Albanian Nuclear Bunker Opened · AditNow Community

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RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Not mining, but presumably underground and perhaps of passing interest though I'm not certain how many Aditnow members visit Albania on a regular basis...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30160201

It's good to see that they appear to be putting it to use as a museum. We visited Honecker's nuclear bunker outside of Berlin when it was briefly unsealed in 2008 and for me, apart from a couple areas of interest, the most striking part about it was its overwhelming mundanity. Had they perhaps found a wider use for it as have in Albania then perhaps it might still be open.

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remoteneeded
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

"Hoxha's regime built up to 700,000 bunkers before he died in 1985"

This seems very unlikely. Look at Britain's cold war bunker building - even if you include all of the ROC posts we're probably around the 2000 mark. 700,000 sounds like tour guide spin, lapped up by gullible journalists, especially when you consider that Albania only has a population of about 2.8 million.

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

I suspect that the figure is possibly accurate but the description misleading. Hoxha covered the country with small concrete bunkers which could in many places be manned by a single person in order that the country could be defended yard by yard. I suspect that these might well account for a substantial proportion of that figure.

I think they featured on one of Michael Palin's tours. Doubtless to be found repeating on an endless loop on some digital channel or other!

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

There is it seems a Wikipedia page.
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunkers_in_Albania

remoteneeded
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Wow that's amazing.

"the bunkers cost more than twice as much as the Maginot Line in France, consuming three times as much concrete"

I feel a trip is in order, especially to the bigger one in the article. And best of all I could bring things back for the family…

"Pencil holders and ashtrays in the shape of bunkers have become one of the country's most popular tourist souvenirs"

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Sorry, no snow-globe, no interest. ::)