Blankenfelde

Blankenfelde (Command Post 8850) would have been the Command Post responsible for the operation to take West Berlin. It was also the alternative Command Post for the head of the NVA land forces, General Stechbarth. The barracks were formerly the home of 26th Signal Battalion of the NVA. After the battalion was transferred from the Border Troops to Land Forces in 1972, it was renumbered as 40th Signal Battalion and assumed responsibility for communications at the Command HQ Land Forces. Since Command HQ Land Forces would have been disbanded in the event of a conflict - the NVA land forces would have been incorporated into the Soviet forces in East Germany, it never had a large HQ staff and thus no need for a bunker. General Stechbarth had his own Command Post in Potsdam-Wildpark, with his alternative Command Post being in Blankenfelde. In a major conflict Stechbarth would have taken over responsibility for the Berlin Operation from Baumgarten in the event of the latter's demise. The Blankenfelde location was used since it provided good communications links via KNZ-40 (Command Comcen 40), which was located in the communications bunker within the barracks. Some ten SOK (specially designated communications cables) provided permanent links to all major units and facilities which would have been involved in the Berlin Operation. Construction of the bunker in Blankenfelde was never completed and was no longer used after 1989. It was the last bunker to be built in the era of the GDR - as the concrete dried, the GDR fell apart. The bunker has two floors, a staff area, kitchen, comcen, sanitary and stores areas, but no major protection system against blast. It is now totally stripped, There was a fire inside it in 1994 with the resultant smell and sooting of the interior. It was open for many months, but at present is allegedly closed up again.


External View of the bunker entrance	entrance corridor with access to transformer room	access ladder to transformer room	transformer on excellent condition

spine corridor in bunkers upper floor	kitchen with cooker still in place	kitchen showing position of sinks and the serving hatch	spine corridor in bunkers upper floor

borehole for water supply to bunker	bunk beds were located in every office	vandal damage to partition wall	central situation or operations room

battery room	communications panel one in every office	water supply plant room	water supply plant room

water supply plant room	diesel generator - this appears to be the seat of the fire	dispatcher room - control of the bunkers systems	air conditioning plant room

airlock decontamination system in the entrance to the bunker	communications equipment and telephone exchange	telephone exchange equipment	intercom system to gain access to the bunker

emergency spiral staircase to upper floor and emergency exit	insulator at the start of the sites "ESA" or electric fence	plan of upper level of bunker	plan of lower level of bunker

Click on any photo for a larger image All photos ©copyright Dan McKenzie 2006

NVA Command Post 8850