West Germany's Central Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank) stored some 20bn German marks (about €10bn or £8bn) of emergency notes in two underground bunkers, one in Frankfurt the other in Cochem, between 1964-1988 during the Cold War.
The bunker in Cochem is opening to the public for the first time since it was closed. Disguised underneath a normal house, the bunker, which was a state secret throughout the Cold War, is 30m underground and contained 300m of tunnels covering an area of 8,700 square metres. It held a substitute currency in case of an emergency, was able to generate its own energy, and could shelter 175 people for 14 days in case of a nuclear war.
The river Mosel runs through Cochem, Germany near to where the bunker is hiddeniStockTour guide Hans-Juergen Haite opens a decontamination chamber inside the Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunker, prior to the bunker's official opening to the public in Cochem, GermanyKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersCommunication equipment is seen inside a Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersCommunication equipment is seen inside the Bundesbank bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersCommunication equipment is seen inside the bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersDocument files are seen inside a Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersA 20 metre high spiral staircase in a tower used as an emergency exit, is seen inside a Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersOffice work space is seen inside the Bundesbank bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersA safe inventory card gives details of West German emergency issue bank notes inside the bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersTour guide Hans-Juergen Haite leaves a sleeping room inside a Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunker, prior to the bunker's official opening to the public in Cochem, GermanyKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersTour guide Hans-Juergen Haite stands inside the safe where West German emergency issue bank notes were held inside a Federal reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersSeveral bags and boxes which contained West German emergency issue bank notes worth 14 million German marks are seen inside a Federal reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunkerKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersA door locking mechanism is seen inside a Federal Reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunker, prior to the bunker's official openingKai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersWest German emergency issue bank notes are pictured inside the bunker Kai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersA tour guide displays a money sack showing it contained emergency issue bank notes worth two million German marks, inside the bunker Kai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersTour guide Hans-Juergen Haite leads the way through a Federal reserve bank (Bundesbank) bunker prior to the bunker's official opening Kai Pfaffenbach/ ReutersA sign reads "Federal Reserve Bank (Bundesbank) bunker Cochem - 1964-1988" prior to the bunker's official opening to the publicKai Pfaffenbach/ Reuters
