Denmark | Former anti-nuclear bunker awakens Cold War anxieties

(Oplev) In the forest of Rold at the northern end of Denmark, behind an anonymous brown wooden door with an aged appearance, hides an impressive anti-nuclear bunker where the daily life of the Cold War is now revealed to the general public.

As Europe rediscovers the anguish of a nuclear conflict after the invasion of Ukraine, the underground fortress, which remained intact like a “time capsule”, reopens its doors this Monday in the form of a museum.

Built in great secrecy between 1963 and 1968 at the insistence of NATO, of which Denmark is a founding member, ‘Regan Vest’ was supposed to be able to accommodate the king or queen as well as the government in the event of nuclear war.

At 60 meters deep under a chalk hill, it was thought to be the “last bastion” of democracy in Denmark, explains to AFP the director of museums in North Jutland, Lars Christian Nørbach.

Nearly 400 kilometers from Copenhagen by road and 30 from the city of Aalborg, the bunker was specially designed for the Danish authorities’ retreat, a place where they could have lived and worked independently for 30 days.

“Time Capsule”

“The H-bomb completely changed the way of reacting in the event of a nuclear attack,” explains historian Bodil Frandsen. “The existing bunkers could not withstand such an explosion. So we had to do something new”.

The survival of an executive in the event of a nuclear apocalypse was an essential issue of sovereignty.

“As long as you had a government that could claim control of at least part of the country, still having a presence in Denmark, then Denmark as a sovereign and democratic state was still alive,” Ms.^me Franksen.

Through the wide white arched corridors, the visitor can discover the bedrooms of potential illustrious guests, the canteen and also the control room.

“It’s a time capsule. The papers, the pencils, everything stayed as it was left”, underlines Mr. Nørbach.

An exhibition also retraces the major dates of the Cold War while exhibiting everyday objects.

Revealed to the general public about ten years ago, the bunker was officially in operation until the early 2000s.

Visitors will take 1.5-hour guided tours over two kilometres, which covers approximately 40% of the bunker.

“It’s a very important place to show young people what the Cold War was like, how people were really anxious,” concludes Mr.^me Franksen.