The BBN was founded in 2002 in order to research surface and underground bunkers, to document,  catalogue and secure them, and, wherever possible, to make them accessible to the general public, either in practice or in a virtual form. Membership includes specialist photographers, skilled tradesmen and IT specialists. The organisation made a name for itself beyond the limits of Berlin when it secured and documented the command centre for the East German National Defence Council, aka Bunker 17/5001 or the Honecker bunker, near Prenden in the state of Brandenburg, and also with the opening and first public guided tours through the main command post (ZGS-14), aka “Fuchsbau / Fox’s Den”, of the East German air force / air defence service near Fürstenwalde in the state of Brandenburg (fig. right). In addition, there were countless other smaller projects.

Since December 2003, the BBN has been working voluntarily with the Berlin forestry organisation. When working jointly to seal up the Honecker bunker, the BBN came to realise just what expense and effort would be required for the state of Berlin. Following yet another illegal entry made in the bunker in 2004, the BBN submitted new proposals on how the bunker could be sealed effectively and economically in order to provide long-term protection of the bunker fabric and to prevent people injuring themselves. Since March 2005, the BBN and the Berlin forestry organisation have jointly secured the bunker. In addition to further security locks and seals, the bunker security is now also monitored by personnel.

In addition to actually securing the 5001 bunker, the BBN also produced a detailed technical and photographic documentation of the facility. In view of the extensive public interest, the BBN has produced a concept which will permit a virtual visit to the bunker without in perfect safety. Whereas the documentation can’t actually replace the bunker, it does offer various advantages. For example, absolutely every corner of the bunker can be “visited” without having to climb or crawl along some of the rather hairy access routes. There’s also no lighting in parts of the Honecker bunker, whereas they were extensively lit for the photographs. You can find some of the panorama shots in the section Panoramas .