Petition for the Hochbunker Försterstrasse in Aachen

From the internet:

[quote]Hard to believe: The Nazis last stand in Aachen, the former “Hochbunker” (air raid shelter) between the Rütscherstr and Försterstr in Aachen is to be demolished, to be exchanged for more boring urban apartments with basement garage. It was here, on October 21st, 1944 that the last Wehrmacht commander in the first liberated German city surrendered to the Allies. Justification of the Bezirksregierung Köln: „Because of the extensive alterations the explanatory power has been lost.“ (3)

I do not agree with that. Its thick concrete walls still show the devastating results of shelling, which was needed to expel the Nazi dictatorship. Every pedestrian, old or young, will notice this damaged concrete block and will ask the awkward question: “What happened here?” One possible answer is: “This is the place where dictatorship and repression ended and where freedom and democracy in West-Germany began.”

Aachen was the first large German city captured by the Allies. Its commander Oberst Wilck surrendered, against Hitler’s order to fight until the very last man, as the Nazis wanted it to be. Instead, he and his surviving soldiers gave up. This was a tremendous symbolic moment for the whole world. (3, 8)

Ok, bunkers are not beautiful. It needs fantasy and imagination to make something out of it, to enable visitors to experience their history but also to regain the usability of this urban spot. But please not by just demolishing them completely and build some ordinary multi storey apartments instead! It is just Aachen showing that a better way of combining history and urban living is possible: The Hochbunker in the Lütticherstr is currently altered for a supermarket (5), the Hochbunker in the Kongreßstr holds apartments since 1992 (6, 9). These huge concrete boxes are monuments, especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr, which should not vanish from our collective awareness: These Hochbunker are not only a remembrance of Nazi dictatorship, of repression and war atrocities, on days and nights with people seeking protection from air raids and bombing. Especially the Hochbunker in the Försterstr is one of the first places of the Hour Zero, from which a free democratic Germany emerged!

Please sign this petition to demand:

– withdrawal of the demolishing permit.
– addition of this Hochbunker to the Monuments Register.
– development of a concept, to ensure a combination of monumental value and urban usability.

Petition link: Der Hochbunker Försterstr in Aachen soll nicht für Stadtwohnungen weichen

Press sources:
1) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-abriss-100-anwohner-wehren-sich-1.567386
2) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-200-nachbarn-unterschreiben-gegen-abriss-1.570897
3) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/auch-denkmalschuetzer-gegen-den-bunker-abriss-1.569237
4) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/bunker-ruetscher-strasse-anwohner-wollen-schutzengel-behalten-1.594420
5) http://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/lokales/aachen/luetticher-strasse-bunker-wird-ein-schickes-heim-1.360473
6) http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/aachen/bombengeschaeft-mit-aachens-alten-bunkern-1.339141
7) http://www.zeit.de/2004/44/A-Aachen
8) http://www.aachener-geschichtsverein.de/Online-Beitraege/die-schlacht-um-aachen
9) The alternative way: http://www.architektur-bildarchiv.de/detail.php?picture_id=19294

Please sign this petition :

Vorname = first name Nachname = surname E-mail = email address Postleitzahl = postal code Warum unterschreiben Sie? = Why do you sign? (optional) Unterschreiben = sign[/quote]