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Back to the Bunker? - The Eternal Fear of War

April 27, 2026

Time spent hiding in bunkers shapes people for the rest of their lives. This film examines a span from World War II to the Cold War to the current threats that are forcing many people into shelters again today.

https://p.dw.com/p/5BZsm
Exterior view of a massive concrete high-rise bunker with multiple levels and small, evenly spaced windows. The building has a block-like, monumental appearance. Trees and an open area are visible in the foreground, with warm light suggesting late afternoon or evening.
Image: Looks Films

The documentary "Back to the Bunker?” uses personal accounts from eyewitnesses to look at traumatic bunker experiences -- both today, and during the world wars of the last century. The film examines empty bunker ruins at the turn of the millennium, and the current bunker renaissance in Germany and Europe. 

Large underground room with a vaulted ceiling, where many people are sitting or lying on the floor, mattresses, and blankets. Bags, suitcases, and personal belongings are arranged along the walls. The scene resembles a temporary shelter or refuge area.
Image: Looks Films

This film focuses on the impact of bunkers on humans. Eyewitnesses, experts, and representatives of the younger generation talk about fear, and the need for security in a changing world. The film looks back on the eventful history of these concrete monsters and asks what they mean to people—then, and now.

Journalist and teacher Karina Beigelzimer and her students talk about what it feels like to seek shelter in an air-raid shelter in Ukraine. How does this experience shape everyday lives? 

Henry Foner first arrived in Wales during the Second World War on a "Kindertransport” and remembers seeking refuge in an air-raid shelter there. Now, he’s reliving this experience in Israel, along with his granddaughter Mor Atsmon. 

Robert Seidenader talks to his granddaughter Laura Seidenader about his time in the Munich bunker at Nockherberg during the Second World War. 

Eyewitness Marione Ingram, a Jewish woman, was turned away from a bunker during the Nazi era and had to endure bombing raids without protection. 

Long, narrow concrete corridor with a curved ceiling, dim lighting, and several doors along the sides. The perspective leads deep into the tunnel, whose walls have a rough, unfinished texture. The scene conveys the interior of an underground bunker or shelter.
Image: Looks Films

Konrad Velten, himself an eyewitness of the Second World War, and his granddaughter Sophie Hildner connect that experience to the present day, offering guided tours of a bunker in Baden-Baden. 

Experts Heide Glaesmer, a psychologist who researches war trauma, Marc Buggeln, a historian and bunker expert, and Martin Voss, a disaster researcher and sociologist, contextualize the events and experiences of the protagonists. An impressive documentary about the culture of remembrance and resilience, as well as the social question of how people deal with extreme situations.
 

Broadcasting Hours:

DW English

TUE 05.05.2026 – 01:03 UTC
TUE 05.05.2026 – 04:03 UTC
TUE 05.05.2026 – 10:03 UTC
WED 06.05.2026 – 09:03 UTC
WED 06.05.2026 – 14:03 UTC
WED 06.05.2026 – 21:03 UTC
THU 07.05.2026 – 07:03 UTC
THU 07.05.2026 – 12:03 UTC
SAT 09.05.2026 – 08:03 UTC
SUN 10.05.2026 – 13:03 UTC

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