounding lakes. The cover name for this plant was Muna Ost. It was also to become a research institute, with a test field with a blasting field, firing range and even a vacuum tunnel. The land was acquired by a camouflage company, Falkenhagen Castle was demolished and work began on creating the infrastructure. However, the planned completion date of 1942 was not met because workers had been drafted into the army.

From 1943, the facility was operated by IG Farben on behalf of the Wehrmacht and was given the camouflage name Seewerk. This is why the bunker is also referred to today as the secret object “Seewerk” or Seewerk Falkenhagen. However, the planned mass production of N-Stoff did not take place; instead of large-scale production, only a small plant was built. The Peenemünde V2 developers rejected its use, as did the Luftwaffe, which feared being falsely accused of a gas attack due to the toxic combustion gases. Instead, the newly developed sarin poison gas was produced. However, IG Farben was not very happy with this plant. The energy supply with coal was too expensive, fresh water and waste water caused difficulties. There were also too few workers, which was compensated for with prisoners of war from Sachsenhausen. And as early as 1944, when production had still not started, the problems increased considerably, there were many power cuts and more and more employees were drafted into the Volkssturm. In January 1945, the front was only 20 km away and the plant was evacuated.

The plant was then taken over by the Red Army. Although there was no chemical factory, the bunker had four storeys, 3.5 m thick walls and a floor area of 14,000 m². It is said to have been the Soviet Union's most important top-secret command post outside the country. However, little is known about the details; the Nazi era is much better documented. It can be assumed that in the event of a military conflict with the West, Falkenhagen would have been the westernmost command post for the military units of the Warsaw Pact. However, not even the Stasi knew exactly what was being done there. This was despite the fact that a small part of the facility had been used by the GDR as a research facility since 1959. After the reunification of Germany and the withdrawal of the Red Army, the bunker was taken over by the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (Federal Agency for Real Estate). There was great interest in researching the bunker and reconstructing its use, but only limited success.

The site was finally sold to a Berlin investor in 2003. There were bankruptcies, sales, littering and illegal paint ball games. Finally, in 2012, the facility was officially closed and sealed. In the meantime, however, paint ball is once again being played on the site, which is now officially and approved and operated by an association under the name Area51 Playground. Guided tours of the bunker were offered by Martin Kaule, who still runs a kind of “Urbex travel agency”. He has not offered any tours of the bunker at the moment, but if you are interested you should contact him. The same applies to the Berlin company go2know, which offers changing tours of lost places. Here, too, the bunker is currently not on the program. Over the last years urban explorers tried to visit the site without tour, but it seems there is security and some kind of electronic surveillance. They report they were caught and handed over to the police for trespassing. The whole thing seems to have petered out, but we strongly advise against such visits.